History Franchise / Bratz

A line of [[{{Animesque}} anime-styled]] fashion dolls created by ex-Creator/{{Mattel}} employee Carter Bryant and produced by MGA Entertainment. Released in 2001, the line did the unthinkable and dethroned Franchise/{{Barbie}} from her spot as the #1 doll line among girls. The ''Bratz'' line features an ethnic rainbow of different characters to choose from and their chosen jobs tend to focus on more "glamorous" occupations such as singing, acting, and, of course, modeling and fashion design.

In December 2008, Mattel won a copyright lawsuit against MGA that ruled that, since Bryant was still working at Mattel when he created the original dolls, they were Mattel's intellectual property. As a result, [[http://www.thestar.com/business/article/548268 MGA was banned from selling all 40 dolls in the line]]. MGA successfully [[http://www.mgae.com/downloads/pressreleases/MGA%20Statement%20-%20Bratz%20Ruling%207-22-10.pdf appealed the ruling in July 2010 and regained ownership]]. The case will be retried at the beginning of next year, but for now, the company is allowed to continue selling and producing ''Bratz''. In August, they released updated dolls with wider figures, less make-up, and more modest clothing to celebrate the franchise's 10th anniversary ([[BatmanGambit and so that they can claim they are not the same designs that Mattel claimed ownership of]], but that is neither here nor there.)

The line eventually became popular enough to warrant a bunch of spin-off lines, several animated [[DirectToVideo Direct-To-DVD]] movies, a short-lived cartoon series, and [[Film/{{Bratz}} a live-action movie]]. They tend to focus on the four main girls; Cloe, Sasha, Yasmin, and Jade, and consistently their 'passion for fashion'.

* ValleyGirl: The Tweevils. Sometimes Cloe.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The Fashion Pixiez movie contains a scene that looks surprisingly like a rave party, with everybody attending high on [[GRatedDrug 'evil pixie magic']].

* CasanovaWannabe: Dylan in the cartoon.

* LimitedWardrobe: Burdine and the Tweevils.

* OnlySixFaces: The animators were really lazy with the direct-to-dvd movies and cartoon leading us to see the same person dancing in seven different locations in the same club. Also, Cameron and Dylan show up in the strangest locations in ''Forever Diamondz''.
** There are currently only two face molds.

* PinkMeansFeminine: Ms. Burdine and the Tweevils.

* ButtMonkey: Dylan in the cartoons.
** The same applies to Kaycee Tweevil, who always got bonked in the broken nose.

* DigitalDestruction: A majority of the post-lawsuit videos from the CGI films and episodes have this treatment. The footage is rendered in PAL instead of the normal NSTC from past videos, and the audio is pitch shifted up, making the characters sound much younger than normally. the only ones that didn't get affected are ''Pampered Petz" and ''Bratz Babyz Save Christmas''.

* DramaQueen: Cloe in the cartoon series.
* DumbBlonde: The Tweevils

* GirlyBruiser[=/=]PintSizedPowerhouse: In the episode "It's Not About Me Week", Yasmin actually drops a bully with one punch.

* RichBitch: Meredith Dimly from TheMovie

* {{Expy}}: Struts, which is ''Bratz'' [[XMeetsY meets]] ''MyLittlePony''.

** The same applies to Kaycee Tweevil, who's always gets bonked in the broken nose.

The line also had a licenced video game line that was surprisingly intriguing (Using travel and magazine gameplay as it's main focus) and some crappier [[TheProblemWithLicensedGames rushed to coincide with a movie release]] games. Not to forget the two Bratz Ponyz games (the conception of which is complicated, since it was a spin-off of the spin-off Bratz Babyz line, and no, we have no idea what Babyz are ''doing'' with said ponies.)

In late 2012, the line expanded with Bratzillaz, who are not only the cousins of the main cast, but also witches. The line takes obvious cues from Harry Potter, but has mostly been compared to Mattel's Monster High, and with good reason- MGA seems to be doing their best to openly compete with Mattel's juggernaut, with a similar catchphrase("Glam Gets Wicked", as opposed to "Freaky Just Got Fabulous") and even a Youtube channel that has short "webisodes" and even a live-action music video which has been compared to the Monster High "Fright Song" video. As of 2015, it seems Braztillaz is a retail failure, as even the original 5 dolls can be purchased for well below original retail cost, the webisodes only received very sporadic updates and new doll releases have been sparse at best since 2013.

