The role of Barbie in society.
Watching Sunday Morning, they pointed out that the Barbie doll is 50 this year. There is a lot of controversy surrounding Barbie and her role in what girls can and can't do, and what should be the role model little girls aspire to.
My sisters and I believe that Barbie helps promote creativity and imagination and my niece had a trunk full of Barbies and clothes and Barbie accessories and cloth scraps and buttons and feathers and stuff to make Barbie clothes... all supplied by loving grandma, aunties and mom. My sister-in-law believes that Barbie promoted the subjugation of women and would not give them to her daughter. She learned that her daughter had her own opinions on that subject.
When we got married, my sil and her family came a week early to help with preparations. Her little daughter (T) was about 3. My niece (A) was 4. My niece would play under the table at my mother's to stay out of the way. T walked in and spotted A under the table with her trunk. They looked at each other in suspicion for about a minute. Then A said "Would you like to play Barbies?" T lit up with a huge smile and said in awe and wonder "BARBIE" and dove under the table. They played there for the rest of the week in joy and friendship. A friendship, I might add, that has lasted this past 14 years. They don't see each other often, but when they do, they're as close as they were all those years ago having bonded over Barbies and fashion. :)
So Happy Birthday, Barbie. Doll, pop icon, controversial figure and friend maker.
My sisters and I believe that Barbie helps promote creativity and imagination and my niece had a trunk full of Barbies and clothes and Barbie accessories and cloth scraps and buttons and feathers and stuff to make Barbie clothes... all supplied by loving grandma, aunties and mom. My sister-in-law believes that Barbie promoted the subjugation of women and would not give them to her daughter. She learned that her daughter had her own opinions on that subject.
When we got married, my sil and her family came a week early to help with preparations. Her little daughter (T) was about 3. My niece (A) was 4. My niece would play under the table at my mother's to stay out of the way. T walked in and spotted A under the table with her trunk. They looked at each other in suspicion for about a minute. Then A said "Would you like to play Barbies?" T lit up with a huge smile and said in awe and wonder "BARBIE" and dove under the table. They played there for the rest of the week in joy and friendship. A friendship, I might add, that has lasted this past 14 years. They don't see each other often, but when they do, they're as close as they were all those years ago having bonded over Barbies and fashion. :)
So Happy Birthday, Barbie. Doll, pop icon, controversial figure and friend maker.