The front page says it all:

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http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/frontpage-messageeckertlarge.jpg

You may never look at Mattel the same way again.

Mattel proclaims — no, BOASTS — that their organization consists of the most powerful and intelligent people in the toy industry. Established imitators innovators with trillions of years of experience in creating the greatest toys and consumer products ever manufactured in the entire universe. Narcissists People with skills and talent so beyond immeasurable, that no other human being on planet Earth could ever in his or her entire lifetime attain what they have accomplished.

I would like to take this opportunity right now to acknowledge the following people at Mattel for their outstanding contribution and amazing leadership, in their continued effort to achieve the company's core vision of being the world's premier leader of toy brands today and tomorrow: Robert Eckert the Scumbag; Chuck Scothon the Dumbass; Matthew Broussard the Other Dumbass; Lisa Marie Bongiovanni the Bitch; Richard Dickson the Dickhead; Tim Kilpin the Asshole; John Quinn the Coward; and many other individuals at Mattel, for demonstrating what a bunch of evil fascists they really are.

Of course, let's not forget: Bob the Builder; Barney the Dinosaur; Joe the Plumber; Obama the President; McCain the Senator; Limbaugh the Pig; and the guy responsible for this mess, Carter Bryant the Moron.

In the current ongoing litigation between MGA Entertainment and Mattel over the rights to the Bratz franchise, Judge Stephen Larson of the United States Ninth Circuit Federal Court in Riverside, California ordered MGA Entertainment to forefit all profits from sales of any product carrying the Bratz brand, including Bratz Kidz, Bratz Babyz, and Lil' Bratz. This is an extension from his December 3, 2008 injunction, which barred MGA Entertainment from manufacturing, marketing, and selling Bratz. MGA Entertainment was also ordered to turn over information about its Fall 2009 Bratz line to help Mattel launch its own "Bratz" products/collections for Spring 2010, as well as transfer to Mattel whatever materials or expertise Mattel needs to prepare that line.

I have a sneak-peek of that new "Bratz" product line Mattel will be launching for Spring 2010. The following are photos of the Funky Tweens dolls from Australia. Although they are a blatant knock-off of the Bratz dolls manufactured by MGA Entertainment, these Funky Tweens dolls illustrate what Mattel's version of "Bratz" would look like. Based on these photos, Mattel's "Bratz" dolls would be utterly frightening.

Mattel's "Bratz" dolls:

Brittany:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/mattelbratz-brittany.jpg

Emily:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/mattelbratz-emily.jpg

Madison:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/mattelbratz-madison.jpg

Taylor:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/mattelbratz-taylor.jpg

Lauren:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/mattelbratz-lauren.jpg

This is actually not the first time Mattel had created Bratz. In fact, Mattel had created their own version of Bratz before. Rememebr Flavas? This doll line was introduced in July 2003, to compete against Bratz and to appeal to the same consumer base that Bratz catered to. It was obvious that the same company which introduced Barbie half a century ago was not having a profitable year and tried too hard to capitalize on the success of Bratz, that they had to create something as lame as Flavas. Mattel got everything wrong with Flavas, since the doll line was a completely unreal representation of African-American culture and did not come close to truly and realistically reflecting the urban hip-hop environment it was trying to portray. Even Mr. Isaac Larian, the President and CEO of MGA Entertainment, got in on the act, stating, "The only thing that's missing is a cocaine vial....you think of Mattel, you think of Barbie and you think of sweetness. This is like 'gangster' Barbie, and I think it's going to backfire." Did it ever: The Flavas doll line was a miserable failure for Mattel, and Mattel discontinued Flavas in February 2004.

What makes Mattel truly believe that they can continue the success of the Bratz franchise if it ultimately prevails in its litigation against MGA Entertainment and manufactures their own "Bratz" dolls for consumers to purchase? Would consumers really purchase these new "Bratz" dolls? Would Mattel reclaim all that market share it supposedly lost during the Bratz' peak success from 2003 through 2006? Mattel's "experience" has been limited to one brand: Barbie. The company's devotion to Barbie, as well as the corporate bureaucracy it has instituted to maintain its pursuit of total domination in the toy industry, present a very dire situation for the Bratz franchise. Simply put, there is no chance that Bratz will survive under Mattel's ownership.

