By MELISSA HUGZILLA
Meet the new Dora the Explorer. She’s had a makeover.
Gone is the gender-ambiguous seven year old tomboy with bowl cut and boots, replaced by a lean tweenage girl with sleek accessories and a bouncy mane of shampoo-commercial hair.
Gone is the trusty paper map and the purple backpack, replaced by a smartphone with a talking street directory app and a magical bracelet that matches her earrings.
Our fiesty little explorer has grown up, found some human friends and stars in a new animated series called “Dora and Friends: Into the City”.
Series producer Nickelodeon has openly stated that the new-look 10-year-old Dora was created as “an aspirational role model for preschoolers”. According to voice actor Fatmia Ptacek, “She is still super adventurous. She is still very loyal to her friends, loves helping out and solving problems,” whilst adding, “[Dora] is a little bit more sassy now – so she can crack jokes with her friends.”
A latin-influenced theme song? A gritty urban setting? An optimistic dreamer and her troupe of sassy gal pals taking on the world with a token male BFF in tow?
WAIT. THIS SOUNDS AWFULLY FAMILIAR.
Has Nickelodeon just reimagined Dora the Explorer as a pre-teen version of Sex in the City for preschoolers? Is the new Dora Marquez the Carrie Bradshaw of children’s television? Are her friends – a blonde, a redhead and a brunette – the animated versions of Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte? We’re JUST SAYING: