When these dolls came out, I thought they were a joke. Flavas looked like they were trying too hard to be "urban". I'm black and I always found that kind of thing to be a turn-off. They should have focused more on fashion in a general sense, like Bratz and the Fashion Fever Barbies did, instead of trying to be street right out the gate. As a collector though, I appreciate the clothing and added articulation they have.
Not gonna lie, I loved the Flava dolls when I was a kid. I was a 9yr black girl growing up in a predominantly white Australian suburb. I loved hip hop especially Missy Elliot, so getting a Kiyani doll for my birthday meant a lot to me, especially since she had dark skin like me. Watching this video about the Flavas as an adult, yeah I can see that their launch was pretty tone-deaf. But I did have a lot of good memories with my Kiyani doll, so I'm still kinda grateful that they were created.
So let me get this straight. Mattel decides to make a doll line about Urban culture and hip-hop, two things created in black culture, but decides to take away the only true black doll in the line for sales??? Make it make sense. So goofy.🤦🏽♀️
I'M SCREAMINGGG, I got these dolls for Christmas when I was younger! I got the girl with the blonde box braids and the black guy. I really loved them. Looking back, it's weird how obvious the pandering was. The HELLO FELLOW YOUNG PEOPLE vibes are so strong. Wouldn't be disappointed to have these dolls again though, with less stereotyping and pandering.
I’m from Europe & I can imagine that being Black in different countries / places means different things. I was basically the only one I knew who had multiple Black Barbie’s & even two different Steve’s. My dad would buy them on business trips because they weren’t really sold in stores here.
Lol,,,, I remember when these doll’s commercials hit, I thought it was a joke lmao. When they appeared in the store’s I was a bit embarrassed for Mattel, but eventually I bought a set when they were discounted, but 2021 I have an appreciation for what they were trying to do, but it was an epic fail....If Mattel tried this now, they would catch complete hell.
@@ginihall1234 we need a bratz clothing line by a company that isn’t racist and nasty, cuz that’s not what the bratz stands for. I remember when a bratz clothing line was first announced and I was so disappointed it was with dollskill. I’m really hoping MGA tries again with someone else 💔
These dolls look like a Saturday night live parody, and the fact that are there are so many white dolls for hip-hop style dolls is so off putting. Lol 😂
@@mem5091 hiphop originated in black-american communities and spread out to main media, so your argument doesn't make too much sense. Also I didnt say white didnt engage in the culture lol. It's just sussy you don't include as many POC
Great video! I completely forgot about the Flavas line even though the detail on those dolls were amazing, shame they didn’t get they’re time to shine but we ended up getting Fashion Fever which definitely deserves a video all on its own!
2004, in general, was a very interesting year for Barbie: Fashion Fever, Cali Girl, Barbie and Ken's breakup, Princess and the Pauper, lots of pop-culture tie-ins, etc. We were very blessed with incredibly detailed dolls that year 😁
@@HaveYouHeardDolls Absolutely! Cali girl and Fashion Fever were definitely the last 2 really detailed play line Barbies, and I always found it funny that Mattel recruited both Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan to be apart of the Barbie franchise while the two where rivals at the time
CEOs rushing designers for the sake of profit with no understanding of how much time these things actually need to take to be good to really turn a profit is the slow downfall of every company (you could potentially replace designer with programmer...anyone on the creation end of things)
it's funny to me how Mattel was striving for authenticity (and hired one black person to consult and vouch for them) but in the end, it just ended up looking like a gimmick lol they had potential and 2000s hip hop was definitely an influential time in both music and fashion, but rushing to compete with the Bratz didn't do them any favors with this one
Bratz were created by a previous employee of Mattel, who designed My Scene dolls first, and left the company with the designs. That’s why Mattel sued MGA later on.
Thanks for your comment, just wanted to clarify: Carter Bryant designed Bratz while on sabbatical from Mattel around May to September 1998, and insiders at Mattel believed he was using ideas from a line that Mattel scrapped in the late 90s. He didn't work on this project though, as he was working on the Barbie line - though many would say that Barbie designers at the time got a look at the prototypes of that line. As you noted, he sold the idea to MGA Entertainment, and they would come out with the Bratz in 2001 even though Mattel had a policy that anything the Barbie designers made belonged to the Barbie brand. Lily Martinez, who would later be lead designer on My Scene, had reportedly come up with the big head-big lips-chunky feet design for the scrapped line. Mattel would use this aesthetic for dolls like Diva Starz and What's Her Face, perhaps carrying it over from the cancelled line. Then, the My Scene dolls as we know them were designed and prototyped around 2002 (according to Barbie Bazaar magazine), with a Fall 2002 release. Around 2002 or so, Mattel would get a tip about Carter designing the Bratz dolls while still employed with Mattel. If you're interested: www.wsj.com/articles/SB105848493042402800 www.google.com/books/edition/You_Don_t_Own_Me_How_Mattel_v_MGA_Entert/hZFYDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/01/22/when-barbie-went-to-war-with-bratz
I really enjoyed this video! It's edited very nicely, my only complaint being that I really dislike the text-to-speech voice, but I understand having privacy and not wanting to use your real voice. Personally I really like the Flavas, as a black person I really enjoy seeing this Y2K ghetto-fabulous fashion in a positive light (People say that this line is very stereotypical and sort of caricature-esque, but I feel like the line was done pretty well for being made in 2003). I think most of them are pretty dolls, but sometimes the art style of their screenings was so vastly different from other characters. Sometimes they'd have really cartoony faces (my personal liking), and then sometimes they'd have really small eyes or look really realistic in a creepy way (especially Liam, his dolls look very uncanny to me). Also, I wish you talked about how some of them had those strange twisty bodies, like how I believe Tika had a spine that kinda curved around so she had a bit of a lean. I don't know if I'd buy these dolls now, but I'd love to collect all of the fashions!
