I don't understand this whole argument about Barbie being an unrealistic pressure on young girls. I know that most Jezzies said they just ripped off the heads and limbs, chopped off their hair, mutilated them and put them in compromising sexual positions. None of my friends felt like they were negatively impacted by Barbie either.
I feel that people are putting to much power in the hands of Barbie as an external pressure to be a particular (unachievable) shape. I think she has just become a tangible symbol of unrealistic expectations without actually really doing any real damage. I am perfectly open to being corrected here.
Did any of you Jezzies feel like Barbie directly had a negative impact on your self-perception? I am genuinely curious to hear if anyone has had any personal experiences with Barbie impacting you negatively. I would appreciate you sharing your story too. #sis
@Alwaystheangel: I never thought Barbie was meant to be representative of a real woman, in much the same sense that I knew Bugs Bunny was not supposed to be a real rabbit. With those storklike legs, bore-holes where her earlobes should be, and hair that burst from her head in sprigs, she just wasn't realistic enough to engender any kind of confusion about whether I should grow up to be like her. Of course I shouldn't. I liked being able to bend my elbows.
Mine lived in her camper-van on the beach, by the way. American Girl ain't got nothin' on me for homeless dolls. #sis
Honestly, I like the doll. She's definitely a step up from the black Barbie of yesteryear, which had the same features as white Barbie, but just a different skin color. Seattle Slim has it all wrong. While the features are definitely not as black as she'd like them to be, if they were to be exaggerated any further, Mattel would be accused of stereotyping and people would view this as blackface Barbie instead of just black Barbie. The only problems with the doll are the problems with all Barbie dolls: her body, beautiful face and perfect hair represent an "unrealistic ideal of beauty." That term is used in almost every feminist view of Barbie I've seen and I'm actually starting to get a bit tired of it. A Barbie doll is not going to have nearly the impact on a young girl as fashion magazines and TV and movie stars will. When you're a kid, you still understand that the doll is plastic. You also understand that those gorgeous stick figure models and celebrities are very real. Compared to that, Barbie is barely a blip on the radar. #sis
@jburnaway: I've been saying this to people for ages! At no point as a small child did I believe I would grow up to look anything like Barbie, in the same way that I knew real horses didn't look like My Little Ponies (although that would be kind of awesome). If a kid is drawing all their body image knowledge from a doll, then you need to get them out of the house more often. #sis
@XxAmandaxX: Oh noes! Somebody made a site on the internet where ladies like to talk to each other and no one cares whether or not I think they're fat or want to fuck them! Wahhh! You're why I can't get a date! Women are horrible, I wish there was some way to just live with guys and have sex with them and never have to deal with mean mommies and evil teachers again!!! #sis
Barbies aren't an accurate representation of anyone, black or white. They are permanently on tippy toes. Hawaiian Barbie and Chinese Barbie are the same doll, and she looks like Catherine Zeta-Jones. #sis
@Lady Skittlehattington: Thank you, this is exactly what I was thinking. Where is a doll that looks like me? - pale, above a size 0, under 5'9", chubby thighs, frizzy brown hair.... yeah, there isn't one. I mean, I understand that a black Barbie is, in a sense, a good thing, but maybe eliminating Barbie from your kids' toy chest altogether is even better. #sis
Honestly, I couldn't care less about the supposed "message" little girls are getting from this new barbie. What concerns me is the message they are getting from the black celebrities about what constitutes beauty and what is realistic for them.
Do you think after watching a Beyonce video or seeing airbrushed photos of Halle Berry in a Maybeline ad makes the average black girl feel great about herself and her hair, skin tone, features? What message does it send when she see's the RHOA out there and the dime a dozen skank shakin' it in a music video? These are the images that scare me, not some damn doll. #sis
@sirsnarksalot: Is the theory here that dolls are less of a factor in shaping self image than other inputs? I'm not clear on why one can't care about an airbrushed Halle Berry or . . . RHOA as well as "some damn doll."
