Bebe Gluton, literally "gluttonous baby," is a new doll that was recently introduced in Spain. The inoccuous looking baby doll also comes with a little girl sized halter-top with pink daisies that represent nipples. The doll makes sucking noises when it "latches" onto these "nipples."
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I'm not quite sure what to make of this issue. It's disturbing at first. Some say it pre-sexualizes children, but what is sexual about breastfeeding? And if we are to condemn the promotion of little girls "mothering" too soon, then the whole notion of baby dolls becomes unacceptable. All talk of "setting back feminism" aside, little girls like to imitate their mothers. And Europe is different, as I've pointed out on this blog many times. Does American media's strong reaction to this doll have more to do with our discomfort with public breastfeeding than any presumption that it promotes child pregnancy any more than this does?