Thank you so much for your feedback! I will certainly keep that in mind for future videos. I agree that the face screening between the guys and girls were a bit dissonant. Glad you pointed out the leaning torsos of some of the dolls. It was difficult to point out how many dolls over the course of the line had this type of torso in my research, as there weren't many pictures of the undressed Flavas dolls. I definitely know that Tika was one that had that slant, in some (if not all the releases). The line was certainly polarizing in terms of representation, but I definitely agree with you that the fashions were incredibly detailed - especially the denim pieces.
They made up for it partnering with Rockawear for So In Style later on. All those clothes were what I was into at the time. Fashion Fever & MyScene also did that style better.
honestly if it was more authentic it might have done well, but it's clear they just wanted to cash in on the "hip hop" trend without actually understanding it and it just felt exaggerated and fake
It's the white doll wearing box braids for me. Maybe they could've been a success in today's trap scene?? With more up to date hip-hop inspired outfits?
I thought I was going crazy! When I saw this video in my recommendations, I immediately started singing "What's your flava? Tell me, what's your flava?" without knowing why. I don't remember this doll line at all, but I remember the theme song for some reason. I had Bratz, MyScene & some standard Barbie dolls growing up. I feel like I recognize the blonde Flavas doll, but that's about it... 🤔
I always look forward to you're videos! They're really well researched and definitely entertaining. I love this type of content but good videos are so hard to find. Thank you so much!
Wow, your comment made my day!! I’m so glad that there are people who enjoy these videos, even though they are about more obscure dolls. Thank you so much for watching! 💕
I feel kind of ashamed because I found out about this late (I was born in 2001, and just never knew about this doll line as a kid), and I actually like a few of the dolls in this line (Kiyoni Brown, Tika and Tre), but it is a really corny approach to Hip-Hop...they definitely need more Black characters, and more Black people in general working on this brand. Esp. since Happy D don't need to be wearing microbraids. It's not right how Tawny was trying to replace Kiyoni, like, colorism is still real out here, and it's super depressing...but maybe she could've been another addition to the line? Like, just add more characters. I don't know if this concept should back, considering the state of Hip Hop NOW, but they REALLY need some work. edit: Idk why but I ended buying all 6 of the dolls now, not including Tawni...but my Happy D kinda got ruined. And for a doll line called Flavas, they sure didn't have any individuality or uniqueness to each character. Usually doll lines make separate personalities and interests for their characters, but they got none, from what I know.
God, I remember seeing the initial commercials for these dolls, and really liking them, and wanting all of them. I loved the articulation, I loved the different heights and skin tones and faces, and I liked how they were advertised. The commercials always felt like a genuine group of friends having a good time, instead of generic tea party/shopping sprees/parties that other dolls used in their ads. I never remember seeing them in Walmart, though, so I never actually got any.
Yeeeeeeeeeees! Flavas were iconic and controversial during the short time that they were on the market. Their impact! Also, I remember picking up a Flavas CD online a while ago (nothing special, just a few hip hop songs). Definitely a predecessor to the hip My Scene dolls - street smart, but still had Barbie-esque faces. As always, great documentary!
Thanks, Riley! Mattel really seemed to love the 'free CD' promotion idea around that time with My Scene, Flavas, and even Barbie. They definitely poured in a lot of money to compete with the Bratz.
@@HaveYouHeardDolls And all for naught. I'm curious to see if DivaStarz could have taken off further in the cyber toy market if they hadn't been redesigned into a fashion doll. What could have been...
You know, this is why I think Mattel is gonna die out at some point. They've done far too much to try to appeal to kids, but at the same time do too little, and continue to do so. There were getting somewhere with Monster High and Ever After High, they brought original things to the table, and thus they profited. But then they rebooted Monster High and basically made it "trendy" and basic. What did they get? A ton of backlash from fans and a significantly smaller profit. They stopped making Ever After High dolls and content to make way for Descendants, and what did they get? Three problematic movies that kids are going to forget about before they even turn 14. MGA had this little phase where they did that to the Bratz, but they quickly came to their senses and maid LOL suprise and the LOL OMG girls, while the names are kind of cringey, it's forgivable, because what they're giving us isn't cringe. The dolls themselves, mostly the OMG girls have amazing fashion that is trendy without feeling forced. It helps that they have different types of styles too. You've got preppy stuff, the looks this doll line was trying to get at, other retro stuff, and more modern looks (but then again they can also be considered sort of y2k-esk). And on top of this, we have Rainbow High, which is like Bratz but more on the cutesy side I guess? Those dolls have quality clothes reminiscent of actual luxury brands or the style of certain celebrities. Maybe they're not the most original, but they had work put into them regardless. That's the overall issue, Mattel doesn't wanna work. They just wanna put out whatever and hope it'll beat MGA's sales. In reality, if they don't take the time to think through and put effort into their doll lines, they're going to lose. Think of it like a race or something, MGA has been training for months and Mattel did one push up the day before and drank a bottle of Gatorade. Who's gonna win? MGA, the answer is obvious. I feel like if more time was put into The Flavas, they could've been more successful. The idea they had going was great, just poorly executed.
