Doll:Monster High | Frankie Stein

In July 2010, toy maker Mattel, Inc. released the first products of its new line of fashion dolls called Monster High. Spurred by the popularity of the Twilight Saga and similar books and movies, the line presents characters from the underworld as if they were just ordinary kids attending high school. The students include Draculaura, Clawdeen Wolf, Frankie Stein, Cleo de Nile (5,842 years old and descended from an Egyptian mummy), zombies, ghosts, and other monstrous types. In addition to the dolls, the franchise offers clothes, stationery, bags, key chains, video games, TV specials, a web series, and direct to DVD movies. The line launched with the motto: "Freaky just got fabulous," and a Mattel official offered an explanation of the dolls' appeal: "There's a universal truth behind Monster High. Who doesn't feel like a freak in high school?" The line seemed to have started with a good premise of accepting individuals who embody a variety of identifies and a wide range of differences. But all the dolls, despite their distinctions, have ridiculously tall and skinny bodies and traipse around in high-heeled platform shoes, skimpy clothes, and lots of make-up. The werewolf of the set acknowledges, on the one hand, that her "freaky flaw" is having too much hair on her legs, but, on the other, she insists that removing it is essential to her favorite pastime: flirting with boys. Even in the underworld, high school students fixate on popularity, fitting in, fashion, and competition, just like kids everywhere else.