Project Mc² Dolls

[Skanky Vamp]

To appeal to girls’ interest in STEM, MGA Entertainment launched four dolls to focus on each aspect of the field: science, technology, engineering and math.

Each doll in the line, known as Project Mc², comes with an experiment kit to inspire kids to play and learn. Experiments include creating lava lights, working volcanos, glow stick necklaces and blueprint skateboards.

“The Project Mc² brand was developed in order to inspire girls that it's cool to be smart, leverage the growing trend of STEM,” the toy company’s CEO Isaac Larian told Mashable.

“We considered a variety of activities and projects that young kids enjoy in order to create an assortment of experiment kits that would pique children’s interest, while infusing real science and meaningful technology and engineering play.”

And to make the dolls even more appealing to kids, each was created to be different from each other, from their physical appearance to personality, and even their fashion sense.

“We wanted the characters to reflect what a real life group of friends would look like,”Larian explained. “Each character is engineered to stand at a different height, has a unique face sculpt and represents a different cultural background.”

In addition to the launch of Project Mc², a Netflix Original series of the same name will premiere on Friday. The show follows the four girls as they are recruited for a top-secret spy organization.


Source: The Huff

 

[thetopher]

They're all really skinny though, so they ain't that different. Their like twigs.

Maybe make one or two a bit of a different shape?


Also can't we just let kids be kids already?

 

[GwenRaiden]

Each to their own.

I didn't play with dolls as a kid. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was my thing.

I'd buy a Winifred Burkle doll though!

 

[white avenger]

Little girls have been dressing their dolls in different outfits since even I was a kid, and they didn't all look the same. Then there was G I Joe and his various uniforms and equipment for little boys. What's so new about this?

 

[Taake]

I like it! I mean.. why not? It's not like it 's going to "warp" anyone's mind. Might get someone interested, though the majority probably won't be, so I think it's a cute way to at least try. I didn't see many complaints when there was the launch of superhero-butterfly Barbie or whatever she was...

I think the dolls do look different from each other. I mean, my Barbies also looked different from each other, but at the end of the day they were pretty uniform on the whole. These dolls look a bit like personalities. I like that.

@thetopher how is this kids not being kids? Kids have been learning by playing since forever. What's the difference between pretending to bake cakes in your Easy Bake Oven and pretending to light a lava lamp?

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Might get someone interested, though the majority probably won't be,

I think the fact that its not only the dolls, but a new Netflix series which tie into the dolls, it will certainly get more interested than if it didn't exist.
Here's a link about the series, if you haven't already checked it out

 

[thetopher]

@thetopher how is this kids not being kids? Kids have been learning by playing since forever. What's the difference between pretending to bake cakes in your Easy Bake Oven and pretending to light a lava lamp?

Because one is basically 'let's pretend' and the other seems to be 'think about a career in science for the good of all women.' I tend to think this sort of thing is a bit heavy handed- for boys as well as girls. You wanna play with dolls, that's cool, go for it but this smacks as somehow...deeply patronizing.

Worse, its like we have to sneakily introduce the not very radical idea of girls doing anything they want when they grow up because 'look at this cool new toy that's somehow empowering.'
It's a calculated gimmick, nothing more than that. Using words like 'leverage the growing trend' makes that clear.

I'd much prefer to give a kid a telescope or something practical to peak their interest in the sciences. It works for a lot of kids. 🙂

 

[Taake]

It's a calculated gimmick, nothing more than that. Using words like 'leverage the growing trend' makes that clear.

I'd much prefer to give a kid a telescope or something practical to peak their interest in the sciences. It works for a lot of kids.

I prefer to think of it as an option.

It is a nice compliment to all those other toys already out there (cause they're not going away) and as for a calculated gimmick I feel that almost everything is, in terms of everything new released (say within the same Barbie branch) is about creating a gimmick that is calculated to sell. So I don't see the difference between these and any other toys on the market really, except that maybe, it will provide a valuable option for parents who - in the end - are the ones buying the product. I'd rather give my child (and I would rather have had as a kid) a cool doll with something I might aspire to than that dreaded bunch of pregnancy and wedding Barbies that I got (ugh! I hated them then already)

You can still give your science interested girl a telescope. But having a doll with a telescope too that she can befriend and identify with... that's meaningful for child.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

But having a doll with a telescope too that she can befriend and identify with... that's meaningful for child.

But it's not just having a 'widget' with the doll, its the actual making of the widget that sets the doll apart. Sure, other dolls may have an included skateboard, etc, but these are the first where you actually assemble and build the widget.

 

[thetopher]

I prefer to think of it as an option.

