what is the deal with barbie ... - Page 2

[rumi]

so basically, what i hear is, barbie's got problems, but so do a lot of toys. i think we'll continue to steer clear of them.

[MidnightCafe]

I'm reviving this old thread, as I'm sorting this out for myself (and DD) right now. DD is 5, and she LOVES barbie. She has neighbor friends who have what seems like millions of barbies. They've gotten them mostly from thrift stores, though a few were gifts. So, that solves the plastic production/landfill issue for me. I know I can get used barbies at almost any thrift store, along with tons & tons of clothes.

And, I guess the materialism is something I see with most toys. American Girl is the same way. You can go as far as you want with buying accessories. And calico critters. And groovy girls. And Only Hearts dolls. They all have tons of clothes & accessories available if you are going to buy into the materialism. Barbie isn't alone in that respect.

I guess I don't like them in my house because I don't find them aesthetically pleasing. How's that for a hoity toity response? I don't have a problem with her playing with them at other people's houses, as long as I don't have to have them strewn about my house with their clothes and shoes and handbags. But...I *would* love those cute little calico critters, even if they were strewn about my house. So, I think the issue really is aesthetics.

I grew up playing with barbies, and, although I have also dealt with my share of body image issues, I have never thought of them as related to barbies. How I felt about my body had a lot more to do with my experiences with real live people growing up.

ANd I really did love playing barbie. As others have mentioned, my play with them was very involved. There were epic sagas. They had names and personalities. My mom and my aunt had made tons of clothes for them, and my mom made furniture out of wood blocks & carpet scraps. My dad built them a closet.

So, I guess I'm torn. I loved playing barbies. DD wants to have barbies. But, I think they're ugly. Soooo, could somebody please make a cute alternative for barbie? Only hearts won't do because she wants to play with grown-ups. That's a major lure of barbie, I think. She likes Kelly dolls, too, but she always has to choose one to be the mom and one to be the dad because she wants to play "family" stories.

*sigh* *shrug* Thanks for letting me vent. Any further thoughts?

[Kam]

I've been struggling with this lately. I have an extreme hatred of all things Barbie and my daughter thinks she is the most beeeeutiful of all creatures (neveryoumind that she's not a creature...). I try to be open-minded and even-handed and flexible and realistic and all that, but I will not contribute a dime to Mattel's marketing campaign, although I have been persuaded in the past to allow Barbie movies from the library.

What it boils down to, for me, is that not only is there an unrealistic body image, but also an unrealistic image in general. Barbie is picture-perfect, right down to her toes, and I very rarely see any Barbie who is not blonde and blue-eyed. Even if there are other color combinations in the stores, they are never prominently displayed, and I'd bet there's not a single person here who would say that the word 'Barbie' conjures anything for them other than a blonde, blue-eyed anorexic woman with a blank stare in her eyes.

What cinched it for me was watching a Barbie movie with my daughter that she had borrowed from a friend. The star is blonde, blue-eyed Barbie, always sweet and kind and somewhat hapless. The villain? You guessed it! The only Asian looking character in the movie--short, black-haired, almond eyes, whiny, the whole shebang. If that's not something I hope to shield my Japanese-American daughter from as she grows, I don't know what is. I actually got tears when I realized what I was seeing.

Anything that is created in order to encourage further consumerism among young children ought to raise our eyebrows as moms.

[MidnightCafe]

Thanks, Kam. You've helped me clarify some of the other things that bother me about Barbie. You're right. It's about supporting the industry, too...not just buying that particular doll.

[lucyem]

I have boys so barbie or princesses is not the issue with us. Instead its power rangers. I allow him to have some minus a few accessories I "lose". Thankfully legos have taken over. But IMO whether its barbie or the princesses or power rangers or whatever I do not think banning them totally is the fix. I think the issue really is more of our material society plus the female body image as viewed in society. These are issues that permeate our lives everywhere we turn. These are things we need to address on a daily basis to raise healthy children. Its a whole way of looking at life that needs to be addressed, not the toy they play with. I do think the number of barbies or any toy needs to be limited. It is sooo easy for children to see and want every single barbie accessory possible. And yes I have to agree the barbie dvd's freak me out and I have only seen the commercials for them.

I grew up with barbies. I had a couple. My sister had a ton. From day one we were taught about body issues and what was wrong with barbies feet/shape/size. My mom tried other similar dolls but they never had the cool clothes. Neither my sister or I have had body issues. My sister is actually a fashion designer now. She spent years making her own barbie clothes. Its funny to hear her talk about models. Believe me you do not want to be one, let alone try to have a coherent conversation with one.