September 10, 2007

 

Contact: Josh Golin (617.278.4172; jgolin@jbcc.harvard.edu)    

 

For Immediate Release

 

CCFC to Scholastic:  Are the Bratz Coming Back to School?

 

BOSTON -- As students around the country return to school, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is asking Scholastic, Inc. whether they’ll be joined by the Bratz, the controversial line of dolls that have been singled out for contributing to sexualization of young girls.  In February, CCFC launched a letter-writing campaign urging Scholastic to stop promoting Bratz in schools by selling Bratz books through their book fairs and book clubs.  To date, almost 5,000 parents have participated in that campaign.

 

“Scholastic faces an important choice,” said CCFC’s director Dr. Susan Linn.  “They can acknowledge that commercially-driven, sexualized stereotypes have no place in schools and stop promoting the Bratz brand--or they can continue to put profits before children’s well-being and risk losing their privileged position with parents and educators.”

 

Scholastic has been the target of increasing criticism because so many of its in-school programs promote commercial toys and media.  In response to complaints from its members, CCFC created A Guide to Commercial-Free Book Fairs to help parents and educators work with local booksellers to hold book fairs that are free of corporate marketing and media tie-ins.

 

The complete text of CCFC’s letter to Richard Robinson, CEO and President of Scholastic, Inc., is below:

 

Since February, nearly 5,000 of our members have written to you to ask that Scholastic stop selling Bratz products in schools.  We are writing to urge you to honor that request.

 

Scholastic has a privileged place in schools because of its reputation as an educational publisher, but many parents feel that you are abusing that trust.  The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood receives more complaints about Scholastic, Inc. than any other company.  These complaints range from concerns about Scholastic’s marketing in preschools to critiques of the increasing commercialization of Scholastic’s book clubs and book fairs. 

 

Parents are particularly upset that Scholastic has chosen to promote the Bratz – a line of dolls that were singled out by the American Psychological Association for contributing to the sexualtization of young girls – in schools.  By selling titles such as Lil’ Bratz Dancin Divas, Lil’ Bratz Catwalk Cutie.  and Lil’ Bratz Beauty Sleepover Bash, Scholastic is simultaneously profiting from the proliferation of sexual stereotypes and promoting the controversial Bratz brand to a captive audience of schoolchildren. 

 

In the past, you have been receptive to concerns about commercializing childhood. In 2001, Scholastic decided to end its sponsorship of the Golden Marble Awards, the advertising industry’s celebration of child-targeted marketing just a short time after CCFC (then Stop Commercial Exploitation of Children) urged parents to express their concerns to you directly. We hope that you will be similarly responsive to the thousands for parents who believe commercially-driven, sexualized stereotypes have no place in schools.

 

We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter with you further and would like to know if you will be marketing the Bratz brand in schools this year. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Alvin F. Poussaint, MD                         Susan Linn, EdD

 

Tell Scholastic: No Bratz in Schools!