Images: TCFC
Strawberry Shortcake is getting stale - the "it" doll of the 1980s just wasn't connecting with modern girls, so her corporate owner American Greeting Properties, is having pulling an extreme makeover - and they're not alone:
Strawberry Shortcake, part of a line of scented dolls, now prefers fresh fruit to gumdrops, appears to wear just a dab of lipstick (but no rouge), and spends her time chatting on a cellphone instead of brushing her calico cat, Custard. Her new look was unveiled Tuesday, along with plans for a new line of toys from Hasbro.
She is not the only aging fictional star to get a facelift. An unusually large number of classic characters for children are being freshened up and reintroduced — on store shelves, on the Internet and on television screens — as their corporate owners try to cater to parents’ nostalgia and children’s YouTube-era sensibilities. Adding momentum is a retail sector hoping to find refuge from a rough economy in the tried and true.
Brooks Barnes of the New York Times has the story: Link
(Alert: Disney is thinking of "updating" Mickey Mouse! The travesty!)
Still, I prefer the original. And what's the point of them having pets if they're just going to neglect them and text each other instead?
Just what we need: more toys to dumb down today's girls.
They did a lot of dumb things, like making Pupcake also belong to Strawberry instead of Huckleberry Pie. But I think the worst offense was what they did to Angel Cake. In the original series, there was a whole episode about how Souffle Skunk became her pet. Now, it's a lamb named Vanilla Icing. Lame. "Ew a skunk can't be somebody's pet!" Balderdash. My mom and I will still smell a skunk and go "Yowie! A. Skunk!" (Part of the original episode - he thought that was his name because everyone would see him and go Yowie! A skunk!")
Mrs: "Oh yeah! I loved Strawberry Shortcake. I had a strawberry shortcake comforter!"
Me: "Well, take a gander at what they did to her..."
Mrs: (Looking at the pic in the posting posting) Wow, they turned her into a little ho-bag tramp, didn't they?
Straight Talk from Mrs. Sid...
My Little Ponies. Littlest Pet Shop. Strawberry Shortcake. Holly Hobby. Polly Pocket (doesn't even fit in your pocket!)...
At least Hot Wheels and Play-Doh still resemble what I remember...
Cmon, she used to wear a dress so short you could see her bloomers. Now she has chest high pants.
Maybe she still has Custard only now its a virtual pet that lives on her cell phone =^.^=
"Disney is updating Toontown, the section of Disneyland that Mickey calls home. One plan features an old-fashioned trolley, but Mr. Iger is not sure that is a smart idea. Will modern children know what an old-fashioned trolley is?"
God forbid a child should actually learn about something! If we dumb down everything to a child's level of understanding, how will anyone ever learn anything?
the strawberry shortcake tatooed on the back of my leg could kick this new strawberry shortcake's a$$.. that ho.
Nobody dressed their kid like the old Strawberry Shortcake. If they did, they were probably home-schooled.
Kinda creepy to hear people - especially women - calling her a slut because she's more up-to-date. It's not like they her into Strawberry Hilton.
I find it interesting how they're going to remake the Care Bears with less belly fat and longer eyelashes - now that'll be something to mock.
This reminds me of the updated Candyland that was released a few years ago, which I absolutely hate the look of. I don't care that they "politically corrected" the kids drawn on the board, but all the characters look so much more goofy and cartoony than they did for the version I grew up playing.
I don't mind that they gave her a makeover, in fact I kind of liked the changes they made a few years back, I just think this is a rather generic makeover. She doesn't stand out anymore, she isn't original and she's lost her characteristic red motif in favor of hot pink (since when are strawberries hot pink?) and her sweet country girl charm. No chubby baby fat cheeks? Cell phones? No Custard? What's left of the original? I think I'll stick to vintage shortcake thanks.
For the folks commenting on her lack of breasts, get your mind out of the gutter perverts, she's a little girl and I hardly thing sexualizing her is good for our children. And for the folks calling her a slut, you need to have your head checked. What exactly about that picture screams slut to you? I can just see you all standing around your Rainbow Brights as children stoning her to death for refusing to ride sidesaddle and having bare legs. Jeez people, overreact much?
I think it's still a much more acceptable and sweet toy for a child than say...the Bratz *shudder*
What I find so bothersome (and what I think is bothering many people here) is the industry's need to "redo" something so that "kids today" will understand it better or connect better.
So no, Strawberry Shortcake is not a slut (yet), but she has lost what made her Stawberry Shortcake.
http://dailyramblings.com/images/shortcake.jpg
I agree 100%! Strawberry Shortcake is still better than the hideous Bratz dolls. I wish American Greetings would learn the history of SS, before redoing dolls and getting the names and pets messed up. How can we share this with our daughters, if Strawberry Shortcake is nothing like we remember?
