What's In A Name? Ten New Bratz Characters Coming Soon!

Related entries:
New Bratz 10th Anniversary Collection To Be Released In Fall 2010 (02.11.2010):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=67

United States Ninth Circuit Court Of Appeals Awards Bratz To MGA Entertainment (07.31.2010):
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/b2evolution/blog1.php?p=89

Okay, so it has been a while since I posted on my Bratz Heaven Blog any news and information about our only girls with a passion for fashion. In fact, after MGA Entertainment reclaimed the rights and ownership of the Bratz franchise at the United States Ninth Circuit Federal Court Of Appeals in Pasadena, California on July 22, 2010, I spent the past three weeks finding and purchasing the new Bratz products and collections for Fall 2010 at all major retailers....

And that especially includes Target. After demonstrating such outright anger and hostility toward Bratz in Fall 2009, I made sure to keep a very watchful eye on this retail organization, so that it would sell the new Bratz products and collections for Fall 2010. I have not purchased any Bratz from Target so far, but I am impressed with how Target has been handling its selling of Bratz at all its locations. I am especially gratified to have learned that Target will be constructing an endcap and shelf space for Bratz beginning in October, when the ten new Bratz characters for Fall 2010 are unveiled.

But just who are these ten new Bratz characters? You probably have noticed that interesting silhouette posted at the top of this blog entry, along with the new Bratz Heaven logo (which is still in development, although you can see how the logo reflects the urban hip-hop attitude that I'm aiming for with the new Bratz Heaven website). MGA Entertainment unveiled this silhouette of the ten new Bratz characters on its official Bratz Facebook page in late August, and it certainly sparked plenty of excitement and interest from Bratz fans everywhere. Who are these ten new characters? What do they look like? What are their names?

So far, and at the time of this blog entry, MGA Entertainment revealed the names of five of the ten new Bratz characters. They are Ashby, Joelle, Tyla, Liliana, and Leora. The remaining five new Bratz characters have yet to be determined, but some doll collectors are hoping that the name Robyn is not among the remaining five. According to these collectors, naming one of the new Bratz characters after me would be disrespectful and despicable. Some have threatened to sue MGA Entertainment over the issue, others are planning to purchase the dolls from Mattel's new Monster High fashion doll line if that were to happen.

I know the reasons why these doll collectors would sue MGA Entertainment or no longer purchase Bratz if it named a Bratz doll after me, but I won't reveal that here. Personally, I would not care one way or the other if the company chose the name Robyn as one of the ten new Bratz characters. It would be honorable if that ever happened; honestly, however, I do not ever see it coming into fruition. MGA Entertainment is a much more brilliant company than what I think it is and what these doll collectors think it is. The company carefully chooses some really unique names for its Bratz characters. For instance, Nevra. I do not know any girls who are named Nevra, but I know there are many girls named Neveah (i.e., Heaven spelled backwards) and many more girls named Sabina.

Meanwhile, the name Robyn — and this is where I make fun of myself — is actually considered outdated by today's standards. It was a popular name for children in the early 1990s, but in recent years, parents have chosen less traditional names for their children and immersed themselves in this trend toward choosing names that focus more on individuality, uniqueness, and standing out. It's not about following the rules to fit in with others, but about breaking the rules and being different.

Individuality, uniqueness, standing out, being different.

Exactly what the Bratz are all about! And, exactly why MGA Entertainment chooses names such as Fianna, Kumi, Dresden, and Sharidan for its Bratz dolls. Although the names by themselves define some type of uniqueness or individuality, some names do not work as intended: For instance, Yamit was a character from the Bratz Babyz line of consumer products. This character lasted only one Bratz Babyz playset, since the name was unappealing to begin with and sounded too much like the name Yasmin. I'm not implying that the playset did not sell well because of the name or the character; however, MGA Entertainment could have chosen a much better name instead.

While the name Yamit is considered unappealing, it's much better than another unappealing name, Pacer. There are no Bratz characters who are named Pacer, and thank goodness for small favors. But the reason why I mention this name is because there is a soccer mom in my neighborhood whose son's name is Pacer. Some soccer moms act like obnoxious self-centered morons, but this soccer mom definitely takes the cake. I asked her why she named her son Pacer, and her response was unbelievable: When she was growing up, her first car was an AMC Pacer.

Simply stunning. This soccer mom named her son after one of the most ugliest cars ever manufactured. Then again, it could have been worse: She could have named her son Gremlin. Or Aztek. Or Touareg.

I know. I'm still trying to figure out how to pronounce that one.

If you have never seen what an AMC Pacer or AMC Gremlin looks like, I have posted a couple of photos:

AMC Pacer:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/AMCPacer.jpg

AMC Gremlin:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/AMCGremlin.jpg

But returning to the subject of character names, not all the Bratz characters have names that define their uniqueness or individuality. For instance, there's Yasmin, Cloe, Sasha, Jade, Meygan, Dana, Cade, Cameron, Dylan, Eitan, Koby, and Bryce. These names sound more traditional and in step with what parents would name their children. Aside from a slight spelling modification or two, there's nothing really fancy or special about these names. Yet, some parents feel the need to give their children unique or individualistic names, and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, a really creative name can define a child's personality and boost his or her self-esteem. Naming your child after your first car — especially when it's a very ugly car — is just plain silly and can result in that child feeling some sense of embarrassment from his or her peers.

It's one thing that MGA Entertainment is revealing the names of the ten new Bratz characters, and some of these names sound quite impressive. What is really important is if MGA Entertainment will hit a grand slam out of the ballpark with these ten new Bratz characters. Bratz fans are hoping that MGA Entertainment will deliver what the fans have waited a long time for and give them ten new reasons to celebrate the return of the only girls with a passion for fashion.