As soon as L.O.L Surprise Dolls hit shelves in 2016, they stole the hearts of young children everywhere.

   Coming in different colored balls with their own clothing and accessories, opening each one is a complete surprise. Unlike many other toys, L.O.L Surprise Dolls also have boy dolls that arrive with vibrant colored hair, beanie hats, and punk jackets that all give off a laid-back vibe. Nothing seems too out of the ordinary, until parents take a closer look.

   L.O.L Surprise Dolls completely shocked both children and parents when they changed colors after being submerged in water. While it is a cool feature, some dolls did more than just change color; they also changed into their “secret spy outfits,” which was an appearance that sent parents running to Amazon to leave one-star reviews. Their children were exposed to dolls that emerged from the water in inappropriate clothing such as undergarments and lingerie.

   Some parents described these cringe-worthy clothes as “hooker outfits.”

   Even through all of that, L.O.L Surprise Dolls have more in store! In hopes of trying to reach boys and encourage them to play with dolls, there are new L.O.L Surprise boy dolls! They come packaged with their own clothing and accessories (just like for the girls) that will hold the attention of young boys and they also come with—a mirror effect? 

   These dolls have genitals that are anatomically-correct.

   Yep, you read that right. When boys look at their dolls, they see a penis and testicles which resemble their own body parts. It’s a tool Isaac Larian, CEO and founder of MGA Entertainment utilized to capture the attention of boys and help them identify with their dolls without feeling like they’re playing with “girl toys,” yet parents aren’t having it. They lit the company ablaze with fiery comments, taking to social media platforms to express how inappropriate the dolls were.

   One mother commented, “Considering the majority of your consumers are little girls, I suggest this change IMMEDIATELY. Such a HUGE fail; please keep the genital area FLAT.”

   Another mother wrote, ‘‘This brand clearly has low morals; we will no longer be purchasing these dolls since they do not fit the standards I’ve made for my daughter.”

   The creators of the dolls respectfully replied to these complaints, saying that they want their dolls to resemble a real body. They are aware that the majority of their consumers are parents of girls, yet they also know that some girls have brothers and want their boy dolls to look like actual brothers. 

   However, not all parents are ruffled by the dolls’ anatomy, and actually praise the company for it. 

   One parent in favor of the detailed anatomy wrote, “Parents are offended by body parts? There’s nothing offensive about this, teach your kids proper terms and that yes, there ARE differences.”

   I agree with this parent! Children should be aware of the difference between them and the opposite gender, especially if their sibling is the opposite gender. Not only does this bring awareness to identity and self-awareness, it also teaches children what body part hurts if something was to happen.

   We don’t all look alike, and children already know this by the different people they meet. Why point out the difference in height, hair, eyes, and facial features but not show the anatomical difference?

   Some children wonder: what is a boy? What is a girl?

   What is the difference?

   Just like lack of discipline, closed communication can hurt children too.