In a neoliberal society, repackaging feminism in different forms of media leaves feminism void of its political nature (Bae, 2011). For instance, “girl power feminism” has been represented by focusing on a hegemonic image of a Western girl. The messages sent by this type of media are based on individuality and consumerism attitudes leaving only aesthetics and no political value (Bae, 2011).
In this case, LOL Surprise dolls court young audiences, mostly girls, under a variety of media. This includes dolls, a YouTube Series, and unboxing videos. While Pink Baby aesthetically aligns with the superficial traits “girl power”, bearing in mind the tattoo on her leg and the inspiration from the Pink Ladies in the movie Grease, this doll falls into a postfeminist take of “girl power” that still promotes patriarchal values on women. This postfeminist approach constitutes a false pretense of women’s emancipation through external beauty and materialism (Bae, 2011).
All in all, feminism is reduced to a mere aesthetic, in this case, in the package of a toy that perpetuates a gendered socialization into girlhood. As McRobbie affirms, there is a certain disconnection between the success of feminism being taken into account and the feminism that focuses on surface-level issues, that do not consider the systematic oppression women and girls navigate in their lives (McRobbie, 2004).