I guess I don't quite understand where the dismissiveness is coming from. #sis
@embarcadero13: Mission accomplished. That means at least two of you on the thread knew who I was referring to. I'm so mad I couldn't find the "but she has five interchangeable wigs!" scene on YouTube. #sis
I can not believe they come with activator and a weave. I dare anyone try and tell me Black women don't have unique pressures when it comes to their hair. The fucking FANTASY dolls have to straighten that shit when they want to go to a job interview. This issue runs scary deep. #sis
@Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.: This is what I feel like a lot of the "Barbie doesn't rep white women either" comments may be missing. That is a RAW move. #sis
You know, the only Asian Barbie I ever had was Mulan. I understand the controversy surrounding African American Barbies, but not why there aren't many vocal pleas for diversity that goes beyond AA and white dolls. #sis
@aspiretolove: I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that Asian-American girls identify fairly often with whiteness. If you're talking makeup palettes or clothing cuts, there's not much difference. It might extend down to dolls. #sis
@thesciencegirl: I'm talking from a marketing perspective. It's not ignorant to state the basic truth that Asian women don't have the issues with "white" clothes and makeup and black women have. I also made sure to qualify my statement by acknowledging that I might have been wrong about dolls. Reading FAIL. #sis
@aspiretolove: I had a few Barbies that were supposed to be "Asian" including Dana from Barbie and the Rockers. And there have been a number of dolls coded "Latina."
And there have been vocal pleas to make the world of Barbie more diverse beyond "AA"-ish dolls. But if you aren't hearing enough of them, perhaps that's an indication that you need to make one yourself and encourage others to do so as well. #sis
@voteforme: Given that Asian women comment about the lack of Asian dolls every time Jezebel has this discussion (including in the very comment you replied to), it would appear that the niche is not adequately filled by white Barbies.
I'm also pretty sure that white makeup is not interchangeable with asian makeup, especially when you consider the diversity of Asian skin tones (how much do white Barbies represent South Asians?)
Yes, you did qualify your statement that you might have been wrong. I'm agreeing with you; you're wrong. #sis
@voteforme: I used to nanny two Asian-American kids when I was in high school and the little girl had a lot of major hang-ups about looking different than her white classmates. She was obsessed with, (I am forgetting her name...Chinese-American ice skater who was really popular and in the Olympics in like 96?), and wanted all of her room decorations to be Asian themed and her dolls to be Asian. Her parents were super rich and ordered some special Asian barbie type dolls from overseas so she had a bunch, but she definitely didn't identify with white culture. Especially in our town there was a good number of African American kids and mostly white kids but few Asian Americans.
Annnnnd that was probably too long of a response! Reminiscing time! #sis
@thesciencegirl: Don't assume that every person who posts here (let alone a second-tier poster) has read every single comment on every single post. Shit on Jezebel is not scientific research. #sis
@voteforme: I'm not assuming that you've read every post on Jezebel. If you'd like to reply to the rest of my comment, I'd love to hear your response. You did, however, clearly read the comment to which you replied, and your response to a wish for an Asian Barbie was essentially, "but you can just relate to the white ones."
@thesciencegirl: Ohhh of course! Now I feel old. Yeah she was amazing. I wasn't ever crazy about ice skating but my nannying charge LOVED her and kind of got me into it too, her parent's even had me try to take her to ice skating lessons. Now that I am remembering Michelle Kwan was actually what got my kid to be at all interested in Asian culture and not call all Asian women "ugly." Well as much as an 8 year old could. #sis
@aspiretolove: oh don't get me started on the Asian Barbie. I am Filipina and Dutch-Indonesian the only Filipina Barbie I have seen was from the Philippines and yes, she was a brown skintone regular Barbie and I don't think there is a Dolls of the World version of Indonesian Barbie. Yes, I would like to see a real representation of real Asian faces from China - Philippines - India but if we can't even agree on the authenticity of a Black Barbie doll then I really don't see Asia Barbie getting any love or Latina Barbie for that matter...I'm still going to buy Barbies for my daughter, regardless. Also, I don't blame Barbie for making me feel like an inadequate Asian girl in a Western European Ideal world circa '80s - I had the media to thank for that!#sis
"don't try to market them as some representation of "authentic" black physicality"
If you want authentic representations of physicality, DON'T look at a Barbie. ANY Barbie. For 50 years Mattel has managed to make dolls that represent NO ONE of ANY color realistically. #sis
Valid points made by all. I like that they're trying, I really, really do. I grew up playing with Barbies, including the half hearted attempts at "Asian" "Hispanic" and "Black" Barbie. Even at my tender age, I knew that none of the dolls represented reality. This is probably because I was fortunate enough to have a mother who explained to me that Barbie's physical qualities, from the waxy Kim-from-RHOA-hair to the perplexing little feet, were about as good a barometer for my own body as your average paper doll.
