– Now Available Essay, Research Paper
Girls can be whatever they want to be, as long as they are sexy when
they grow up. This is
the message the ever-so-popular Barbie doll has been pushing on America?s youth
since 1959.
When Barbie first hit the market, the creator, Ruth Handler, stated that she
wanted to make the
perfect role model for her children, Barbie and Ken. Parents everywhere ripped
open their wallets,
stampeded to the stores, and ate the concept up. They wanted their daughters to
be just like
Barbie Roberts. They even wanted their sons to bring her home. Today, the only
difference made
to this bizarre idea, is that the doll?s family has grown. Now Asian, Hawaiian,
African American,
Swedish, and other cultures and races of females, can share in the joys of low
self image. The
expectations the doll places on children are intangible. My family showered me
with these plastic
beauties on every special occasion. My birthday, Easter, and Christmas, I would
be found in a
corner unwrapping another years worth of expectations.
Barbie was unleashed to the world in a revealing bathing suit, wearing
makeup, and fully
accessorized. Her with ruby red lips, plucked eye brows, and cute little pony
tail became the icon
of young American girls. She had everything, knew everything, and could do
anything. She didn?t
go to school, never had a bad hair day, and had no need for ?hand me downs?.
She always had
someone to play with, and a boyfriend by her side.
We were playing with a doll that had an ideal body. We could never have
this body, and
yet we could not wait to grow up and develop the enormous breasts we would be
seeing
throughout our childhood. Her clothes wrapped snugly around her tiny waist, and
long legs,
attached with painfully arched, perfect feet. I remember asking my mother why
she didn?t have
shiny hair like Barbie. I thought she had something wrong with her. There must
have been
something wrong with the bodies, and hair of all the women in my family. They
could have chosen
to look like Barbie, I thought. It has been a proven fact that her proportions
could never humanly
be possible. If she were the actual size of a human teenage girl, she would look
quite unusual. She
would stand seven feet tall, with body measurements of 37? in bust, 20? in
waist, and 25? in hips.
Barbie would not be able to play any sports, if she could walk at all. She had
no stomach or
buttocks, and left no room for body fat of any kind. Little girls to not know
these facts. I find it
alarming that Mattel, the company that mass-produces her, chose to place huge
mounds for
breasts on her chest. She is supposed to be a young teenage girl. I would
imagine that, if it were
possible for this to happen by nature, it would be very painful. They could have
saved a fortune if
they reduced the size. It must have been intended. I don?t have any doubt that
if she were
marketed in an erotic store, no one would question her being there. Robert A.
Eckert is chairman
of the board and chief executive officer of Mattel, Inc., a worldwide leader in
the design,
manufacture and marketing of family products with .5 billion in annual revenues.
He is an
American male. I wonder if this may contribute to the exploitation.
Barbie?s details changed with the times, however her expectations, and
body remained the
same. The Barbie people imagine today has long flowing blonde hair and blue
eyes. She is always
happy, even though her back must still be breaking due to her large bust. I
wonder if the
stereotypical ideal woman in America came from this doll?s image. I have never
seen Debbie the
Disabled doll, or Fay the Fat bellied doll. If you researched different races in
the world, you would
notice that all races have different bone structures, and hair types. For one
example, the placement
of the eyes, and broadness of the nose are different between Caucasoid humans
and African
humans. In the Barbie line, all the dolls have the same features, except for
color. This example
may add to distortions in the self image of African girls who play with the
African Barbie dolls.
I have noticed that all women in my life suffer from a lower self image
than men. We
were all raised with the media, dolls, and parents who placed high expectations
on our lives. We
strive to look beautiful by considering breast implants, liposuction, and
spending large amounts of
money on form enhancing wardrobes. My concern is the acceptance her figure is
receiving, even
in present times. Barbie did not create this problem, but she is one of the only
long standing
reminders today.