Bear in mind that Mattel is the same company that released the Cabbage Patch Snack Time dolls during Christmas 1996. These were dangerously unsafe (albeit God-awful) dolls that "consumed" plastic food when children fed it through the battery-powered mouths of the dolls. In most cases, the dolls consumed not only plastic food, but also human fingers and hair. In January 1997, Mattel was threatened with litigation from the Consumer Products Safety Commission for manufacturing the Cabbage Patch Snack Time dolls, so what did the company do? It refunded each consumer who bought the doll a paltry $40.00. Perhaps Mattel should be threatened again with litigation from the Consumer Products Safety Commission, since Mattel's "Bratz" dolls are akin to infecting children with cancer.

Even though Cabbage Patch Dolls and Bratz dolls do not have anything in common, it does illustrate that Mattel does not come even remotely close to creating "the greatest toys and consumer products ever manufactured in the entire universe." There is only one quality product Mattel is efficient at manufacturing: Lawsuits. This is how Mattel makes their profit. If there are other toy companies in the industry that can manufacture better and more innovative quality products for consumers, Mattel does not invest their time and money developing a better and more competitive product. Instead, Mattel goes right after those toy companies and litigates them into bankruptcy and destruction, so that those companies' products are no longer sold in the marketplace and consumers will have no other choice except to purchase products manufactured by Mattel.

If you purchase any "Bratz" dolls manufactured by Mattel (much less ANYTHING manufactured by Mattel), you are rewarding Mattel for its unethical, immoral, and in many cases ILLEGAL, business practices. I will not do that. I will NEVER do that. I REFUSE to invest a single penny in any of Mattel's "Bratz" dolls or any product manufactured by Mattel. The Bratz franchise belongs to Mr. Isaac Larian and MGA Entertainment.

Furthermore, I want Mattel to fail with their "Bratz" dolls. And not just fail, but fail so spectacularly that their reputation in the toy industry is forever tarnished. There is such a thing as karma. FUCK MATTEL.

— Robyn the Bratz fan.

NOTE: I will admit that the Bratz Kidz, Bratz Babyz, Lil' Bratz, and Bratz Lil' Angelz product lines deserve to be turned over to Mattel. When the Bratz Kidz switched their format from regular clothing to Snap-On clothing and accessories in Spring 2008, the response was devastatingly negative and I completely lost interest in them (not surpsingly, the idea for Snap-On clothing and accessories for the Bratz Kidz came from a product manager who previously worked at Mattel for their Diva Starz line). I do not expect the Bratz Kidz will be returning when the Bratz products and collections for Fall 2009 are released (UPDATE 7/16/2009: The Bratz Kidz are returning for Fall 2009 as "4-Ever Kidz"). As for the Bratz Babyz, Lil' Bratz, and Bratz Lil' Angelz....I have no interest or need for them, and I'm sure a similar sentiment is shared by a fair majority of other Bratz fans, too (the Bratz Babyz were discontinued after 2008).

The news just keeps getting worse for MGA Entertainment.

For the past several months, Bratz fans, toy enthusiasts, and industry analysts have been bombarded left and right with all types of news stories about the only girls with a passion for fashion: The ongoing litigation between MGA Entertainment and Mattel over rights to the Bratz franchise; retailers selling fewer or no Bratz products and collections on store shelves; the perception of Bratz promoting sex and sending a negative message to young pre-teen girls....

Well, here is another news story about Bratz to bombard them with, and it's one that somehow slipped under the radar: The Bratz DVD Movies.

On November 10, 2006, Lions Gate Entertainment, the largest independent film and television distribution company in North America, entered a licensing agreement with MGA Entertainment to be the entertainment franchise for Bratz. The license included the home entertainment distribution rights to Bratz DVD movies such as "Bratz: Fashion Pixiez" and "Bratz: Girlz Really Rock," as well as Bratz DVD movies previously released under FOX Entertainment Group such as "Bratz: Rock Angelz" and "Bratz: Genie Magic." It also included theatrical distribution of the live-action movie "Bratz: The Movie" in August 2007.