I also understand how much the images in childrens media and in toys can damage young girls' (and boys) perceptions of themselves and what they need to look like to be validated. This is why we need to keep on hounding the toy companies about their failure to realize that what they create impacts kids negatively.
All this aside, I will tell you that I created (as I am certain many of you did) diversity with my Barbies all on my own. I had bisexual and transgender Steve, who was formed through the unholy union of a Skipper body and a Ken head, who was in a happy LTR with Totally Hair Ken, as well as many, many, lesbian barbies, some with shaved heads. I even had a schizophrenic Barbie, who was missing a piece of her skull from an errant missile during a Gulf War era scud attack (she had been in the Army). So, you know, the moral of that is not to let your seven year old watch the nightly news I guess.
PS--Latoya, I love you forever for the Living Single reference. That was my SHOW! #sis
@BetteD: You bring up probably the most important part of this whole debate – how do these new Barbies feel about becoming party of the orgy that is little girls' dolly playtime? They WILL be used as sexual objects!
My Barbies used to slut it up with Ken all the time, 'til I lost him. Then one of them took one for the team, got her hair cut and filled in for him. #sis
@Pizza!Pizza!Pizza!: I just LOL'ed for real at that last line (how is it that I haven't hearted you before?)! I remember clearly being totally unaware of exactly what lesbians and gay men 'did' with one another, so I just tended to mash everyone's torsos together.
I will say, however, that my gaydar arrived well ahead of schedule Re: my ability to suss out the suspect nature of Totally Gay (I mean Hair) Ken's purple pleather vest and spectacular pompadour. I only wish Totally Hair Barbie hadn't been so blinded by her own Tonya Harding bangs to notice too... #sis
I feel like there is this assumption that Barbie has ever somehow been representative of realistic Caucasian body types or standards. I was a poor, pudgy white kid in trailer park country playing with a leggy blond from Beverly Hills. Her feet are perpetually stuck in high-heel stance. She wore fashions that didn't even exist where I grew up. Even with the anatomical correctness adopted a few years, she would still be a size 4-ish Amazon who would have back problems from her giant, pointy boobs. Point being, Barbie has never been representative of any living person and Mattel has never been a socially- or environmentally-responsible company.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a shame that we can't expect Mattel to be more responsible, but it's not like white girls had a fair experience with Barbie, either. Mattel SHOULD absolutely be held accountable for their decades of irresponsible contribution to materialistic culture and unattainable beauty standards.
The answer here is: QUIT BUYING CHILDREN OF ALL COLORS TOXIC PLASTIC CRAP THAT CONTRIBUTES TO UNREALISTIC BEAUTY STANDARDS. Just say no to consumerism and mass-produced self-esteem destroyers. #sis
This reminds me of the black model debate. On the one hand, yes, I want little girls to be able to see beautiful women who (sort of) look like them. On the other hand I feel like we're begging, 'Hey, we want to be objectified, too! Black girls can feel fat, too!'
In some ways I feel like having the blond hair/blue eyes/big boobs on a tiny body-ideal be so unattainable has actually shielded some girls, in a way. It's a bit like how some women treat aging– some will use every cent they have and all their energy to try to stay looking young and hot, while others will know it's not going to happen and will shun society's need for them to be fuckable altogether, or embrace a brand new set of beauty standards.
@Tippi Hedren: But that's the excuse for everone from advertisers to entertainers to salesmen. The thing is, shit's gonna get bought. We're not going to stop wanting toys, computers, cars, insurance, frozen dinners, shoes, internet service, etc. etc. etc. just because the packaging or advertising is less socially irresponsible.
We should all be in the business of social responsibility because we share a planet.
And I know that's naive, wishful thinking, and I know that's not the way things really are. But it should be. #sis
@thoughtthinker: I know it's a crappy excuse and we all SHOULD be socially responsible... that's just not the way it is. Especially where money is involved. #sis
10/22/09
I feel that people are putting to much power in the hands of Barbie as an external pressure to be a particular (unachievable) shape. I think she has just become a tangible symbol of unrealistic expectations without actually really doing any real damage. I am perfectly open to being corrected here.
