Why I prefer my Barbie's body as unattainable as possible.
Darlings,Have you heard about Barbie's new bodies?
Three new bodies - curvy, tall and petite.I've got to tell you. As a curvy woman with brown hair and brown eyes who grew up with a skinny barbie with blue eyes, an impossible waist and feet suited only for Loubotins, I have to say I completely disagree with this new initiative.The idea that Barbie, a plastic doll, could have such a negative impact on girls self image that they need to change her to such a degree makes me so sad.
Barbie is just that - she is Barbie.
She is married to Ken.
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She is Blonde.
She has an unattainable waist.
Her feet only fit into high heels.
And her glam squad is around 24 hours a day to keep that blue eyeshadow looking, what is it that the kids say today, on fleek?
She doesn't have a belly. She isn't taller than average nor is she petite.She's just Barbie.SHE'S A DOLL.And to me, Barbie, with all of her unattainable characteristics was my favorite doll to play with growing up. I had piles of Barbies, shoes, clothes, cars and a dream house. And I loved living in that dream world, that this east coast brunette would never even consider as a real life possibility.You know why? Because she's a doll. And even at 5, I was smart enough to know that a doll isn't a viable role model in really any aspect of life. And darlings, I don't think that I was any smarter then than any of the 5 year old girls today.GIRLS ARE HUMAN. What is going to make little girls today feel bad about their bodies?Ballet classes. Gymnastics. TV. movies. Passive agressive family members. Ice Skating. Best friends with speedy metabolisms. Social media. Disney.And you know what makes little girls today feel good about their bodies?Parents. Sports. Really good friends. Art classes. The body acceptance movement. Learning to cook. The desire for strength.Will some girls (like human barbie) be swayed to try and reach the unreachable? Of course. But in this age, it is my belief that there are so many other things that drive girls unrealistic expectation of what they should look like.BARBIE IS BARBIE.Call these new dolls Rebecca, Muffy, Tiffany, Emma, Madison, Seraphina.Barbie, they are not.Because Barbie was not created to be a realistic interpretation of a woman. She was created to wear fabulous clothes that were easy on and off so that little girls could change their minds about what she was doing and wear she was going whenever they wanted. The sequined ballgown gave way to workout gear, which in two seconds could be switched to a suit (board or swim, your choice!).Darlings, every day we are fed articles telling us how to live the best version of ourself. With new workouts, meditation guides, productivity charts, superfoods and more. It seems as though Barbie figured out the way to live the best version of herself all that time ago and as a society we have decided that we don't like what she decided. Isn't that just as bad as "being a poor role model to our girls?"It's unfortunate that Ruth Handler, Barbie's creator isn't alive to weigh in on this matter. Because at the end of the day, she is really and truly the only one who can tell us if this is truly what Barbie would have wanted.My guess, darlings, is that she'd prefer to keep her figure.xoxolcf