In doll land, no rivalry's more famous than the great early-aughts war between Barbie and Bratz. These days, all eyes may be on Barbie with the release of its live-action movie, but it seems that even it can’t escape a Bratz reference—at least, according to netizens.
LOOK: Netizens Think That the "Barbie" Movie Referenced Bratz During a Scene
Since the release of the Barbie movie trailer in May, users across social media noted a specific set of characters they claim resembled the Bratz dolls’ likeness.
After experiencing a Barbieland reality warp, Barbie (Margot Robbie) ventures into the real world in hopes of finding the fix to her problems. Her search leads her to a group of four teens, who, unfortunately, seems to have an obvious distaste for her, claiming that they “haven’t played with Barbie” since they were five years old.
According to netizens, the quartet in question bore a resemblance to the core four Bratz dolls, Sasha, Yasmin, Chloe, and Jade. In fact, the leader of the teen pack featured in the movie was also named Sasha (played by Anna Greenblatt). Her mother Gloria (America Ferrera) playfully called her “Bunny Boo” too, which is the official nickname of Bratz Sasha and her pet rabbit.
Me over-analyzing everything: Was this Bratz shade? #BarbieMovie pic.twitter.com/A0gcfyr8l5
— Lookin’ Bratz (@LookinBratz) May 25, 2023
However, it isn’t confirmed that the characters were a direct Bratz Easter egg. The Barbie movie credits the rest of Sasha’s pack as “Junior High Friends,” but in a film jam-packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it references to doll history and Barbie lore, it won’t be quite a surprise to think that this was a deliberate addition.
MGA’s Bratz and Mattel’s Barbie shared an infamous competition in the early 2000s, as Barbie dolls faced a decline in sales by 30 percent in 2005, due to older girls favoring Bratz for its “trendier” aesthetic and diverse line. To combat that, Mattel even released My Scene in 2002, a new line of dolls that echoed Bratz’s more modern look and appearance. This led to a legal dispute in 2005, which was just one among many between MGA and Mattel.
What do you think of this Bratz “cameo”? Let us know in the comments!
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