[ Golden Gater Online - December 11, 1997 ]
Leslie Cruz
Staff Writer
Mattel Inc. will release a new Barbie for the year 1998 in response to demand by its target audience, 3- to 11-year-old girls. Are they serious?
Mattel claims the girls want Barbie to be "more reflective of themselves." Can an 11 1/2-inch-tall plastic doll with measurements of 38-18-34 in human inches be reflective of little girls?
The new Barbie will have a closed-mouth smile, straighter hair with a mix of colors, smaller hips and chest, lighter makeup, a wider waist and flat feet.
The changes are insignificant and don't make Barbie any more real. Anti-Barbie feminists have long scapegoated the doll as a culprit for everything from anorexia to low self-esteem. I don't know if they are happy with these changes, but I think the modifications are a joke.
Barbie has never been a role model to me and hopefully never will be to my children. This plaything should not be held responsible for the many eating disorders that plague our nation's women, or the inferiority complexes that are a natural part of growing up.
There are so many other problems in this country concerning female body image that should be addressed, such as the thousands of ads we see each week which feature women who look like they are starving. What about the multi-million dollar diet industry?
These are the influences which should be held responsible for distorted body images in girls. That is where the problem lies.
Barbie is a fantasy and always has been. Tell me a story of a little girl who believes she will grow up and have a purple Corvette and a two-story townhouse. I certainly haven't met any.
A doll is a doll and does not influence the future of little girls. I always cut off my Barbie's hair and made her get it on with other Barbies. Does this reflect me? I don't have short hair and never wanted it. I am happily married and don't have a thing for blondes.
[ Golden Gater - December 11, 1997 ]