Even when the fashion were not accurate those dolls were aimed towards kids. But otherwise I agree. This is what you get when you rush things and don't do research. Loved the dolls and I hope they (and MyScene) get a nicely done reboot.
Even with Mattel’s hip-hop consultant Dom Brown for the “Flavas” doll line, which comes to the question of how much power does a consultant have? I personally think the aesthetic of these dolls is appealing, I don’t support cultural segregation/gatekeeping, I’m not surprise by the backlash cause rap music lyrics perpetuate stereotypes, anything made by committee is obvious, when you pander the boys or girls you need to pander their mothers and fathers.
I swear I had a little doll car that looked like that purple one in the beginning, had no idea what it was from. I loved Bratz and MyScene, but this line seems like a hard pass. However, a reboot with better face sculpts and designs ( and not replacing the dark skinned doll ) might actually sell well, especially if they kept the articulation ( maybe updated it ) and height variations along with the original diversity. The doll world is getting a little stale.
YES!! I just got through taking a walk down memory lane and revisiting this era of my childhood, like 3 or 4 weeks ago, so it's cool to see a video on it.
the line just looks like it was trying wayy too hard and had it took it times im sure it wouldof done alot better INCLUDING NOT REMOVEING A BEAUTIFUL DARKER SKIN DOLL BECAUSE OF COLORISM smh im just happy people are more aware of things nowadays 💜
I definitely think they should try to do Flavas again, or at least something similar. I would love to see this done accurately and in modern times. I collect vintage dolls, so I'll continue to be on the lookout for some of the of Flavas dolls
God I remember seeing these in the toys r us catalog and just laughing at how they remind me of my scenes but the hood version 🤣🤦🏾♀ I'm glad I kept my loyalty to bratz
I have a vivid memory of playing with my Bratz dolls (Mostly different fashions of Sasha) with my niece and the Flavaz commercial came on. We looked at each other, then back at the TV and we were both confused and horrified. The dolls felt like a cheap cash grab. They were appealing to my older brother's generation and not mine. All the clothes were ill fitting and stiff looking. They tried to sell them in stores in the hood and the shelves were packed with them. PACKED. They really felt like racist stereotypes, and the inclusion of white girl dolls with box braids was a HUGE turn-off. I didn't even know that they came from Mattel until now. I just thought it was a small doll company trying hard to be Bratz. YIKEs. With that said- Tre is low-key fly af and that fake awards show afro is legit comical.
I think it’s interesting to look at the reaction to the release of the dolls when pertained to general clothing trends we see now. almost everything clothing wise used to create flavas (called water down and corporate version of hip hop) are what make up the general style amongst teens this day and age. it’s interesting to see that a doll company dipping there toes into diversified dolls was met with such criticism when it is now the defined standard in the doll market. shit some of those dolls we more diverse then we get now. we still have to beg for dark skin dolls. However the micro braids on the blonde doll aged poorly.
I used to go on their websites and play Flava games on the barbie website, it was there before they were cancelled or a controversy. I mean as a kid obviously it never even occurred to me they were an issue at all.
Much like Flavas I doubt Rappin Rockin' Barbie was designed by people who actually listen to hip hop, let alone know what the culture is like. Considering Mattel's research/design team gave Earring Magic Ken a c*ck ring around the same time, they definitely lacked in the research department 😅.
They also clearly recycled some of the fashion and aspects for the MyScene dolls, but in a much less offensive way, like 'Tre becoming Sutton and some of the party clothes.
Thanks for watching! Despite all the controversy and their rushed release, these dolls were incredibly detailed. They have all the things that collectors today really want: they're somewhat diverse, have mix-and-match fashions, accessories, articulation, male dolls, and display stands. I hope this video will give collectors a newfound appreciation for them!
@@HaveYouHeardDolls very well said! I think in a way this line is quite similar to what Mattel is doing right now with the Fashionistas, minus the quality sadly. The box/stand factor is quite popular nowadays as well. I love how every character has so many versions and how diverse they are. Truly innovative at that time and highly collectible in my opinion. I almost wished they weren’t marketed to tweens only, much like the BMR1959, they are somewhere in between play line and collectors item. I wanted to do a video much like yours for the lines 20th anniversary, coming next year. If you consider doing a longer version of this one, I can provide proper photos of all the products I have :)
@@vaiio Completely agree, these dolls truly were ahead of their time, especially when comparing them to modern lines like BMR1959. I'd love to see your Flavas collection - I'm sure the video you're planning could give a better look at the quality and detail of these dolls! 😊
I ADORED the Flavas. I had one but I wanted more!!! I loved the CD that came with it too. But since I was french I’ve never seen Kiyomi, I know that if she was available I and my friends would had her 😭
Mattel just got mad cause they played themselves 😂. Those Flavas face molds were jacked, especially the dudes! Mattel stop trying to profit off our Black Magic! STAY IN YOUR LANE!
Thanks for making this video about the short lived Flavas! I really liked the first 2 waves (especially the boys) … I wasn’t actually aware that there was a third wave available… so I guess I’m gonna have to hunt them down!
