barbie living in a world of plastic

10 pg essay for school on how babrie affects young girls

 

 

 

  

 

                Barbie:

                        Living in a world of plastic

 

 

                  

                    Sonja Stewart

 

 

 

 

            College Prep. II Period 8

                     Ms. Krisanda

                               January 9^th 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone knows Barbie: the doll with the long slender legs, big blue eyes, and more often than not wearing an outfit in pink. The same doll that girls grow up with and grow to love could be pressuring them to have the “perfect” body. “No other toy brings up more memories, more emotions, and more opinions” (Wagner 1).

In order to face the dilemma of Barbie being a role model that does not send the right messages, just look at Barbie as an individual. She is a doll with a history and one that is based off of the beautiful and cruel world of modeling. Ruth Handler got the idea to create Barbie when she was visiting Switzerland during the 1950’s (Barbie History 1).  She came across a German made doll with the name of Lilly. “Lilly was a shapely, pretty fashion doll first made in 1955” (Barbie History 1). She came in body length (or height) of either seven inches or the popular eleven and a half inches that had molded shoes and earrings.

Ruth Handler returned home with an idea and an inspiration. She wanted to replace paper dolls with plastic, which were the preferred doll of the time for young girls who have out grown there baby dolls. Ruth envisioned a doll that would reflect a woman’s independence and sexuality; it would take twenty eight years for Barbie to go from an Idea to a hit doll.  (Williams 1). With the help of engineers at Mattel, Barbie was born through the process of designing a doll that would change doll making history. Rubber made dolls have to go through a molding process then down an assembly line of machines to add the parts (Goodfellow 293). After that, skilled workers figure out how facial features should be and which makeup styles are trendy. 

Barbie was named after Ruth’s daughter Barbra (otherwise known as Barbie) her famous boyfriend Ken received his name from Ruth’s son Kenneth. Ken dolls went on to inspire the twelve inch G I Joe action figure dolls that became the male equivalent to Barbie in 1964 (Barbie History 2). Barbie’s signature color pink first originated from her first outfit. It was a ling gown of light Pink with lace around the collar and sleeves. Barbie clothes are the most produced outfits in the world. The fashion industry revolves around them and even today the latest trends are not considered “popular” if Barbie doesn’t have an outfit. Even famous actors and pop stars have fallen victim to Barbie including Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, the cast of X files, and the now deceased 2 Pac had a doll made up to look like them. Over a hundred new designs and ensembles are produced each year to keep up with popular demand (Barbie History 3). In 1958 the patent for Barbie was granted. “This would be a Fashions doll unlike any of her time” (Barbie History 2).

Barbie made her debut at a New York Toy show a year later. Within ten years the public purchased five hundred million dollars worth of Barbie products.  Many buyers viewed this doll as being risky since she was not the typical body type/ style of the baby dolls of the time (Barbie History 2). Barbie even outraged some mothers, who thought that the doll was too sexual and against there religion or political views. It was a doll that was sometimes placed as a symbol of sexual liberations (Williams 1). In the 1970’s a second wave of feminists protested the doll, with the idea that Barbie Promoted Sexist stereotypes. Barbie was accused of encouraging women to fall to ideals of men and acting and looking how the male image portrayed women (Williams 2). In 1972 Barbie underwent some physical changes to be more appealing to the public. She gave up her “sexy” sideways glance for a more straight forward one. In 1992 Mattel widened her waist by half a centimeter and gave her a belly button             (Wagner 1). She has also moved up in her occupations so that she appealed to the feminist’ objectors Barbie received a promotion from a nurse to a doctor and a pilot instead of a stewardess.

In 1997 during the Bubble gum Pop era the singing group Aqua created the Barbie Girl song (Barbie History 2). It was a song that stayed at number one for three weeks and turned Barbie into a “Blonde Bimbo.” Mattel sued the group and claimed Aqua song writers violated copyrights and trademarks. Aqua counter sued, but both cases were dropped in lower courts. Aqua said that Mattel misinterpreted there lyrics and that they meant no harm toward Barbie (Barbie History 3).

Although they meant no harm the songs lyrics were scandalous and young girls bought thousands of copies of the album. One of the lines in the song says “You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere Imagination, life is your creation!” this line has been interpreted by British scholars and they believe that song is telling the girls to live through the dolls (Dobson 2). Although that is fine to play make believe the next line in the song is not kid oriented.  “Like a blonde bimbo girl, in a fantasy world Dress me up, make it tight, I'm your dolly You're my doll, rock'n'roll, Feel the glamour in pink, Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky panky.”  That’s when the British scholars say you have crossed the line (Dobson 2).

Christine Williams is the author of a book about the sociology of sexuality, she devotes two weeks of class to the Barbie dolls. She believes that Barbie was appalled because of her blatant sexuality (Williams 1). Even though she was appalled by many mothers young girls loved her, thanks to innovative marketing and the adult themes encoded in her body and wardrobe (Williams 1). Christine thinks that “Children use the doll the same way that adults use popular culture: to fantasize, to imagine alternate worlds and alternate lives, to project there needs and desires, and to define and refine their sexual identities” (Williams 2).