Did any of you Jezzies feel like Barbie directly had a negative impact on your self-perception? I am genuinely curious to hear if anyone has had any personal experiences with Barbie impacting you negatively. I would appreciate you sharing your story too. #sis
10/23/09
Mine lived in her camper-van on the beach, by the way. American Girl ain't got nothin' on me for homeless dolls. #sis
10/22/09
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bnch f lsbns #ss</s
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Do you think after watching a Beyonce video or seeing airbrushed photos of Halle Berry in a Maybeline ad makes the average black girl feel great about herself and her hair, skin tone, features? What message does it send when she see's the RHOA out there and the dime a dozen skank shakin' it in a music video? These are the images that scare me, not some damn doll. #sis
10/22/09
I guess I don't quite understand where the dismissiveness is coming from. #sis
10/22/09
I'm sorry but I laughed at this until I cried! #sis
10/22/09
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10/22/09
No. Of course not. It's Barbie. #sis
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And there have been vocal pleas to make the world of Barbie more diverse beyond "AA"-ish dolls. But if you aren't hearing enough of them, perhaps that's an indication that you need to make one yourself and encourage others to do so as well. #sis
10/22/09
I'm also pretty sure that white makeup is not interchangeable with asian makeup, especially when you consider the diversity of Asian skin tones (how much do white Barbies represent South Asians?)
Yes, you did qualify your statement that you might have been wrong. I'm agreeing with you; you're wrong. #sis
10/22/09
Annnnnd that was probably too long of a response! Reminiscing time! #sis
10/22/09
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10/22/09
If you want authentic representations of physicality, DON'T look at a Barbie. ANY Barbie. For 50 years Mattel has managed to make dolls that represent NO ONE of ANY color realistically. #sis
10/22/09
I also understand how much the images in childrens media and in toys can damage young girls' (and boys) perceptions of themselves and what they need to look like to be validated. This is why we need to keep on hounding the toy companies about their failure to realize that what they create impacts kids negatively.
All this aside, I will tell you that I created (as I am certain many of you did) diversity with my Barbies all on my own. I had bisexual and transgender Steve, who was formed through the unholy union of a Skipper body and a Ken head, who was in a happy LTR with Totally Hair Ken, as well as many, many, lesbian barbies, some with shaved heads. I even had a schizophrenic Barbie, who was missing a piece of her skull from an errant missile during a Gulf War era scud attack (she had been in the Army). So, you know, the moral of that is not to let your seven year old watch the nightly news I guess.
PS--Latoya, I love you forever for the Living Single reference. That was my SHOW! #sis
10/22/09
My Barbies used to slut it up with Ken all the time, 'til I lost him. Then one of them took one for the team, got her hair cut and filled in for him. #sis
10/22/09
I will say, however, that my gaydar arrived well ahead of schedule Re: my ability to suss out the suspect nature of Totally Gay (I mean Hair) Ken's purple pleather vest and spectacular pompadour. I only wish Totally Hair Barbie hadn't been so blinded by her own Tonya Harding bangs to notice too... #sis
10/22/09
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a shame that we can't expect Mattel to be more responsible, but it's not like white girls had a fair experience with Barbie, either. Mattel SHOULD absolutely be held accountable for their decades of irresponsible contribution to materialistic culture and unattainable beauty standards.
The answer here is: QUIT BUYING CHILDREN OF ALL COLORS TOXIC PLASTIC CRAP THAT CONTRIBUTES TO UNREALISTIC BEAUTY STANDARDS. Just say no to consumerism and mass-produced self-esteem destroyers. #sis
10/22/09
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In some ways I feel like having the blond hair/blue eyes/big boobs on a tiny body-ideal be so unattainable has actually shielded some girls, in a way. It's a bit like how some women treat aging– some will use every cent they have and all their energy to try to stay looking young and hot, while others will know it's not going to happen and will shun society's need for them to be fuckable altogether, or embrace a brand new set of beauty standards.
Anyway, totally oversimplified.
10/22/09
10/22/09
We should all be in the business of social responsibility because we share a planet.
And I know that's naive, wishful thinking, and I know that's not the way things really are. But it should be. #sis
10/22/09
10/22/09