I STRONGLY DISLIKE MATTEL. Every time some company started producing better dolls than Barbie, they either file lawsuits or copy the whole brand, however, I agree Barbie and Monster High are great, but my respect for Mattel went 📉📉📉
@@sounderrated2792 it's such a shame :( the designers are so talented and have so many great ideas!! Mattel just doesn't give them enough liberty, for an example Bratz were developed in Mattel, but they rejected the idea
First time watching your vid, very entertaining but can I make a suggestion? Raise the volume of the automated voice a little or lower the background music/sounds, at times it was a little hard to hear what was being said, overall, good vid!
The fact that they replaced the dark skinned black girl with a lighter skinned one and thought that that’d be okay......
Yeah, that definitely would not slide today. Mattel would be dragged on social media.
I don't get why they wouldn't market the darker complexions in France when there you can easily find people with *very* dark complexions
@@flyingstonemon3564 colorism
Mattel get a lot of Backlash by today standards
@@lilyandere3439 you hit it on the head. Def colorism at its finest.
When these dolls came out, I thought they were a joke. Flavas looked like they were trying too hard to be "urban". I'm black and I always found that kind of thing to be a turn-off. They should have focused more on fashion in a general sense, like Bratz and the Fashion Fever Barbies did, instead of trying to be street right out the gate. As a collector though, I appreciate the clothing and added articulation they have.
I agree! They really tried too hard to a point that even toy analysts had to call them out for it.
THIS
I don't think so
I was more inclined to the two male dolls!
Does anyone remember those homiez little figurines you could get for like 75cents in those machines
The ultimate "how do you do, fellow kids"
Wdym??
@@timepasstubeeIt’s a joke people say referring people especially Mattel here with Flavas trying to market in a “hip” way
Not gonna lie, I loved the Flava dolls when I was a kid. I was a 9yr black girl growing up in a predominantly white Australian suburb. I loved hip hop especially Missy Elliot, so getting a Kiyani doll for my birthday meant a lot to me, especially since she had dark skin like me. Watching this video about the Flavas as an adult, yeah I can see that their launch was pretty tone-deaf. But I did have a lot of good memories with my Kiyani doll, so I'm still kinda grateful that they were created.
So let me get this straight. Mattel decides to make a doll line about Urban culture and hip-hop, two things created in black culture, but decides to take away the only true black doll in the line for sales??? Make it make sense. So goofy.🤦🏽♀️
Because retailers assumed she wouldn’t sell
I really wish the flavas come back
Exactly!
If something originated in America, it’s American culture.
To reference a running gag in Wha Happen:
Yeah That Makes Sense!
I'M SCREAMINGGG, I got these dolls for Christmas when I was younger! I got the girl with the blonde box braids and the black guy. I really loved them. Looking back, it's weird how obvious the pandering was. The HELLO FELLOW YOUNG PEOPLE vibes are so strong. Wouldn't be disappointed to have these dolls again though, with less stereotyping and pandering.
I’m from Europe & I can imagine that being Black in different countries / places means different things.
I was basically the only one I knew who had multiple Black Barbie’s & even two different Steve’s. My dad would buy them on business trips because they weren’t really sold in stores here.
all toys are pandering to a demographic, hate to break it to you
I actually really loved MyScene dolls, I always thought they were like an older more mature version of Bratz and the flash games were fun lol
mattel created myscene bc bratz was so popular, they were a rip-off of bratz and mattel is the reason bratz discontinued their line.
I used to loove myscene when I was younger , Madison was my fave and those flash games were fun lol
God I remember playing one of the Myscene games.
@@carmencaiin yeah that’s true, but i liked myscene better anyway lmao
Unpopular opinion but I always thought Myscene were prettier than Bratz, I had both though.
Lol,,,, I remember when these doll’s commercials hit, I thought it was a joke lmao. When they appeared in the store’s I was a bit embarrassed for Mattel, but eventually I bought a set when they were discounted, but 2021 I have an appreciation for what they were trying to do, but it was an epic fail....If Mattel tried this now, they would catch complete hell.
especially with the whole "replacing the darkest girl with a lighter girl" thing 🥴
why? I dont see whats wrong with the dolls except for replacing the black doll
REALLY SAID “WE FROM DA HOOD”
PLELWLEKR
They should start a bratz clothing line for teens and adults
Dolls kill does
@@ginihall1234 we need a bratz clothing line by a company that isn’t racist and nasty, cuz that’s not what the bratz stands for. I remember when a bratz clothing line was first announced and I was so disappointed it was with dollskill. I’m really hoping MGA tries again with someone else 💔
@@blairr2863 I’m really happy to see your comment.
@@blairr2863 word that would be something and glad you called out Dolls kill, I’ll never buy from them again.
@@blairr2863 dollskill isn't racist though...
When bratz came out and took over any toy company was trying make their 'bratz'
And now bratz is dead
@@brianaguilar8283 not really I dont see nobody doing a my scene challenge on social media the dolls are still about in social media and pop culture
@@JustTRodriguez the dolls are dead. They don’t appear in stores anymore
@@brianaguilar8283 they're coming back in stores😝
@@jeffbrave8678 we have to wait and see how this reboot does
Their theme song definitely gets stuck in my head every once in awhile even though I never had these as a kid. They really were all over on tv.