What MGA Entertainment did not inform anyone was that the home entertainment and theatrical distribution license it acquired with Lions Gate Entertainment was valid up to November 10, 2008. Shortly after the release of the "Bratz: Girlz Really Rock" DVD, Lions Gate Entertainment decided not to renew its distribution license with MGA Entertainment. It is not known if Lions Gate Entertainment's decision not to renew the home entertainment and theatrical distribution license was due to the litigation between MGA Entertainment and Mattel over rights to the Bratz franchise. However, there were some indications that the decision was influenced by the litigation — which Lions Gate Entertainment clearly did not want to be a part of.

Since MGA Entertainment has been unable to secure an agreement with another entertainment company and does not have enough capital in the pipeline to distribute the Bratz DVD movies on their own, the following Bratz DVD movies have not been and will not be released in the United States:

• Bratz Babyz: Save Christmas (Fall 2008)
• Bratz Pampered Petz: A Rescue Adventure (Spring 2009)
• Bratz Desert Jewelz: Genie Magic II (formerly "Bratz: Aladdin") (Fall 2009)

There are no planned Bratz DVD movies to coincide with any of the Bratz products and collections for Spring 2010. Mike Young Productions, which filmed and produced the "Bratz" animated television series and DVD movies, ended their contract with MGA Entertainment after the conclusion of Season 2 of "Bratz" in early 2007.

Now what about that little note on each of the Bratz Pampered Petz dolls that advertise the upcoming release of the DVD movie "Bratz Pampered Petz: A Rescue Adventure"? Well, the Bratz Pampered Petz dolls were manufactured many months before they were released. At that time, MGA Entertainment still had their home entertainment and theatrical distribution license with Lions Gate Entertainment. MGA Entertainment and Lions Gate Entertainment ended their licensing relationship weeks before Judge Stephen Larson of the United States Ninth Circuit Federal Court in Riverside, California issued his injunction on December 3, 2008 prohibiting MGA Entertainment from all manufacturing, production, marketing, and licensing of Bratz. At that point, it was too late for MGA Entertainment to alter the packaging on the Bratz Pampered Petz dolls to reflect that the "Bratz Pampered Petz: A Rescue Adventure" DVD movie would not be released.

Similarly, there is a Bratz collection for Fall 2009 that advertised or is advertising the upcoming release of the DVD movie "Bratz: Aladdin." Just like what happened with the Bratz Pampered Petz dolls, the Bratz products and collections for Fall 2009 were manufactured before Larson's December 3, 2008 injunction. Although the packaging on the Bratz products and collections for Fall 2009 state that "Bratz: Aladdin" will be released, in hindsight, the "Bratz: Aladdin" DVD movie will not be released in the United States.
(UPDATE 6/1/2009: "Bratz: Aladdin" was the working title of the new Bratz DVD for Fall 2009; the new Bratz DVD will be titled "Bratz Desert Jewelz: Genie Magic II." And NO, it will still NOT be released in the United States)

In summary, and to make a long story short: NO FORTHCOMING BRATZ DVD MOVIES WILL BE RELEASED IN THE UNITED STATES FOR 2009 OR 2010. Yet, there is some good news: The Bratz DVD movies are still available, although they were or are being released in other countries where MGA Entertainment's home entertainment distribution license is valid — for example, Magna Home Entertainment in Australia. If you wish to obtain the Bratz DVD movies, you will have to order them online and watch them on a DVD player that is REGION FREE and has a PAL-TO-NTSC CONVERTER. This is because DVDs released in most foreign countries support PAL and have different region codes than here in the United States (in the case of Australia, DVD movies are Region 4 and PAL; in the United States, DVD movies are Region 1 and NTSC).

