FOUNDED: 1995 Los Angeles, California, United States

KNOWN FOR: Being a burlesque ensemble founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995. It began as a dance troupe based in Los Angeles, was "re-cast" as a music group in 2003, and expanded in 2005 with a parallel troupe at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The group released their first single in 2004, and have gone on to international commercial success. They became famous for their scandalous man-eating single 'Don't cha'. .

THE XY FACTOR:In a merchandising agreement with Interscope in 2006, toy manufacturer Hasbro had plans for a line of dolls modelled after the Pussycat Dolls, and reportedly aimed at six to nine-year-olds. The groups "Dads and Daughters" and the "Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood" successfully lobbied the company to scrap the plan because they felt that the Pussycat Dolls would have been inappropriate for children, due to the overtly sexual nature of the Pussycat Dolls' songs, videos and live shows..