Yess same!! I remember the jingle but not the dolls tbh
These dolls look like a Saturday night live parody, and the fact that are there are so many white dolls for hip-hop style dolls is so off putting. Lol 😂
Gangsta barbie
I thought the same thing
so white people cant like hip hop? in Europe hip hop was represented by whites only sooooo
@@mem5091 hiphop originated in black-american communities and spread out to main media, so your argument doesn't make too much sense. Also I didnt say white didnt engage in the culture lol. It's just sussy you don't include as many POC
Great video! I completely forgot about the Flavas line even though the detail on those dolls were amazing, shame they didn’t get they’re time to shine but we ended up getting Fashion Fever which definitely deserves a video all on its own!
2004, in general, was a very interesting year for Barbie: Fashion Fever, Cali Girl, Barbie and Ken's breakup, Princess and the Pauper, lots of pop-culture tie-ins, etc. We were very blessed with incredibly detailed dolls that year 😁
@@HaveYouHeardDolls Absolutely! Cali girl and Fashion Fever were definitely the last 2 really detailed play line Barbies, and I always found it funny that Mattel recruited both Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan to be apart of the Barbie franchise while the two where rivals at the time
@@HaveYouHeardDolls yesss just I wanna go back for real.
*their
CEOs rushing designers for the sake of profit with no understanding of how much time these things actually need to take to be good to really turn a profit is the slow downfall of every company (you could potentially replace designer with programmer...anyone on the creation end of things)
Many of the head molds are now used in the Fashionista series.
Awesome 😎
Wow I didn't know!
Which ones lmao
actually, they're not, flavas had way larger heads from barbie
it's funny to me how Mattel was striving for authenticity (and hired one black person to consult and vouch for them) but in the end, it just ended up looking like a gimmick lol they had potential and 2000s hip hop was definitely an influential time in both music and fashion, but rushing to compete with the Bratz didn't do them any favors with this one
Bratz were created by a previous employee of Mattel, who designed My Scene dolls first, and left the company with the designs. That’s why Mattel sued MGA later on.
Thanks for your comment, just wanted to clarify: Carter Bryant designed Bratz while on sabbatical from Mattel around May to September 1998, and insiders at Mattel believed he was using ideas from a line that Mattel scrapped in the late 90s. He didn't work on this project though, as he was working on the Barbie line - though many would say that Barbie designers at the time got a look at the prototypes of that line. As you noted, he sold the idea to MGA Entertainment, and they would come out with the Bratz in 2001 even though Mattel had a policy that anything the Barbie designers made belonged to the Barbie brand.
Lily Martinez, who would later be lead designer on My Scene, had reportedly come up with the big head-big lips-chunky feet design for the scrapped line. Mattel would use this aesthetic for dolls like Diva Starz and What's Her Face, perhaps carrying it over from the cancelled line. Then, the My Scene dolls as we know them were designed and prototyped around 2002 (according to Barbie Bazaar magazine), with a Fall 2002 release. Around 2002 or so, Mattel would get a tip about Carter designing the Bratz dolls while still employed with Mattel.
If you're interested:
www.wsj.com/articles/SB105848493042402800
www.google.com/books/edition/You_Don_t_Own_Me_How_Mattel_v_MGA_Entert/hZFYDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/01/22/when-barbie-went-to-war-with-bratz
I bought a few of those in the late 2000's; these were the answer to the Bratz dolls from the same time.
No you're thinking of myscene
@@Zathena They’re both a response to bratz, just one came out being better known
@@synneatssin I saw that now 😱 myscene is def a more of a copy. At least bratz didn't make a movie with harvey winesteein 😱
@@Zathena That part!
You mean to tell me they legit actually attempted one time to make an urban doll line based on hip hop and r&b of the early 2000s 😶 WTF
They only lasted 1 year so they were quickly forgotten
? whats wring with that? lmao hip hop was at its good years back then idk
I really enjoyed this video! It's edited very nicely, my only complaint being that I really dislike the text-to-speech voice, but I understand having privacy and not wanting to use your real voice. Personally I really like the Flavas, as a black person I really enjoy seeing this Y2K ghetto-fabulous fashion in a positive light (People say that this line is very stereotypical and sort of caricature-esque, but I feel like the line was done pretty well for being made in 2003). I think most of them are pretty dolls, but sometimes the art style of their screenings was so vastly different from other characters. Sometimes they'd have really cartoony faces (my personal liking), and then sometimes they'd have really small eyes or look really realistic in a creepy way (especially Liam, his dolls look very uncanny to me). Also, I wish you talked about how some of them had those strange twisty bodies, like how I believe Tika had a spine that kinda curved around so she had a bit of a lean. I don't know if I'd buy these dolls now, but I'd love to collect all of the fashions!
Thank you so much for your feedback! I will certainly keep that in mind for future videos. I agree that the face screening between the guys and girls were a bit dissonant. Glad you pointed out the leaning torsos of some of the dolls. It was difficult to point out how many dolls over the course of the line had this type of torso in my research, as there weren't many pictures of the undressed Flavas dolls. I definitely know that Tika was one that had that slant, in some (if not all the releases). The line was certainly polarizing in terms of representation, but I definitely agree with you that the fashions were incredibly detailed - especially the denim pieces.