For more information about DVD Region Codes: http://hometheater.about.com/cs/dvdlaserdisc/a/aaregioncodesa.htm

To order the Bratz DVD movies, including the "Bratz Pampered Petz: A Rescue Adventure" DVD, please visit one of the following online DVD shopping websites. All are based out of Australia, but all of them ship to the United States:

• Play4Me: http://www.play4me.com.au/
• Sanity: http://www.sanity.com.au/
• DStore: http://www.dstore.com/

Before I forget, I also wanted to mention the following:

• PAL: Phase Alternating Line
• NTSC: National Television System Committee (was or will be replaced by Digital ATSC, Advanced Television Systems Committee, on June 12, 2009)
• SECAM: Sequential Color With Memory

MGA Entertainment sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused. Their decision not to release the Bratz DVD movies in the United States was in the best interest of the company for financial and legal reasons. It is understandable from a financial and legal perspective why MGA Entertainment would not release the Bratz DVD movies in the United States. Still, it was a bad move on the company's behalf to mislead Bratz fans and leave them wondering why the DVD movies were or are not being released.

Direct link to view photo:
http://cannellefraiche.bratzheaven.com/photos/robyn-bratzoohlalakumi.jpg

This photo of my Bratz Ooh La La Kumi doll was captured sometime in either May or June of 2008 and was supposed to be part of a brand new "Too Funky For Kumi" Bratz Photography Project that was to have replaced the old stale one I did in Summer 2005. As you can see, this is not the best photo I have captured of my Bratz Ooh La La Kumi doll, but I remember that it was a lot of work to set my doll up in that pose and capture the photo! I was not able to capture another photo of my Bratz Ooh La La Kumi doll since. The posing and positioning of the doll proved to be too difficult; however, I do hope that I will restart my new new "Too Funky For Kumi" Bratz Photography Project sometime in the future, with better backgrounds, better photos, and just better overall. Even though the photos from the old "Too Funky For Kumi" Project were awesome for their time, I now admit that they are not as stellar as they once used to be and a project overhaul is long overdue.

But here is what is considered the most underrated Bratz collection ever released by MGA Entertainment. Underrated, because when Bratz Ooh La La was released in Fall 2005, it got highly slept on by Bratz fans, since they were all too focused on Bratz Rock Angelz (which was, at that time, MGA Entertainment's first major Bratz line). I remember the first time I saw Bratz Ooh La La Kumi, my jaw dropped to the floor and stayed there. This Bratz doll was, and still is four years after it was released, one of the best and most beautiful Bratz dolls ever conceived and created by MGA Entertainment. I was completely mesmerized by the incredible and amazing beauty of Bratz Ooh La La Kumi, that I ignored Cloe and Dana from this collection. It would take me six months to purchase Cloe and Dana from Bratz Ooh La La — and only because a nearby Wal-Mart store in my area was clearing the dolls out for $5.00 each!

The thing about the Bratz Ooh La La collection that I am really impressed with is how MGA Entertainment did their research and nailed the overall look of the dolls — especially with the collection's fashionista-chic couture outfits. They are totally slammin'! They look exactly like something that you would see at several fashion boutique shops in Paris, a city world-renowned for settin' the latest and greatest fashion trends, and they take the Bratz' passion for fashion to a whole new level. The colors, patterns, and textures of the fashions are simply incredible. I also love the hat box and miniature shopping bags that came with each doll. It is apparent that the designers at MGA Entertainment really put forth a lot of effort into conceiving and creating the Bratz Ooh La La collection.

When the Bratz Ooh La La collection began appearing in stock at Wal-Mart and several other retailers thereafter, a lot of Bratz fans surprisingly did not like it. I think the main reason why Bratz fans did not like Bratz Ooh La La was not so much because they were focused on the Bratz Rock Angelz — it was mostly because of the black painted legs and arms on each doll. However, during the period from January 2007 through June 2008 when MGA Entertainment was releasing those horrible and pathetic Bratz collections such as Bratz Star Singerz and Bratz Neon Pop Divaz (a collection that is considered the Ford Edsel of toy lines ever created), Bratz fans took a second look at Bratz Ooh La La and the collection finally received the recognition it deserved.

Bratz Ooh La La really is one of the most unique and sophisticated Bratz collections MGA Entertainment manufactured. I hope this photo of my Bratz Ooh La La Kumi doll is a nostalgic reminder of the joy and excitement that Bratz fans experienced when collections such as Bratz Ooh La La were not just released — they were expected. Did we ever get more than we bargained for with Bratz Ooh La La. What wonderful memories. How we miss the good old days with Bratz....