I’m going to admit right here and now that Jeanne Beker is a bit of a hero of mine. It’s no secret that I am a big fan of fashion, and ever since I was younger I admired how the Canadian television personality, author and newspaper columnist could glide effortlessly into a runway show and chat up every Vogue editor and designer as if she was their best friend from high school. For the fashionistas among us, watching Beker have a casual chat with Valentino or Betsey Johnson is simply a joy to behold.
Beker’s got a pretty amazing professional history. She launched the ground-breaking music magazine show The NewMusic the same year I was born, was honorary chair of Toronto’s annual Fashion Cares and Gilda’s Club, and she was honoured with the prestigious Crystal lifetime achievement award by Women in Film and Television. She’s covered fashion and lifestyle news for Citytv, FashionTelevisionChannel and The Globe and Mail, and regardless of what you think of fashion as an industry, you have to admit she’s certainly a well-respected journalist in her field who is consistently doing groundbreaking work in mainstream women’s media.
On March 19 at Diesel Kids’ premiere Toronto runway show at Nathan Philips Square, Jeanne launched her highly anticipated second book Passion for Fashion: Careers in Style (Tundra Books). She has also partnered with BratzT to bring her book to an entirely new audience of young fashionistas - the Bratz doll fans. Jeanne and Bratz unveiled the new Bratz Fashion Reporter Doll which was inspired by Jeanne and comes packed with a copy of Jeanne’s new book. The doll’s name? ‘Jeanne B’ of course.
The Jeanne B doll is the first ever Bratz doll inspired by a real-life celebrity. I have to apprehensively ask - could this be a positive thing? Despite my contempt for Bratz dolls and the way they completely sexualize, minimize and limit the identities of young women and girls, could this new doll be a step in the right direction? Could it even be empowering young girls through a doll that represents a successful, smart and respected female role model?
Or, does Beker’s association with the line of dolls actually belittle all of the work that she’s done in her field by turning her into a characture? The fact that this entire partnership was ridiculous was my first reaction, and then I was surprised and offended that such an important, and in my mind, feminist woman has been (or agreed to be) turned into a doll. I’ve written about strange partnerships in the past, and my love for Beker is certainly making me try to see the good in a “professional Bratz doll,” but my contempt for the Bratz message means I just can’t get on board.
The next real-life depiction venture for Bratz Dolls? A new line of America’s Next Top Model Dolls.
“‘America’s Next Top Model’ is more than about being beautiful. It’s about being your best and fulfilling your dreams, which isn’t necessarily to be a top model,” (CBS) said. “These dolls, like the show, are meant to inspire young girls and to nurture their dreams.”
Guilty pleasure or not, I’m gagging.
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six comments
Ewww, the upcoming "Top Model" dolls just crossed the line for me.
I WAS going to write and say that I DO think that a Jeanne B doll could be viewed as a positive step towards Bratz dolls empowing girls with a representation of a positive, successful female 'role model' (though, it's arguable whether young women really need to be "made aware" of the career choice of "fashion tv reporter"... I'm thinkin' "TV reporter" might already be among the ten or so dreams on their menu, but anyhow)...
Now, I'm just as turned off of the dolls as ever. A line of "Americas Top Model" dolls, puh-leeze... Yeah, that's about as inspiring as Barbie.
Posted by Meghan Marie
March 31, 2008, 7:12 PM
People always talk about how evil barbies and bratzes are, and how they're brainwashing little kids, but this takes the blame away from where the problem really is.
Toys have no impact on kids unless they can relate the toys to every day life. If a three year old saw a barbie, and she'd never seen sexist, pro-anorexia movies (Cinderella, ect.) before, she would interpret the doll as what it was, a piece of plastic, completely irrelevant to her beliefs.
The real problem is in our society. We send the message to girls that they need to confine themselves to an empty, plastic version of femininity. Kids are really imaginative, and if we showed them images of strong, independant women in the media, they would make their bratzes and barbies like those women instead. And an America's Top Model bratz who can be an astronaut or a president too, and doesn't have to make the choice between beauty and intelligence, would actually be a very feminist character.
Posted by Adriana
April 1, 2008, 4:24 PM
I've never really thought too much about high-end fashion as a site for my feminism, particularly since it seems to encourage competition between women on standards that are impossible to achieve. And that's antithetical to any kind of getting together in terms of collective action! I don't know too much about Jeanne Beker, but I did catch her program on FashionTV once and she glorified knocking elbows with other fashion reporters for a prime interviewing position backstage - they must have played the clip where this other woman called her a bitch at least 4 times in the program before they actually got to that segment of the show. I read Jeanne's column in the Globe and & Mail sometimes, and to be honest, I think it's drivel: hanging out doing high-end shopping with her daughters, how liberating. Jeanne always seems to be trying to be seen as someone important in a game where everyone, especially women, lose. And now: more of the same: a Bratz doll.
I guess this all sounds pretty harsh, but to bring it closer to home, this past weekend I received the newest teen novel called "The Ashleys: Jealous? you know you are..." by Melissa de la Cruz, the "celebrated" author. The book's whole premise is to foster competition, jealousy and cruelty between young women, mostly through making fun of each other's clothes. In the first 15 page chapter alone, I counted 22 mentions of high-end brand names. One of the coveted Ashleys' mothers is - you guessed it - a model. Every single one of this author's books features a cover with girls glaring at each other.
If you feel like it, fire Melissa an email at melissa@melissa-delacruz.com and tell her that her books might sell sell sell, but they aren't doing anything for young women. And don't hold your breath for Jeanne Beker, either.
Posted by piKe
April 2, 2008, 6:13 PM
Yes, it does sound harsh. I feel like a dismissal of the fashion industry and the women who enjoy it as anti-feminist (or not feminist) is also antithetical to collective action. You've conveyed that women who participate in that "game" are complicit in their own oppression or oppressors themselves. I think that's pretty dangerous, and exclusionary, no?
I also think setting up rules that feminists have to follow to keep their membership cards (i.e. don't enjoy high-end shopping) is also a form of competition between women that sometimes goes unnoticed. I realize that the fashion industry has it's (many) flaws, but I wouldn't generalize it as a whole, nor would I outright dismiss Beker. At the very least, she has done great charitable work for the community and was an early pioneer of women in television media.
Man, I really do have some "I love expensive shoes" shame I need to deal with.
Posted by Stacey May
April 3, 2008, 10:13 AM
I got 'em too: Fleuvogs!
Posted by piKe
April 3, 2008, 4 PM
I LOVE THIS. A DOLL!
I LOVE Jeanne Beker. As a little girl I read her columns every Thursday when she wrote for the Toronto Star and I watched her on FT after school instead of soaps or whatever else was on!
A complete fan of hers. And she's in Toronto next Sunday doing a fashion show for DSquared(2) on Queen Street West!
The doll is just so awesome. YAY for Jeanne!
Posted by Julia
August 29, 2008, 7:41 PM
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