@@HaveYouHeardDolls I will say I think the text to speech needs to be a little bit faster. I sped the video up to 1.25x and it seemed to be ideal
Yea I liked the video too but I didn’t really like the voice
Yeah, it's like te reused molds for some of the dolls in the collection while they used brand news and very different in style for others.
yeah i think that the video was really well put together but the text to speech voice was kind of distracting
It had potential they should've just took their time
Lets keep it real The line was to "ghetto/black" for the public that's why it's been cancelled. They had non urban people creating urban dolls 🙄
The line would have been big if they came out in 2017-2020
They made up for it partnering with Rockawear for So In Style later on. All those clothes were what I was into at the time. Fashion Fever & MyScene also did that style better.
honestly if it was more authentic it might have done well, but it's clear they just wanted to cash in on the "hip hop" trend without actually understanding it and it just felt exaggerated and fake
It's the white doll wearing box braids for me.
Maybe they could've been a success in today's trap scene?? With more up to date hip-hop inspired outfits?
I thought I was going crazy! When I saw this video in my recommendations, I immediately started singing "What's your flava? Tell me, what's your flava?" without knowing why. I don't remember this doll line at all, but I remember the theme song for some reason. I had Bratz, MyScene & some standard Barbie dolls growing up. I feel like I recognize the blonde Flavas doll, but that's about it... 🤔
Me too
I always look forward to you're videos! They're really well researched and definitely entertaining. I love this type of content but good videos are so hard to find. Thank you so much!
Wow, your comment made my day!! I’m so glad that there are people who enjoy these videos, even though they are about more obscure dolls. Thank you so much for watching! 💕
I feel kind of ashamed because I found out about this late (I was born in 2001, and just never knew about this doll line as a kid), and I actually like a few of the dolls in this line (Kiyoni Brown, Tika and Tre), but it is a really corny approach to Hip-Hop...they definitely need more Black characters, and more Black people in general working on this brand. Esp. since Happy D don't need to be wearing microbraids. It's not right how Tawny was trying to replace Kiyoni, like, colorism is still real out here, and it's super depressing...but maybe she could've been another addition to the line? Like, just add more characters. I don't know if this concept should back, considering the state of Hip Hop NOW, but they REALLY need some work.
edit: Idk why but I ended buying all 6 of the dolls now, not including Tawni...but my Happy D kinda got ruined. And for a doll line called Flavas, they sure didn't have any individuality or uniqueness to each character. Usually doll lines make separate personalities and interests for their characters, but they got none, from what I know.
Make a video about Jem and the holograms please!
YES !!
God, I remember seeing the initial commercials for these dolls, and really liking them, and wanting all of them.
I loved the articulation, I loved the different heights and skin tones and faces, and I liked how they were advertised. The commercials always felt like a genuine group of friends having a good time, instead of generic tea party/shopping sprees/parties that other dolls used in their ads.
I never remember seeing them in Walmart, though, so I never actually got any.
Nothing beats thee iconic Bratz. And thats on periodt.
Periodttttttttt
Maybe monster high xD
@@galincvetanov5706 they come second for me 🤣
@@galincvetanov5706 MH is the best and the most diverse doll line ever :)
@@timepasstubee whats is your fav mh mine Is nefera
Yeeeeeeeeeees! Flavas were iconic and controversial during the short time that they were on the market. Their impact! Also, I remember picking up a Flavas CD online a while ago (nothing special, just a few hip hop songs). Definitely a predecessor to the hip My Scene dolls - street smart, but still had Barbie-esque faces.
As always, great documentary!
Thanks, Riley! Mattel really seemed to love the 'free CD' promotion idea around that time with My Scene, Flavas, and even Barbie. They definitely poured in a lot of money to compete with the Bratz.
@@HaveYouHeardDolls And all for naught. I'm curious to see if DivaStarz could have taken off further in the cyber toy market if they hadn't been redesigned into a fashion doll. What could have been...
Please Do The History Of Myscene!!!
You know, this is why I think Mattel is gonna die out at some point. They've done far too much to try to appeal to kids, but at the same time do too little, and continue to do so. There were getting somewhere with Monster High and Ever After High, they brought original things to the table, and thus they profited. But then they rebooted Monster High and basically made it "trendy" and basic. What did they get? A ton of backlash from fans and a significantly smaller profit. They stopped making Ever After High dolls and content to make way for Descendants, and what did they get? Three problematic movies that kids are going to forget about before they even turn 14. MGA had this little phase where they did that to the Bratz, but they quickly came to their senses and maid LOL suprise and the LOL OMG girls, while the names are kind of cringey, it's forgivable, because what they're giving us isn't cringe. The dolls themselves, mostly the OMG girls have amazing fashion that is trendy without feeling forced. It helps that they have different types of styles too. You've got preppy stuff, the looks this doll line was trying to get at, other retro stuff, and more modern looks (but then again they can also be considered sort of y2k-esk). And on top of this, we have Rainbow High, which is like Bratz but more on the cutesy side I guess? Those dolls have quality clothes reminiscent of actual luxury brands or the style of certain celebrities. Maybe they're not the most original, but they had work put into them regardless. That's the overall issue, Mattel doesn't wanna work. They just wanna put out whatever and hope it'll beat MGA's sales. In reality, if they don't take the time to think through and put effort into their doll lines, they're going to lose. Think of it like a race or something, MGA has been training for months and Mattel did one push up the day before and drank a bottle of Gatorade. Who's gonna win? MGA, the answer is obvious. I feel like if more time was put into The Flavas, they could've been more successful. The idea they had going was great, just poorly executed.