* {{Bowdlerize}}: The recent comeback has the girls dressing in layers and pastels for no apparent reason. This wouldn't be so bad if they were actually well done though. All of the make-up is the same now too.

* ColonCancer: Bratz: The Musical: Girlz Really Rock

*** Cloetta Spelletta is channeling both Draculaura(pink and black wardrobe) and Frankie Stein(split fashion look, two eye colors)

* TheNoseless: Whether or not the characters have a nose changes from scene to scene in their cartoons

* {{Stripperiffic}}- The dolls have been accused of being this, with some degree of truth. Due to what might or might not be unfortunate tailoring(scale doll clothes have to suffer the same rules of material and tailoring as full size clothes- the scale is 1:6 but not the materials), there have even been Bratz dolls with pronounced camel toe.

** Subverted with Cloe, she have blonde hair and blue eyes, but she ''doesn't'' wear pink.

** Subverted with the Toola Twins as their first names have yet to be revealed
* [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Those Two Bad Girls]]: The Tweevils

** This might have been hilarious in hindsight when you realise most of the new dolls are wearing the same type of outfits.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: [[Series/AmericanIdol Byron]] [[TheXFactor Powell]], [[Creator/ParisHilton London Milton]], [[{{Beyonce}} Allonce]]... don't forget [[JenniferLopez Lo-J]].

* And of course, the infamous live-action movie ''Film/{{Bratz}}'', which some people claim to be the most sexist, racist, classiest movie ever made. [[note]]And yes, this means that the Bratz line somehow released more [=DVDs=] than Barbie even though her Direct-To-DVD ventures started earlier.[[/note]]

* And of course, the infamous live action movie ''[[Film/{{Bratz}} Bratz]], which some people claim to be the most sexist, racist, classist movie ever made. [[note]]And yes, this means that the Bratz line somehow released more [=DVDs=] than Barbie even though her Direct-To-DVD ventures started earlier.[[/note]]

* FollowTheLeader: Started out as a FollowTheLeader to {{Franchise/Barbie}}, but soon became more popular.
** Bratzillaz is trying its best to cash in on Monster High, trying so hard they're copying even the marketing. Judging by the low view counts of the webisodes though, it's not exactly edging in on MH quite yet...

* NegativeContinuity: In ''Rock Angelz'' Cloe tells us that she met Cameron in second grade, but we see Cloe and Cameron have a skate contest as Babyz in the Babyz movie.

** ''Bratz : Starrin & Stylin''

** ''Bratz : The Musical : Girlz Really Rock''

** ''Bratz Kidz : Sleepover Adventure''
** ''Bratz Kidz : Fairy Tales''
** ''Bratz Babyz : The Movie''

* BlondesAreEvil: Burdine and the Tweevils.
** The Toola Twins- they made it clear in the first five seconds of screen time the pair was evil.

In late 2012, the line expanded with Bratzillaz, who are not only the cousins of the main cast, but also witches. The line takes obvious cues from Harry Potter, but has mostly been compared to Mattel's Monster High, and with good reason- MGA seems to be doing their best to openly compete with Mattel's juggernaut, with a similar catchphrase("Glam Gets Wicked", as opposed to "Freaky Just Got Fabulous") and even a Youtube channel that has short "webisodes" and even a live-action music video which has been compared to the Monster High "Fright Song" video.

* And of course, the infamous live action movie ''[[Film/{{Bratz}}]], which some people claim to be the most sexist, racist, classist movie ever made. [[note]]And yes, this means that the Bratz line somehow released more [=DVDs=] than Barbie even though her Direct-To-DVD ventures started earlier.[[/note]]

* And of course, the infamous live action movie ''[[Film/Bratz]], which some people claim to be the most sexist, racist, classist movie ever made. [[note]]And yes, this means that the Bratz line somehow released more [=DVDs=] than Barbie even though her Direct-To-DVD ventures started earlier.[[/note]]

* And of course, the infamous ''Bratz : The Movie''. [[note]]And yes, this means that the Bratz line somehow released more [=DVDs=] than Barbie even though her Direct-To-DVD ventures started earlier.[[/note]]

