L.O.L. Surprise Winter Fashion Show

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L.O.L. Surprise Winter Fashion Show
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that L.O.L. Surprise Winter Fashion Show is an animated special produced by the toy brand of the same name. It puts a heavy emphasis on physical appearance and materialism (high-end clothes, bags, shoes, jewelry, and hair) and is also an overt ad for the L.O.L. Surprise dolls and props that are currently in stores (including stop-motion footage of the actual dolls). There's a good mix of White characters and those that are people of color, but all are women/girls that have similar body types: curvy hips, tiny waists, etc. They're all heavily made up in somewhat revealing clothing (crop tops, short skirts, and pants with cut outs), walk with a decidedly adult strut, and regularly use teenage language like "the queen of tea" and "I am the drama." Acting vain and self-centered is also prevalent. Characters call each other things like "bossy" and "annoying." There's ongoing mean behavior like intentionally sabotaging people, locking them in rooms, and lying. One of the characters steals from another, then accepts help from her before once again trying to sabotage her. In the end she's lightly punished but never expresses any real remorse.
What's the Story?
In L.O.L. SURPRISE WINTER FASHION SHOW Neonlicious, a young up-and-coming fashion designer, has been invited to show her designs at the Winter Fashion Show. Despite being awed by the glitz and glamor of it all, she hopes to work hard and win a spot on the cover of her favorite fashion magazine. But will scheming competitors put a stop to her dreams?
Is It Any Good?
Despite being a colorful feast for the eyes, this is an animated show parents will want to keep far away from their kids. Like previous specials from this franchise, there are a number of troubling things about L.O.L. Surprise Winter Fashion Show. First and foremost, it spends the entirety of its runtime extolling the virtues of materialism, specifically expensive clothes, bags, shoes, jewelry, and hair. The special tries to get away with this by pushing a "fashion is about self-expression" message, which falls decidedly flat when delivered by characters that only come in one, disturbingly sexualized, body image: curvy hips, tiny waists, and ridiculously large thigh gaps. If you're getting the feeling this show isn't age-appropriate for its target audience, you'd be correct. The characters embody teenage girl stereotypes in all the worst ways: dressing revealingly, alluding to the need to be cool and fit in, and declaring things like, "I am the drama." And of course, there's a requisite character obsessed with her social media standing.
Parents will also be troubled to find that the special uses much of its runtime as a literal commercial for the L.O.L. Surprise dolls, even going as far as repeatedly cutting away from the animation to show stop-motion footage of the actual dolls (who move but don't speak) and accessories that are sold in stores. All of this adds up to a show with very few redeeming qualities, and even some potential to harm. If you happen to come across it when looking for something to keep the kids occupied, you'd be well served to keep scrolling.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about L.O.L. Surprise Winter Fashion Show's emphasis on material things, specifically fashion. What are other ways to express yourself other than how you look? Which is more important? Why?
Ask your children why they think the actual L.O.L. Surprise dolls are featured in the special. Who made this show and what is their motivation for including the dolls? Talk about ways to spot advertising in other shows and movies.
Talk about the consequences (or lack thereof) faced by the "mean" characters in the show. Did the characters do a good job of apologizing to the people they hurt? Why or why not?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 22, 2022
- Cast: Ruby Barrios, Randi DeMarco, Nerida Bronwen
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- TV rating: TV-Y
- Last updated: October 27, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love media aimed at girls
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