Mattel has been around for 76 years, they’re not going anywhere
those dolls had an underground style, this were too much for the public... it wasn't comercial at all... but looked great
I only collect male fashion dolls (800 of them). I LOVE Liam and Tre. I have all versions except for the "Awards Night" version.
Hi mom
It’s weird that pretty much all their ideas came from black people, but there were only two black dolls. There were like 3 white dolls.
Yes very bad. Like white washing. This couldn't work
I used to have a few of these. We were a bratz household so anything related was definitely in our possession.
Even when the fashion were not accurate those dolls were aimed towards kids. But otherwise I agree. This is what you get when you rush things and don't do research. Loved the dolls and I hope they (and MyScene) get a nicely done reboot.
@@steffimaier7297 My Scene has recently had a 2024 reboot!
For black history month can u do u history on how black dolls came into play.
Even with Mattel’s hip-hop consultant Dom Brown for the “Flavas” doll line, which comes to the question of how much power does a consultant have? I personally think the aesthetic of these dolls is appealing, I don’t support cultural segregation/gatekeeping, I’m not surprise by the backlash cause rap music lyrics perpetuate stereotypes, anything made by committee is obvious, when you pander the boys or girls you need to pander their mothers and fathers.
this is The Urbz as a doll
I swear I had a little doll car that looked like that purple one in the beginning, had no idea what it was from. I loved Bratz and MyScene, but this line seems like a hard pass. However, a reboot with better face sculpts and designs ( and not replacing the dark skinned doll ) might actually sell well, especially if they kept the articulation ( maybe updated it ) and height variations along with the original diversity. The doll world is getting a little stale.
I have almost all of them!!
Whoa, that's awesome! These dolls certainly have the details and quality that collectors want
i love them i collect them when i find them
Can you do more doll history? Especially controversial ones like you talked about here?
Myself and my daughter purchased these, love them, something different.
YES!! I just got through taking a walk down memory lane and revisiting this era of my childhood, like 3 or 4 weeks ago, so it's cool to see a video on it.
the line just looks like it was trying wayy too hard and had it took it times im sure it wouldof done alot better INCLUDING NOT REMOVEING A BEAUTIFUL DARKER SKIN DOLL BECAUSE OF COLORISM smh im just happy people are more aware of things nowadays 💜
I definitely think they should try to do Flavas again, or at least something similar. I would love to see this done accurately and in modern times. I collect vintage dolls, so I'll continue to be on the lookout for some of the of Flavas dolls
God I remember seeing these in the toys r us catalog and just laughing at how they remind me of my scenes but the hood version 🤣🤦🏾♀ I'm glad I kept my loyalty to bratz
Kiyoni got aunt vived
I have a vivid memory of playing with my Bratz dolls (Mostly different fashions of Sasha) with my niece and the Flavaz commercial came on. We looked at each other, then back at the TV and we were both confused and horrified. The dolls felt like a cheap cash grab. They were appealing to my older brother's generation and not mine. All the clothes were ill fitting and stiff looking. They tried to sell them in stores in the hood and the shelves were packed with them. PACKED. They really felt like racist stereotypes, and the inclusion of white girl dolls with box braids was a HUGE turn-off. I didn't even know that they came from Mattel until now. I just thought it was a small doll company trying hard to be Bratz. YIKEs.
With that said- Tre is low-key fly af and that fake awards show afro is legit comical.
Also the male dolls had VERY unfortunate faces oh my god...
This reminds me of "The Urbz" the hip version of the Sims lol
wow, i never knew about these dolls! thanks for making this informative video!
They should bring the line back but do it right this time. They were awesome dolls.
I think it’s interesting to look at the reaction to the release of the dolls when pertained to general clothing trends we see now. almost everything clothing wise used to create flavas (called water down and corporate version of hip hop) are what make up the general style amongst teens this day and age. it’s interesting to see that a doll company dipping there toes into diversified dolls was met with such criticism when it is now the defined standard in the doll market. shit some of those dolls we more diverse then we get now. we still have to beg for dark skin dolls. However the micro braids on the blonde doll aged poorly.
I used to go on their websites and play Flava games on the barbie website, it was there before they were cancelled or a controversy.
I mean as a kid obviously it never even occurred to me they were an issue at all.
Rappin Rockin' Barbie deserved the backlash that Flavas received. Both lines were asinine.
Much like Flavas I doubt Rappin Rockin' Barbie was designed by people who actually listen to hip hop, let alone know what the culture is like. Considering Mattel's research/design team gave Earring Magic Ken a c*ck ring around the same time, they definitely lacked in the research department 😅.
@@HaveYouHeardDolls A hot mess. For a toy company being as old Mattel, those mistakes should not have happened.
They also clearly recycled some of the fashion and aspects for the MyScene dolls, but in a much less offensive way, like 'Tre becoming Sutton and some of the party clothes.
I thought I imagined these dolls
I collect The Flavas and love their looks and human appeal__poseability, fashion. Wish they weren,t cancelled. Great reviews. Thank you.
The theme song used to be stuck in my head
I found my Liam doll in my closet and looked up videos on them because I completely forgot they existed 😭
I remember the theme song/jingle than the dolls themselves.
It's a real earworm.
They remind me of Homies those figures you could get in a vending machine.
I still have all of mine still in boxes.
You gotta do history of myscene!!
