As a young girl my days were filled with Barbie, Skipper and Ken. How is it that a 7 year old plays with a doll twice her age with full grown breasts...not to mention her size 20 in waist. Is it realistic for young girls to play with a doll whose dimensions are physically impossible without countless plastic surgeries. Young girls never grow out of their desire to look like Barbie, take for example Cindy Jackson. Jackson is an infamous "human Barbie." Jackson went through 31 cosmetic surgeries and spent nearly $100,000 to look like Barbie. Jackson is the founder of Cosmetic Surgery Network, to think an ambitious, successful business women still obsessed with looking like Barbie...hmmm...
Lets think back to the 70's when Doctor, Astronaut and Lawyer Barbie hit the toy stands. Barbie represented the ideal woman, physically she was flawless while at the same time she was able to maintain work as a lawyer and reach achievements of that of a astronaut. Barbie grew from secretary to executive following societal trends, Barbie presented the popular image of independence that women of the 70's and 80's enjoyed. OK....so great Barbie is keeping up with the sign of the times but does this doll really represent powerful women, can women really do it all...the perfect job and the perfect body? Somehow Barbie's sexually appealing feminine attributes appealed to consumers and became acceptable to society. Thus, I received my first Barbie at age 5 and understood quickly that big boobs and a tiny waist represented a beautiful woman...and it has been ingrained ever since. I will never forget when my mom gave me her Midge doll...Midge who was Midge? Midge represented the un-glamorous girl next door. It was funny how Midge was un-appealing to me her fuller figure and freckles...I was so used to the blond bombshell with porcelain skin and perfect pink lips. Midge was un-attention worthy to me and un-attention worthy to consumers in the 60's she didn't get too far before she was yanked from the shelves. Poor Midge..she did not embody the physical perfections of Barbie.
Lets think back to the 70's when Doctor, Astronaut and Lawyer Barbie hit the toy stands. Barbie represented the ideal woman, physically she was flawless while at the same time she was able to maintain work as a lawyer and reach achievements of that of a astronaut. Barbie grew from secretary to executive following societal trends, Barbie presented the popular image of independence that women of the 70's and 80's enjoyed. OK....so great Barbie is keeping up with the sign of the times but does this doll really represent powerful women, can women really do it all...the perfect job and the perfect body? Somehow Barbie's sexually appealing feminine attributes appealed to consumers and became acceptable to society. Thus, I received my first Barbie at age 5 and understood quickly that big boobs and a tiny waist represented a beautiful woman...and it has been ingrained ever since. I will never forget when my mom gave me her Midge doll...Midge who was Midge? Midge represented the un-glamorous girl next door. It was funny how Midge was un-appealing to me her fuller figure and freckles...I was so used to the blond bombshell with porcelain skin and perfect pink lips. Midge was un-attention worthy to me and un-attention worthy to consumers in the 60's she didn't get too far before she was yanked from the shelves. Poor Midge..she did not embody the physical perfections of Barbie.
And thus....Midge did not last too long before she got lost in the toy shuffle. Maybe we should channel the dimensions of Midge and get her back on the shelves...it might be nice to introduce young girls to realistic images instead of exposing them to extremes that do not even exist...unless your Cindy Jackson of course! It's time for something new and not in the form of Bratz....because that's a name we want young girls associating with...
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