Popular Girls Dolls Have a Funky Flavor

Move over, Barbie. There are some new dolls on the market, a little bit cooler, believe it or not. Some dolls are so popular with little girls this year, they`re giving parents quite the headache. Retailers have started marketing dolls that are much more urban or hip hop than the ones some of us grew up with. Some of the doll lines include, the most popular Bratz, Flava Dolls, and even Barbie made some funky friends, with My Scene dols. "They`re the style now. They`re hip hop, that`s what the kids like now," said Myra Alford, who was shopping for the dolls with her daughter. "Her hair is always pretty. Because I like doing hair, that`s why I wanted a big Bratz doll, so I can do hair," said 10 year old Markeyah Wilson. The Bratz dolls are so popular, they`re outselling Barbie and American Girl dolls with girls aged 8-12. And today`s dolls are just blond-haired, blue-eyed anymore. "You can find from Asian, to Hispanic, to Blacks to Whites. It`s neat that you can find ethnic dolls for different cultures," said Alford. Mattel makes the Barbie My Scene and Flava dolls. A spokesperson says they developed the dolls because they noticed the widespread movement of hip-hop. While critics may say the dolls are dressed too provocatively or are stereotypical, Mattel says they just tried to create a variety of dolls to reflect the diversity o kids around the world.