You can see similarities between the male dolls in Flavas and My Scene. The details were amazing, just the rest...no.
Wish they would bring these back, they would blow adult collectors away. Sales would double.
i mean they trying a bit too hard though, if it rubbed people wrong back then it will definitely rub people wrong now.
That would flop
@@bgcrp2005 positive thoughts
@@lilithjade4363 possible
These dolls are worth lots of money now & are well sought after by Adult collectors who are willing to pay the price.
Crazy that i dont remember the dolls at all but that jingle is a very distinctive memory from my childhood!!
Ahead of their time, period. The quality and uniqueness was just beyond
Thank you for this video! One of my favorite doll lines ever, so happy to finally see a proper video about them!
Thanks for watching! Despite all the controversy and their rushed release, these dolls were incredibly detailed. They have all the things that collectors today really want: they're somewhat diverse, have mix-and-match fashions, accessories, articulation, male dolls, and display stands. I hope this video will give collectors a newfound appreciation for them!
@@HaveYouHeardDolls very well said! I think in a way this line is quite similar to what Mattel is doing right now with the Fashionistas, minus the quality sadly. The box/stand factor is quite popular nowadays as well. I love how every character has so many versions and how diverse they are. Truly innovative at that time and highly collectible in my opinion. I almost wished they weren’t marketed to tweens only, much like the BMR1959, they are somewhere in between play line and collectors item. I wanted to do a video much like yours for the lines 20th anniversary, coming next year. If you consider doing a longer version of this one, I can provide proper photos of all the products I have :)
@@vaiio Completely agree, these dolls truly were ahead of their time, especially when comparing them to modern lines like BMR1959. I'd love to see your Flavas collection - I'm sure the video you're planning could give a better look at the quality and detail of these dolls! 😊
I ADORED the Flavas. I had one but I wanted more!!! I loved the CD that came with it too. But since I was french I’ve never seen Kiyomi, I know that if she was available I and my friends would had her 😭
I'm so glad your here doing this video. You are a beautiful person.
Amazing video. But Diva Starz were before Bratz XD
Yes, I just mentioned them as an example of Mattel's attempts at making electronic toys. Thanks!!
Mattel just got mad cause they played themselves 😂. Those Flavas face molds were jacked, especially the dudes! Mattel stop trying to profit off our Black Magic! STAY IN YOUR LANE!
Ewww why did they change kyomi. Great. Now I'm disgusted.
Omg can you do the So In Style!! This was an incredible line that was cancelled far too soon!! #justiceforChandra
Stay tuned! 😉
Thanks for making this video about the short lived Flavas! I really liked the first 2 waves (especially the boys) … I wasn’t actually aware that there was a third wave available… so I guess I’m gonna have to hunt them down!
Make a video about Bratz next please!
Heyy did you make a new channel?
THIS WAS BRILLIANT!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Some of the face molds were jacked up and they tried to follow trends. But trends go out too fast. They should have set trends.
I remember I played this gorgeous dolls and I can’t do with on my childhood
A video about Secret Central High would be really cool!
I never own a Flavas doll when I was growing up
We need more split hair dolls I remember being in love with the split haired girl w the motorcycle she was my favorite
Do the history on the happy family doll line next loved them
Definitely on my list! Thanks for watching! 😊
@@HaveYouHeardDolls sounds awesome and ur welcome
Thank you I find these mini documentaries to be very interesting
I never had one of these dolls, but I still remember the song from the commerical almost 20 years later lol
oh god my brain now has that awful commercial tagline "Whatcha flava~?? TELL ME WHATCHA FLAVA~~~~" on repeat make it stop 😂
I didn’t know this existed because I was born one year later
I had the doll on the Motor cycle that looked like Justin timerblake.. Ken was replacedddd hard after he was purchased😍
The outfits, and the male dolls were cute. The girl face molds were reallly bad
i have all of the favas dolls. i hope my mom kept them!
i thought they were really cool dolls.
Can you do a Lisa frank dolls ?? Or maybe the gwen stefani dolls? Or celebrity dolls? Btw love your videos!!! ❤️❤️
Great suggestions! Definitely going on my list
I STRONGLY DISLIKE MATTEL. Every time some company started producing better dolls than Barbie, they either file lawsuits or copy the whole brand, however, I agree Barbie and Monster High are great, but my respect for Mattel went 📉📉📉
Heck, even if their own brands sell better than Barbie they try to self-sabotage, they did It to Monster High
@@maloo897 EXACTLY!
@@sounderrated2792 it's such a shame
:( the designers are so talented and have so many great ideas!! Mattel just doesn't give them enough liberty, for an example Bratz were developed in Mattel, but they rejected the idea
@@christiannightshade5886 exactly! it makes me so sad
So you like Barbie but don’t like Mattel?
I don't get why people hate them sm imo they're amazing! I think they're SO much better than bratz! 🙄
@Koda bruhnhow is hating bratz hating other women
Does anyone know the name of this black action figure ?13:07
Oh my god I remember being like 6 years old and seeing these commercials for the first time...my parents thought they were too grown though 😒😒
Full offense but the doll faces are absolutely heinous
First time watching your vid, very entertaining but can I make a suggestion? Raise the volume of the automated voice a little or lower the background music/sounds, at times it was a little hard to hear what was being said, overall, good vid!
I had one of the Flavas dolls when I was little!