“Barbie allows girls to dream that they can be anything they want to be when they grow up.” It’s the phrase Mattle has used to protect Barbie and come to her defense (Dobson 3). But today is the appearance culture time and girls grow up being judged. The ultra thin image has lowered girls body self-esteem and there personal satisfaction. According to new research studies done on young girls have shown that by six years of age large numbers of girls already wish to have smaller figures (Dohnt 1). By the age of ten years old media influence on self image may contribute to eating disorders and unhealthy dieting (Dohnt 1).

In all reality Barbie’s body is not achievable for a real person. Her dimensions were based off of that of an ideal model. A preferred model is at least five feet eight inches or taller (Anderson16); Barbie’s legs make up sixty percent of her body. This means if a real person was a life size version of Barbie, she would have to be seven feet two inches tall and weigh about one hundred and twenty five pounds (Brashich 58). Some experiments have been tested and it was concluded that one in ever one hundred thousand woman have a more realistic “Barbie” body (a body with the measurements of 36-18-38) but the chances of being born “perfect” is about the same odds as being struck by lightning twice(Brashich 59). In defense to accusations of misleading young girls Mattle manufacturers of Barbie have stated “Barbie is not modeled in human scale” (Dobson 3).

   Although Barbie may not have been modeled to human scale her unnaturally slim waist makes girls want to be unrealistically slim when they grow up (Dobson1). Not only do young girls have to feel the pressure from the doll itself but also Barbie movies that bring the doll to life through mermaids, faeries, and princesses. Advertisers spend fifteen billion dollars on marketing to kids (Brashich 46). A vast majority of that money goes towards commercials to lour the kids in to buy there products. An average child sees at least forty thousand commercials in one year. The human brain can only process about eight frames of a movie or video. Yet there are thirty frames per second in most TV shows and twenty four in movies ( Brashich 43). That’s more than three times the amount of information a young child can understand, concluding that you’re seeing things faster than your even realizing it.

 In order to sell products producers make up problems, and then offer the solutions to fix them. Many use well known actresses or trendy teens to sell there products that way the viewer feels they can relate or want to be like that person (Brashich 44).  Sixty two percent of twelve and thirteen year olds report that buying a certain product helps them feel better about themselves (Brashich 46). Many young children feel as if they have to compete with the celebrities and the only way to achieve that is through buying products that will help there appearance.

“Suddenly, you’re feeling like your real body isn’t good enough.” Well know this: the media (on behalf of the companies that hire them, aim to plant the idea in out minds that we have a problem (Brashich 42). Parents see the advertisements like “Shaving Ken” and “Maternity Barbie” and think “oh I can buy that for my kid so they understand natural life. But when the kids get the dolls all they see is a ken doll with a five o clock shadow and a knocked up Barbie named Midge whose belling comes off after the babies are “born”. In December of 2002 the entire "Happy Family" set, which includes pregnant Midge, husband Alan and 3-year-old son Ryan, had been pulled from shelves of the world's largest retailer Walmart, which has about 2,800 stores and 500 warehouse club stores (Dorian 3).

“It was just that customers had a concern about having a pregnant doll," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Cynthia Illick said.  It is the parents obligation to interpret the Barbie dolls and judge whether they feel it’s appropriate for there child to be playing with a doll with an image like Barbie’s. “My philosophy on dolls with “b***s” is: if the girl doesn’t have b***s of her own then she doesn’t need to be playing with a doll that has them. The Barbie makes b***s unreal and doesn’t teach young girls why woman have them, to be a source of nutrition for infants and toddlers” (Dorian 7).

“The body needs many different nutrients to stay healthy. So it is essential to eat a variety of foods everyday” (Anderson 143). A study was done on young girls who read magazines with models and women with “Barbie” like figures and those who don’t, the ones that due have a high chance of developing eating disorders that a harmful to the body (Anderson 89). In many parts of the world, woman who look good are more recognizable than women who do well” (Brashich 34). If a young girl sees a woman doing well and looking great she will want to portray that person, just like the basic theory of monkey see monkey do.

The researchers from two British universities claim Barbie dolls could promote girls’ insecurity about there image which in turn may contribute indirectly to insecurity and eating disorders later in life (Dobsin 2). Many grow up under the false impression that if I don’t eat then I will lose weight and develop an eating disorder (Brashich 42).

            A plethora of eating disorders start out with just binge eating (skipping a meal once or twice a day). This method of eating is ineffective on account of your body goes into starvation mode and begins to store fatty food s that it can use later. Only you never use them so they build up in places on your body that aren’t so attractive, like hips thighs and stomach causing cellulite (Colino 226). Not only do you get unsightly fat build up but binge eating may cause skin to pale and look yellow in color, sunken looking eyes and tiredness or fatigue (Colino 226).