Like so many others have said, why should old characters e revamped to match todays people? God forbid they learn something. And yay, a cell phone. Now she can be like every other ditz glued to her phone and 5p34k1ng l33t or whatever. Animals are not cool anymore? And I supose the Peculiar Purple Pieman of Porcupine Peak is going to do a rap now instead of his song-and-dance. Bah. Originals for me, thanks.
Personally, I'm glad my granddaughter at age 5 would rather play with cars and trucks and legos than any of the popular dolls on the market.
I also wish those who revamp would learn the "history" of the characters. It's not simply redressing them, if it were, Strawberry would be fine clothes swapping with Blueberry Muffin. The creators obviously put a lot of thought and effort into their characters (each matched with an appropriately named pet), and it should not be ruined by efforts to "update".
Why would it be so terrible to have Strawberry and friends stay the way they were with their original interests (anyone remember those? Other than avoiding the Pieman. . .) instead of cell phones? Can she do both??
strawberry shortcake isn't the only thing getting "better" or "worse"
if you honestly think about it. this is what society is coming down to. Little girls want a cell phone, they want new they want fresh. They look for the pretty people, not what mom thinks is best.
Trust me when you were little you always wanted to be friends with the pretty people, Think about this optimistically, Your child will look up to her because she's pretty, on the plus side shes teaching good lessons. Just like dora, there learning experiences.
DORA...i think girls will b less...um...suckups to those little brats dora...EX: "AW!!! THERE SO CUTE!!!"
ICK!
I just don't like the idea of the cellphone :(
Well, it's better than the new Dora :P
And, hey, atleast she's not wearing a miniskirt/minidress
i mean come on go outside jump in a puddle,throw a ball on the roof and watch it roll down but stop watching t.v omg i know doras theme song and i dont even watch it..."Dora Dora Dora The explorer!...meet the cool exploradora! argh stomp on the stinkin backpack already...
I can see why some of the adults who remember the old version are mad, but at least she's appropriately dressed, and think about it... Little kids these days aren't going to like the old version as much, this one is more current and makes a lot more sense to younger kids. Although the cell phone thing probably wasn't the best idea ever...
And by the way, I'm 12.
-An annoyed 12 year old
Stop it, you money-crazy freaks.
First you remodel Neopets and cover it in advertisements, then you make Dora a teenager, and now this?
No. Just no.
Some new art needs to revolutionize the eyes of america! If we keep the old ways how will we propel ourselves to the next generation??
Its Not That She Looks Slutty,
Because She Really Doesnt,
Its That It Seems Like They're Trying To Erase The Image Of What Once Was,
I Mean,
When They Get Older..
Nobodys Going To Rember What She Really Looked Like,
And Her Originatily That Came With Her.
Not Only That,
But It Sends A Massege To The Yonger Kids Saying That Inorder To Be Cool,
They've Got To Look Like That.
And Inorder To Get Along In Life..
They've Got To Be Pretty
This Will Probbly Lead To Poor Self Esteem,
But In Reality,
Beautie Can Come From Anything, Anywhere, And Anyone,
I wasnt Old Enugh To Enjoy The Awsomeness Of Strawberry Shortcake,
but I Have Got To Exsperence The Reruns,
And From What I Saw,
She Was Awsome The Way She Was.
Dont Fix What Isnt Broken.
As for changing up Mickey... ummm... this wouldn't be the first time. Anybody out there remember black and white Mickey who just had dots for eyes? That what he looked like when I was little and I sure didn't want to watch him. Whenever that black and white cartoon came on I changed the channel to something colorful that pandered to my 6 year old brain.
I don't think chane is bad at all. In fact, I think its kind of cool to see my childhood classics re-created in modern times. I hope they do Rainbow Bright next. Or Lady Lovely Locks :)
"Keepin' It Real"
you really wouldnt understand.
this is their childhood.
this is what they grew up with.
you honstily cant exspect them to compleatly change a beloved childhood hero because companies think
"shes not pretty"
strawberry shortcake WAS beautifull the way she was.
and theres absolutly no reason why they should chage her.
if its a good show,
kids shouldnt worry about how the main charater looks.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE TOY, DON'T BUY IT!!!!
