Barbie: Inspirational or Insulting?
... they can possibly be. So if what these “Barbie-bashers” say is true, that girls are being influenced by these dolls, then wouldn’t that be good? What kind of encouragement would kids be getting if they were to receive an “Obese Barbie” under their tree holding a Big Mac and soda? Or a “Garbage Man Ken” who didn’t feel like finishing high school or taking a shower? Barbie is not only beautiful, but she’s also been extremely successful. She’s had occupations such as a doctor, astronaut, lawyer, and many other prestigious positions. So should Mattel reconsider this, and perhaps create a more stupid, and lazy Barbie just incase young girls feel too much is expected of them for when they become women: blonde hair, slim waist, large breasts, and now a good job too? To me, this seems like a healthy, and well-kept Barbie. Maybe she’s blessed in certain areas that real women are not, and may never be, but overall she’s a representation of a happy, hygienic, successful, healthy, and most of all, confident modern-day woman. No, not all women look like her, or even close, but perhaps that could have something to do with the fact that they eat junk food, don’t exercise, drink alcohol, and smoke cigarettes. Have these incorrigible doll haters considered the impact of how McDonald’s ads are geared to young kids? How this company sucks in young consumers from the very beginning, to get them hooked right into old age? How do these “realists” feel about the fact that McDonald’s is assisting youngsters into growing into unhealthy, likely overweight, adults? I don’t know about you, but I would prefer my child to aspire to be more like Barbie than Ronald McDonald. I loved playing with my Barbies. And so does my three year old daughter. She does her hair and changes her clothes. She also performs these rituals on herself. Her nail polish has to match her outfit, her hair must be just so, and she will always have her lip-gloss in her purse at all times. In fact, she has her own Barbie jeep which she rides around in, on the streets near our house. Do I think she’s too materialistic or ever will be because of this? I definitely do not. I don’t see anything wrong with a girl of any age taking care of her appearance, and taking pride in it. That’s how it should be: “Be the best you can be.” Do I think her interest in her looks will consume her? Well it didn’t consume me, so who’s to say it will for her. She’s just as interested if not more, in learning how to read, learning new words, and helping people, as she is in being stylish. I must say though, that I do agree that this world is much too focused on the appearance of a person, rather than any other aspect of them. Women, and even men are abusing their bodies, changing the way that they look, drastically, for thousands, and even millions of dollars. But I believe that the culprit is the media: T.V. shows, movies, and music videos. These too are for fun and entertainment, and not meant to be taken too seriously. So why, am I for one, and not the other? Well because Barbie is for children. Even though they are young, they know enough to know that Barbie isn’t real, but pretend, like every other toy they might own. Why are teddy bears so cute and cuddly? Isn’t that a false reflection of what a real bear is all about? Why...