            A study was conducted on two hundred primary school-age girls ages five to eight. The girls were shown two pictures of dolls. One of the dolls was the basic Barbie and the other was a doll called Emme that has more realistic proportions. After all the images were shown to the girls they were asked to pick figures that represented their actual body shape, the body shape they ideally desired and their ideal body shape as an adult woman. Many of the young girls ages six to seven picked Barbie over Emme and the negative effects were stronger in the older ones (Dobson 7).     

Dr. Margret Ashwell suggests that schools should educate the youngest children, as well as the adolescents, about the risks of being too worried about having an “ideally” thin body shape. “Such programs’ need to make girls aware that the thin beauty ideal is unattainable and unhealthy” (Dobson 2).  If educated at a younger age, it may help prevent the experimentation of binge eating and reduce the amount of young girls who suffer from eating disorders. Some of these education programs have suggested  that young girls could to the gym with friends and make it seem like a social activity that you can keep a healthy weight along with a healthy social life (Dobson 2). Another suggestion is teaching the girls to have diets that include all categories’ of the food pyramid that way they understand you need all the food to have a healthy life. Well nourished children have a better chance of avoiding everyday colds, flues, and viruses. Certain cancers have been  known to be reduced up to thirty percent with the consumption of daily vegetables (Feeling Fat 5).

It is well known that the quality of life is lower for over weight adolescents, however it is found that quality of life correlates with there perception  of there own weight and not there actual weight. A German study of almost seven thousand kids, eleven to seventeen years old found that seventy five percent of the girls and boys were of normal weight, eighteen percent of the girls and boys were overweight  or obese, and seven percent of the girls  and eight percent of the boys were underweight (Feeling Fat 5).

When the girls in the study were asked about their weight fifty five percent said that they though they were “a bit to fat”, or “far too fat.” Thirty seven percent said they were “just right” (Feeling Fat 6). With the information gathered and analyzed it was concluded that many of the young girls were of average weight but in there own eyes they truly believed they need to lose weight (Feeling Fat 6). If these girls were taught that its not about what you look like but how you are as a person they could begin to feel better about themselves and then begin to feel better about there quality of life. 

With a higher quality of life you can have a better sense of pride. If young girls were to put aside the fashion Magazines and the thoughts of Barbie’s perfect body they can discover life is not perfect even the models in the magazines aren’t perfect, “many stars admit it’s a hassle to have to worry about every bite you take because a camera could be hidden around every corner” (Colino 226). Young girls should not have to feel the pressure from Barbie’s “perfect” body and resort to an unhealthy life style that can hurt them physically and emotionally, not when they can embrace what they have and live a happy and healthy life.

Credit can be given where it is deserved and Mattel can be credited for trying to make a stronger, real woman in Barbie, but it will always be the super-girlie, pretty princess Barbie dolls that are most popular. “You know what? To me, that’s totally OK. I want my daughters to play with perfect Barbie’s and dream of being princesses, too. I want them to live in a girlie, carefree fantasyland as long as they can. It is a big world out there and frankly, I don’t think Barbie would survive five minutes of it” (Wagner 1).

 

 

Work cited

Anderson, Marie. MODEL the complete guide to becoming a professional model. New York

            Bantam Doubleday Dell publishing Group Inc. 1989. Columbia High School Library

            659.1 AND.

“Barbie’s Beginning”. Barbie History. July 1995 <http://www.dolls4play.com>

Brashich, Audrey. All made up a girl’s guide to seeing through celebrity hype…and 

celebrating real beauty. New York. Walker and company. 2006. Columbia High

School Library 303.235 BRA

Colino, Stacy. “Sneaky (and Fun!) ways to burn Fat Fast.” Cosmopolitan. November 2008: 226

Dobson, Rodger. “Skinny Barbie blamed over eating disorders.” Times Online May 14,2006

            <http://www.timesonline.co.wk.>

Dohnt, Hayley. “Body Image Concerns in Young Girls: The Role of Peers and Media Prior to                             

 Adolescence.” Journal of Youth& Adolescence. April 2006. 35. 2. 135-145 

EBSCOhost. MASTERFILE select. Columbia High School Library East GreenBush, NY November17, 2008 <http://web.ebcohost.com>

“Feeling Fat.” Pediatrics for Parents. 2008 24.10.5-5. EBSCOhost. MASTERFILE select.

Columbia High School Library East GreenBush NY. November 17, 2008 <http://web.ebscohost.com.>

Goodfellow, Caroline. “The doll Industry Today.” World Book D. 5. 2006

Wagner, Dorian. “Barbie: little Girl’s Dream or Parents Nightmare?” Health eLiving Powered

            by eDiets. March 2008 <http://blog.ediets.com>

 

Williams, Christine. “The Sociology of Sexuality” Chronicle of higher Education

MASTERFILE select Columbia High School Library, Columbia High School Library, East Greenbush, NY