If your kids get a fit just do what my mom did to me, grab me by my shirt and give me threat to "beat my behind so hard I won't be able to sit down for 2 weeks". And really, what's wrong with Dora's new look? Everyone's got to grow up and look different at sometime in their life. Take the famous video game icons Sonic the Hedeghog and Crash Bandicoot. Sonic grew up and got a different design
Sonic
From this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Sonic_1991.png
To this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d0/Sonic.png
Crash
From this:
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/crashban/images/7/7b/Chcrashtwin.jpg
To this:
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/crashban/images/0/04/Crash_Render.jpg
Nobody complained about that (except the fans maybe, but who cares about them) Sonic aged and changed and is still loved by non-ignorant gamers. Not so sure if Crash aged, but he changed AND GOT TATOOS and is still the silly, wacky, loveable bandicoot we all know. Dora, Strawberry Shortcake, and Barbie will be too. And really parents, when you look at it this way you should realize it's not that big of a deal. Your kids aren't going to grow up and get tatoos or give tatoos just because they saw it on a toy. It's up to you to guide your kids in the right direction. And yes I'm pretty sure it's gonna take some time to get used to these new looks, but it also took time to get use to the new Pokemon TV Show voice actors. After I heard there was gonna be new actors on the show I felt just like you feel now and traded in all my Pokemon games because I gave up on it, but then I gave the show a chance on day and realized they improved from the last time I saw them. All I'm saying is stop complaining about these new things and get used to them because Nickolodeon, Mattel, and whoever makes Strawberry Shortcake aren't going to change their minds. The fans of The Pokemon TV Show tried to change the show's creators minds about the voice actors, but did that work? No. And we may have just been kids at that time, but fans have just as much rights as you adults. I hope my little talk has persuaded you to change your minds about this. Au revoir!
....and did i mention that im only 14?!!?
And, what on earth have people done to Dora anyway? My sister ADORES Dora (pun intended) and I would hate to let her watch the new Dora. And Barbie with tattoos? Well, that just speaks for itself.
Look, we dont need to have this generation's cartoon role models showing off a waiste smaller than the neck of a beer bottle and cell phones. Because all we will have when they grow up is a bunch of insecure teenagers who think they arent good enough for anything an starve themselves so they can be tiny too. Good lord, where has this country gone?
-A concerned eight grader
i actually like the new look. you have to think they are trying to sell this in a time thats more "modern"
I think the look is really cute and the old look is sooo....well its cute but....old....
this one is nice fresh and definately not slutty. she's completely covered and she doesn have those dreadful red curls anymore. yuck....
I think the new Strawberry Shortcake is cool and even though I left my liking for cartoons a long time ago, I think this new Strawberry increases the liking of cartoons for tweens, of which woudl´ve stopped liking her if she hadn´t changed. I mean look at me! Me and my 10 year old sister USED to love dora and strawberry shortcake and carebears and all those cute cartoons. Now from the teensiest mention of Dora the Explorer ( my little sis ex-idol)she goes red in the face and I mean who at her age wouldn´t be ashamed of herself if she used to be the number 1 fan of dora? As for bratz I like to watch the shows because even though they look exageratly fashionable( even the baby dolls!!) they were the first to start this I want tweens and early teens to like us dolls. They were really never meant for kids. Besides they do give good messajes like the power of friendship and stuff like that. But the myscene dolls were wayy better than the bratz...my little sis has bratz and she takes care of tham like they were angles fallen from the sky...its a good thing they arent gonna take the old dora out. Dora will entertained toddlers, kids, tweens and even (though rarely) some teens. I mean itll take my sis´s mind out of bratz for a while:P
P.S. It doesn´t mean I don´t think the old strawberry shortcake was for little kids. I didn´t stop watching it till I was 11!!!My bedcover sheets and my curtais were all strawberry shortcake themed!!! I took them off before my 12th birthday though...Maybe they´ll do what there doing with dora...jaja itll be named Strawberry Shortcake grows up jaja lol!!! :D
There is the old Strawberry Shortcake from the 80's (as depicted above)
A newer version that is ADORABLE!!! See here: http://www.agkidzone.com/strawberryshortcake.action
But even the newer version looks NOTHING like the above “makeover” which looks like a 10 year old “Little Mermaid” in a pink outfit!
To those that say that the new one is great and have even seen all the new shows, do you mean the new one in the link above, or the makeover one to the right? They are VERY different!!! Please compare and make sure that you are discussing the correct image...
And can anyone tell me if the current one in the link IS the most current and all this banter is over nothing? Is the above image to the right really scheduled to be released?
Before I discovered that there could be more than one “new” version, I wrote the following in regards to the image that is on the right at the top of this page and NO disrespect to the image in the above link as she is an adorable “makeover” (although some of the other characters are a bit... overdone).
http://www.agkidzone.com/meet_strawberry.action
* * * * * * * * *
O.K.... I hope that what I bring to this conversation will clear up a few things on both sides of the fence... To those that are calling her a “slut” and also to those who say that there is “nothing” wrong...
