Parents' Guide to L.O.L. Surprise Winter Fashion Show

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.