Above, current Dora. 

For the past two years, as my daughter has begun to embrace popular culture, I have worshiped at the temple of Dora. If you don't have kids or if your kids are older, you may not be aware of Dora The Explorer. She's sensational.

Dora is a short, squat, Spanish girl who wears no-nonsense clothes (she only has one outfit, pictured above) and a backpack in which she has a map and a compass that help her and her sidekick Boots the monkey solve problems and explore the world in Spanish and English.

Dora is something of a post-modern feminist icon and an absolutely brilliant role model for very little girls. In a scary world of Bratz dolls and Barbie dolls and Pussycat Dolls, Dora is an inspiring oasis of sanity. Dora is smart and sassy and it's not about what she wears. Her only accessory is her backpack which is all about utility. And now? Now? DORA IS GETTING A MAKE-OVER. So she will look like this:

Above, the silhouette of 'new' Dora

See that silhouette above? That's the image released by Dora's corporate parents, Mattel and Nickolodean. It's a sneak peak of her new look, set to be unveiled in a couple of months.

Gone are the shorts, t-shirt, sensible shoes and simple haircut. Dora will now have long hair, a short skirt and ballet flats. Will she also have a belly-button ring, eye make-up and a spray-tan?

BUT WHY?

According to news reports:

Creators of Dora the Explorer, a favorite character among preschoolers that teaches kids English and Spanish, say they are just making her move with the times.

The tweenage Dora will live in the big city, attend middle school and have a new wardrobe and accessories.

"For nearly ten years, Dora the Explorer has had such a strong following among preschoolers, catapulting it into the number one preschool show on commercial television," said Mattel's vice president of marketing.

"Girls really identify with Dora and we knew that girls would love to have their friend Dora grow up with them, and experience the new things that they were going through themselves.

"The brand captures girls' existing love of Dora and marries it with the fashion doll play and online experiences older girls enjoy."

Can you wait a moment while I stop vomitting? That empty corporate bullshit spin has made me feel nauseous.

I'm not the only one who feels this way. Two mothers in the US who co-authored the book Packaging Girlhood have led the charge against the new look, starting an online petition.

"What next? Dora the Cheerleader? Dora the fashionista with stylish purse and stilettos? Dora the Pop Star with Hoppin' Dance Club and "Juice" Bar?" they ask. "We can expect it all, because that's what passes as "tween" in the toy department these days. "If the Dora we knew grew up, she wouldn't be a fashion icon or a shopaholic. She'd develop her map reading skills and imagine the places she could go," the petition says.

"It's such a sell out of Dora, of all girls."

Oh I'm horrified. Are you? If you are – heck, even if you aren't – help us keep Dora as a safe place for little girls and boys to see a positive female cartoon role model and  sign the petition here….

Run Don't Walk.