Rainbow Brite's Makeover: Skinnier, Sexier, Older

If you were a little girl, or the mom of one, in the 80s, you remember Rainbow Brite, the beloved snub-nosed cartoon heroine who would ride her horse Starlight between galaxies.

Well, Dora and Strawberry Shortcake have grown up, and Hallmark has decided it's Rainbow Brite's turn for an update. No longer an adorable, cherubic cartoon, she is taller, thinner, sexier--with proportions more like a runway model's than your average child.

The new Rainbow Brite is no tramp, but she's no icon either, and looks something like a disappointing anime-inspired reimagination of Barbie. What do you think?

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Comments

[Thomas Overbeck]

I'm not too thrilled about the new Rainbow Brite, but this is nothing new. I remember how they redid Alvin & The Chipmunks in the 80s (and yet again recently for the big screen). And Mighty Mouse got a freakier look in 1987 thanks to Ralph "Fritz The Cat" Bakshi.

[DovS]

What I dislike about this "makeover" is that it doesn't really improve on the character design in any way other than to make it look more like all of the other characters out there now.

When I see this, I don't think "Hey, it's Rainbow Brite." Instead I think, "Oh, it's some generic character in a Rainbow Brite costume."

By "updating" the character, they are stripping the character's unique appearance and design, removing the aspects which made her stand out and provided a sense of identification for her fans.

As a marketing choice, I would expect this to have a negative effect on the character's impact in the marketplace.

[kimmiebeanz]

Whether it is aimed at commercializing or not, this is a terrible change to the show I enjoyed as a child. This doesn't look anything like Rainbow Brite, it looks like a cheesy attempt at Anime or freakin Bratz. Rainbow Brite was cute the way she was, why mess a good thing up? This is worse than the Strawberry Shortcake make-over by far, they at least kept some of the integrity of the character intact... But this, wtf??

[Ohsherri]

Rainbow B/tches.

What have they done!

[JCCross]

I guess it's never too early to start turning your child into a good little 'consumer unit.' I'm actually glad my Daughter made the very personal decision to not have children. Bringing up a child in this sex and merchandise-driven world we now live in, would be a nightmare. - at least it should be for anyone who truly cares about their children. If I had school-age children growing up now, I would do my best to keep them away from television (and just about everything else that passes for popular 'culture' these days.) We are raising a generation of ill-educated, materialistic zombies - and we will reap this whirlwind as our nation continues to turn itself into a third-world country

[sanekook]

So what's new? I watched the original Rainbow Bright and I still have my doll. I also seem to remember a cartoon based on MC Hammer's shoes. Marketing to kids is not a recent social ill.

Not saying it's good, but I'd take the Hotwheels commercials run on todays cartoons over the dancing cigarettes featured during family-friendly TV during my mom's childhood any day. Good parenting is the best weapon against materialism.

[Antiks]

Frankly I think this is all a concerted effort to make them nice little consumers when they grow up.

[FantasticFourFan]

Call it age bias if you must but I thought the original was cuter. I had a crush on the original when I was a kid (I would never admit it at the time of course). Of course now I can't see her without thinking of the song from the movie ("Shining Light for all to see!/Rainbow Brite and me!" dammit!).

[Maria Montao]

I agree that the way they portray the older cartoons now is disappoint­ing....and its not only with our older cartoons....Bratz became very big with younger girls and after watching it myself with a few of my cousins, I really couldn't believe that parents were letting their children watch it. It seems that all programming for children nowadays has to do with looking good, having money, being famous or becoming so, gossip, and drama. The people that come up with these shows, characters, etc need to be more responsible to the children and stop sexing up everything.

[Valentin Cortez]

Which picture are you people looking at that is supposed to be "sexy"? The one I see looks like a little girl. Albeit an older little girl than the one 20 years ago, but still a little girl. I think you people have your heads in the gutter.

[WWorsley]

I was so disappointed to see how they worked over Rainbow Bright, like so many other older cartoons, into another way to sell sex to a younger audience. The messages these shows send out are really damaging to young children.
What I find more surprising however, is that they not only made Rainbow Bright and her friends 'sexy', but what they changed to make them Hallmarks definition of sexy. Shy Violet (the on in purple on the left) USED to be a bookworm with glasses and was not Caucasian! Apparently Hallmark wants our kids to think you have to be malnourished AND white.

[evrythngchngs]

Too bad, they were so cute the old way. BTW, not anime.

[MissCupcake]

Hallmark turned my beloved Strawberry Shortcake into a common tart! Now, they have done the same to Rainbow Brite! Hide Herself the Elf, you are not safe!

[zontar]

I'd do her.

[Pippilangstrumpf]

Well, my lovely daughter who grew up in the 80's with her Rainbow Brite dolls is disappointed as well am I, not to mention every other woman I know who agree with their daughters and will not
buy any new Rainbow Brite merchandise.

Same goes for Dora the Explorer, Strawberry Shortcake and any other tarted up little girl's dolls.

Who runs these companies? Escapees from the child porn wing of the local prison?

[saintstryfe]

The worst part about Dora is that she was a figure that - gasp - boys and girls could both like. And yet they felt the need to tart her up, then give the boys a blue figure to worship instead. So more gender division, all for a few more bucks. Good work, Nickelodeon.

[Jazz88105]

Heads up Hallmark my daughter watched Rainbow Brite but my granddaughter will not. I don't know why or when the brain cells went dead at your company but to think that sexing up a cartoon character ment for little girls is a good idea is way out in left field. Enough said bring back the age appropriate Rainbow Brite.