The line eventually became popular enough to warrant a bunch of spin-off lines, several animated [[DirectToVideo Direct-To-DVD]] movies, a short-lived cartoon series, and [[Film/{{Bratz}} a live-action movie]]. The cartoon and most of the animated movies take place in the fictional town of Stilesville and focus on the 4 main girls in the line (Cloe, Sasha, Yasmin, and Jade) and their trials and tribulations of running their own fashion 'zine (appropriately titled ''Bratz''), playing in their own band, getting through the school year at Stiles High, and thwarting the schemes of their rival magazine, ''Your Thing'', run by the middle-aged self-proclaimed "Queen of Fashion", Burdine Maxwell, and her two interns Kirstee and Kaycee (AKA "The Tweevils"). The live-action movie chronicles the girls' adventures in Carry Nation High as they try to destroy the oppressive clique system that the principal's daughter, Meredith, uses to control the students... and win the annual school talent show.

* YouCanPanicNow: Every few years or so, someone starts a panic saying that the toyline is teaching girls to dress like hookers or that beauty is everything in life. Whether kids really ''are'' that easily influenced is debatable, but the franchise doesn't exactly present its supposed Aesops (individuality and self-confidence) in the best light.

** Someone also did [[CunningLikeAFox Foxz]], who were even creepier than the Strutz and Bratz put together. Even the FurryFandom thought they looked like cheap hos.

* FourGirlEnsemble: Cloe is [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NiceGuy sweet]], but dramatic, Sasha is the [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SoulBrotha Soul Sista]] and musician of the group, Jade is the alternative, rebellious [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheFashionista fashionista]], and Yasmin is the the peacemaking {{Team Mom}}.

* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Cloe fits many of the criteria - young, beautiful and generally sweet if dramatic.

* DuelingShows: With ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollz}}''.

* HeyItsThatVoice:
** Burdine Maxwell's voice sound familiar? Thats because you probably know her as [[JustShootMe Nina Van Horn]] or [[Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove Chica]].
** Cloe is [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Ty Lee]]
** Yasmin is [[WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents Trixie Tang]]
** Jade is PunkyBrewster
** Sasha is [[Series/SisterSister Tia Landry]] and [[Series/TheGame Melanie Davis]]
** Kirstee and Kaycee are [[TheBigBangTheory Penny]] and [[Film/MeanGirls Gretchen Weiners]], respectively.
** After Lionsgate took over production, Chloe became [[SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries Sabrina]] (in ''Sabrina's Secret Life'') and [[BabyLooneyTunes Baby Lola Bunny]], Jade became [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Rainbow Dash]], and Kaycee became {{Franchise/Barbie}}
** With the advent of ''Desert Jewelz,'' Cloe is now [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Princess Cadence.]]

* MoneyDearBoy: Jon Voight, why?

* TheOtherDarrin: Cinegroupe produced the first direct-to-video movie, ''Starrin` and Stylin`'', and featured a different cast from the TV series (which was produced by Fox and Lionsgate). However, ''Starrin` and Stylin`'' didn't list the voice credits.
** For the TV show's second season, Fox stopped producing the series, so Lionsgate took over, replacing the entire cast.

* ScrewedByTheLawyers: The courts found the toy line was being worked on by Mattel before the creator left the company, so Mattel won a suit to discontinue the line.
** According to [[FanDumb some fans]], this is evidence that Barbie is [[YoureJustJealous jealous]] of the Bratz.
*** Speaking to the FanDumb accusation--Judge Alex Kozinski, who granted [=MGA=] the appeal, seemed to agree that there was some "jealousy" involved in the case, saying, "America thrives on competition; Barbie, the all‐American girl, will too."[[http://www.entertainmentlitigationblog.com/2010/07/entertainment_litigation_the_b_1.html]][[http://www.entertainmentlitigationblog.com/2010-07-22%20Mattel%20v%20MGA%20Entertainment%20(9th%20Cir%20-%20Kozinski%20op).pdf]]

* FollowTheLeader: Started out as a FollowTheLeader to {{Barbie}}, but soon became more popular.

** After Lionsgate took over production, Chloe became [[SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries Sabrina]] (in ''Sabrina's Secret Life'') and [[BabyLooneyTunes Baby Lola Bunny]], Jade became [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Rainbow Dash]], and Kaycee became {{Barbie}}

** Both Pretty in Punk ads have the line [[{{Barbie}} "Not Pink]], [[DarkerAndEdgier Punk!"]]

* DuelingShows: With ''{{Trollz}}''.