It is a nice compliment to all those other toys already out there (cause they're not going away) and as for a calculated gimmick I feel that almost everything is, in terms of everything new released (say within the same Barbie branch) is about creating a gimmick that is calculated to sell. So I don't see the difference between these and any other toys on the market really, except that maybe, it will provide a valuable option for parents who - in the end - are the ones buying the product. I'd rather give my child (and I would rather have had as a kid) a cool doll with something I might aspire to than that dreaded bunch of pregnancy and wedding Barbies that I got (ugh! I hated them then already)

You can still give your science interested girl a telescope. But having a doll with a telescope too that she can befriend and identify with... that's meaningful for child.

Well, I get that. I guess I'm just an old-fashioned cynic when it comes to these things. Everything is calculated to one degree or other- Barbie, video games, everything is marketed. This is not different imo so I basically give it the same attitude.

Respect your kid, give them options, but I'm not big on manipulation. Be honest with them. Let them play a while and then see if they want to try something a bit more challenging.
I was big on building model airplanes when I was a very little kid, collecting cheesy horror movie models that you have to paint, all kinds of stuff that was basically not pretending to be anything other than what it was.
Not saying anybody has to be like me though. One of me is enough. 🙂

 

[Mr Trick]

Am with thetopher here, and I bet their not giving these Dolls away for free either.

 

[Taake]

Am with thetopher here, and I bet their not giving these Dolls away for free either.

Lol, why on earth should they?

 

[Mr Trick]

Lol, why on earth should they?

Because if they were just doing it for the kids own benefit then why bring money into it? My point being this is just another cynical marketing venture.

 

[Taake]

Because if they were just doing it for the kids own benefit then why bring money into it? My point being this is just another cynical marketing venture.

But it's a business. A business can't run without money. Doing it for the kids does not exclude wanting to make it a viable venture for the people behind it.
What a beautiful world it would be if people could just create things - for kids or others - and not have to care about profit et al. That's just not realistic. Are we to bash Lego and stuff too for not "doing it for the kids"?

 

[Blaze]

Never was a fan of dolls, I did my own science experiments when I was young! Or at least I pretended too, seriously, I was born a chemist. I just threw a bunch of stuff together and made solutions of gross stuff. Now that's basically science.

But eh, cool for the kids who like that kind of stuff!

 

[Mr Trick]

But it's a business. A business can't run without money. Doing it for the kids does not exclude wanting to make it a viable venture for the people behind it.
What a beautiful world it would be if people could just create things - for kids or others - and not have to care about profit et al. That's just not realistic. Are we to bash Lego and stuff too for not "doing it for the kids"?

I thought that might be your reply, and its not that I can't see your point, but fact is these are rich companies so my guess is they afford this without charging. Besides I'm just sick of everything being about money, and about kids being targeted like this.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

But it's a business. A business can't run without money. Doing it for the kids does not exclude wanting to make it a viable venture for the people behind it.
What a beautiful world it would be if people could just create things - for kids or others - and not have to care about profit et al. That's just not realistic. Are we to bash Lego and stuff too for not "doing it for the kids"?

Screw kids! Food is for the benefit of everyone. I just had a $120 grocery bill, I wish grocers were altruistic.. imagine just loading up your cart and skating out because 'it should be free' that would be awesomeburgers.

 

[Taake]

I thought that might be your reply, and its not that I can't see your point, but fact is these are rich companies so my guess is they afford this without charging. Besides I'm just sick of everything being about money, and about kids being targeted like this.

We're all targeted. Every day.
I get that. I get tired that it's all about money too (namely because I don't have it ;P)

(Wanting them to charge less I could get, but not charge at all is just absurd. )

 

[Mr Trick]

Screw kids! Food is for the benefit of everyone. I just had a $120 grocery bill, I wish grocers were altruistic.. imagine just loading up your cart and skating out because 'it should be free' that would be awesomeburgers.

Yes, but capitalism has gotten out of hand. I believe in the basic idea of it, but now its turned into people being greedy, and just charging for every stupid thing, or just cashing in on everything. It ruins the more pleasurable things in life such as art and culture.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Yes, but capitalism has gotten out of hand.

Capitalism is the same as it's ever been. Consumers have gotten out of hand. You stop buying, they stop selling. As long as there is a market there will, and should be people that cater to said market. Don't blame it on capitalism, its such a copout. Consumerism and wanting everything bright and shiny and new. Wanting to have the special edition Blu Ray, the newest cell phone, the smartest TV, and the coolest car. That is not capitalisms fault, because if there weren't people there buying "every stupid thing" there would be no companies "cashing in"