It is NOT that she looks like a “slut”... it's the need to make her “pretty” in a mini teenager sort of way. Cute isn't good enough anymore.... cute is babyish even for 5 year olds these days... and that is what's sad.
To those that are upset about the revamp and are nostalgic about the original, deep down inside what is really bothering you is that her image is being dumbed down to that of being just a pretty picture of strawberry loveliness as opposed to being fun and adventuresome... but then again, that's just the VISUAL image. One poster indicated that the new character is still sweet, just less whiny... that's a good thing right? I vote yes!
And although the original is a bit hokey and needed an update, your frustration is understandable as being “pretty” with hints of sexy (it's the hair people!) is what is driving sales. She is suppose to be a kid and her hair is gorgeous! I mean... come on!
Many on here have said, “What's wrong with letting her look like a girl for god sakes!” Well, it's not about not wanting little girls to ever be “girl-ie” what it's about is our “modern” society (via marketing, via society?) not wanting little girls to a kids. Is is o.k. for girls to run and play and get their hair messy? Not the new and “improved” Strawberry Shortcake!... Or so it seems....
Although, just VISUALLY speaking, compare the two: Which one is cute, and which one is... pretty? Which one looks ready for adventure and which one is.... waiting for a boy? It's subtle....but definitely there (look how she sits!) and the kids DO know the difference and that is why the old doll doesn't appeal to “today's” girls... as they are learning more and more every day that looking pretty is better... above EVERYTHING ELSE.
Trading the sweets for fruit? O.K....
But a cell phone? Really? If this is indeed true (as “Kab” said that it is not) she might as well be “boy-crazy” and a “shop-a-holic” as well! And this is the same reason that people are miffed over the whole Dora thing too.....And have you seen what they have done to Holly Hobbie? She is unrecognizable! Go here: http://www.agkidzone.com/hollyhobbie.action
And to those that say that all they are doing is keeping up with the times... that should be of a concern to you too... have you even stopped to think about what kind of times we are in? Someone on here said,
“…..are you guys FaReal? What are we a Muslim country now? Can dolls not wear short sleeved shirts? I see your problem with short skirts, thats understandable, but this ‘new’ shortcake looks pretty modernized”
But no one is saying that all women should be “modest” ... but we aren't talking about women are we... we are talking about little girls... innocent children. Since when has being “modernized” equate to a standard of beauty? It has become increasingly trendy to push little girls to grow up fast... innocence does not sell anymore...Why is that? Are we afraid that we will have to actually look after them? Are we trying to make them grow up fast so that we won't have to worry? But be careful... Most grown-up women know all to well that beauty is a false sense of power... So why are we grooming our little girls into the same trap?
Being “Pretty, sassy, and COOL” is being pushed harder and harder on our girls at younger and younger ages... and many moms give in because they are too afraid to say no out of fear that their daughters won't “like” them.... or they encourage it because it's important to start the brainwashing as early as possible so that they will grow up into desirable M.I.L.F.'s...
There is nothing wrong with admiring beauty and having a Barbie or two...but there should be a variety of images for young girls (especially the younger ones) and I'm not saying that girl dolls have to look ugly... but there must be creative ways to promote a positive image without having to rely on beauty. Personally, I think that the revamp that they did 10 years ago was great.
Although “Kab” has a good point: “The show (on CBS) and the movies have good messages (i.e. don’t assume a person is a certain way by the way she looks) and Strawberry Shortcake is not the whiny piece of fluff she was originally. Yes, I have seen some of the original Strawberry Shortcake shows and couldn’t STAND the whining voice and she cried over every little thing. The updated Strawberry is an exceptional role model for young girls.”
I have to admit, I have not seen the shows and therefore in that regard, I am guilty. So I'm VERY glad to know that the shows have improved and that the character is strong.... I just wish that the image matched.
Please be aware of what kind of VISUAL messages are being pushed on our youth, particularly our girls.
If you found any or what I am trying to convey as slightly enlightening PLEASE go here:
www.packaginggirlhood.com
Thank you.
P.S. The posters that suggested that she get boobs were most likely being sarcastic as in to say, “They already turned he into a tart (their opinion, not mine) so why not go all the way.....” and that's called....sarcasm.
BTW....I'm 37..... Oooooo..........
Barbie is made to help kids put clothes together and put things in order like every other kid has to learn how to do anyway.
Dora: I hated Dora when I first turned 7! Now, I wanna look at the new Dora! I mean, she will look cooler than ever!
Strawberry Shortcake: OMG, she looks sooo pretty, I mean, she looks better than the picture on my left. I like the way she looks on the right! If my sisters began watching THAT ONE+The new DORA, I would hang out with them more!