I don't go by "Strawberry Shortcake" anymore...

...call me "Shorts" or just "Straws-B!"

Let me explain...

I was recently sent an article from my friend about how toys are changing, evolving, if you will. Girl toys are apparently becoming more sexy and flashy.  You can read the article too, here, on MSNBC, if you want.

I read it and these were my initial reactions: 1) Yes - I can see them somewhat updating the dolls. 2) Hmm...I don't really remember Tinkerbell dolls. 3) Why are Bratz Dollz not on here? Sorry - I may be off on the 'Z' placement, instead of 'S'. Stupid. Anyway...they're awful. And, 4) Strawberry Shortcake got a makeover? I'll have to google her!

I am apparently completely out of the girl toy loop! Where have I been? Take a look at some of these changes! Although they aren't all 'sexy' changes; I just had to investigate.

Strawberry Shortcake
When I played with her, she was petite and had an enormous head. She had semi-crazy, boy-hair, and big eyes. She was so out of proportion that she couldn't even play with Barbies...she was just too odd. This is what they have now!

When you say Strawberry Shortcake, I think of two things: Enormous head. Gone. The smell of strawberries. This is still TBD.

Polly Pocket
When I played with her, she could actually fit in your pocket! She was microscopic almost. Face details? Who needs a face, when you are that small and all you do is stand in little circles? All I knew was that she was blonde and occasionally wore a pink shirt and jeans. Period.

Is this a barbie? The face looks exactly the same. Again, why is Polly so big? I could NOT fit all of those things in my pocket. And, since when does Polly wear skirts? And, change clothes?

My Little Pony
Although they still sell the 'My Little Ponies' that I remember; they are making new ones too. The ones I remember were short and stocky. They looked young and little sheepish.

This is apparently 'My Little Pony Princess Celestia'...?  Why is she so lanky? Is it because she is a unicorn? Those are some pretty fancy 'shoes.'

Rainbow Brite
This was it; the one that put me over the edge. Rainbow Brite had yarn for hair. She had cloth legs and was unable to stand on her own. The only part of her that was hard was her head, which resulted in some major top-heaviness. She had these crazy hairs that stuck out the side of her ponytail; it made me feel even more connected to her. haha.

Who the heck is this impostor? I refuse to believe that she is really Rainbow. I refuse to believe that she is the Uncle Fester that went to the Bermuda Triangle, lost her memory, and showed up 10 years later. It simply isn't her.

At least I was comforted when I saw that Raggedy Ann was still her same old, hobo self. Whew! :)

As you can see, many changes have been made. I am not sure I am completely on board with the changes being 'sexier'. I do think that they are becoming flashier and the dolls appear to be wearing makeup or more of it. I always thought of these dolls as young. Now, it seems like they are all older...which makes me sad. Little girls should NOT be in any hurry to grow up. Hopefully, parents are relaying that message (as if that really works though, right?).

And, I realize that all toys have to change, "to keep up with the times", if you will. But, again, it makes me sad. I hope Lucy can stay grounded and cherish her youth for as long as possible. I guess I should start working on my spiel.

Which one shocked you the most? Have you seen any toys that have shockingly changed?

All photos were from Amazon.com.