Monster High Clawdeen Wolf Doll teaches young girls about hair removal

Parenting experts aren’t too pleased with Mattel’s “Monster High Clawdeen Wolf” doll, which they claim is teaching children a few problematic lessons about body image. Clawdeen’s bio explains that she’s a 15-year-old werewolf, “a fierce fashionista with a confident no-nonsense attitude. I’m also gorgeous, intimidating, and absolutely loyal to my friends.” And her Freaky Flaw? “Freaky Flaw: My hair is worthy of a shampoo commercial and that’s just what grows on my legs. Plucking and shaving is definitely a full time job but that’s a small price to pay for being scarily fabulous.” The doll is usually picked up by 5-to 7-year-old girls and marketed toward tweens and teens. Psychologist Dale Atkins told “The Today Show,” “When we have these ridiculous models — sexualized children, and horses with long eyelashes that are flirtatious and all of that — it sets up this ideal of beauty and body image that kids have to pay attention to because they can’t not pay attention to it. And they feel less good as they’re trying to develop a good sense about their own bodies.” However, Margaux Vega, a spokeswoman for Mattel told “Today,” “Monster High is all about celebrating your imperfections and accepting the imperfections of others. Clawdeen Wolf is the teenage daughter of a werewolf. In the webisodes, she has to shave and wax and pluck between classes. Girls of a certain age know about the embarrassment of unwanted hair in unwanted places.” And Senior Public Relations Manager for Toys R’ Us Bob Friedland told FOX411 that Clawdeen is super popular: “We haven’t had any complaints from parents, customers who are buying this doll are very happy with the product and we cannot keep the dolls on the shelves.”

Article by Huffington Post, referred by Lauren Johnson

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I would honestly love to know how “Monster High is all about celebrating your imperfections and accepting the imperfections of others” if the character is going to great lengths to hide her “imperfections.”

Secondly – hair removal rituals for women such as shaving/waxing/plucking underarms, legs, eyebrows, etc. is a society-imposed standard. Girls should grow up with the freedom to choose if they want to remove their body hair or not – and should know that it is OPTIONAL and a choice that should only be made by their personal preferences. By selling this doll to young girls, they will grow up thinking that these things HAVE to be done. Way to make children/teenagers even more self-conscious.

Don’t even get me started about how this doll is way sexed up. Besides the ridiculous makeup and outfit (which would break most school-enforced dress codes), this doll’s favorite hobbies are “shopping and flirting with the boys.” FAIL.

About The Author

Patricia Colli, Editor of Beutiful Magazine, is a human rights activist, equality advocate, and promoter of health, acceptance and wellbeing. Having experienced disordered eating, unhealthy exercise patterns and poor body image, she is especially passionate about shedding light on eating disorders and the power of body acceptance.