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[insanity89]

for one of my classes i'm writing a paper on how the barbie has affected childrens' body image. do any of you have any links that would be of help or have any good ideas?
thanks in advance

Comments

[fuckyoucrystal]

sort of related: my mom wanted to name me barbie but luckily my dad opposed

[mormon_princess]

Use MAC's February collection. They used something about being a living doll.

It was one of the best-selling collections!

[firecracked]

Look up the book Can't Buy My Love by Jean Kilbourne. It focuses on advertising and how it influences us and changes our mindset. She's a feminist, so she also talks a good deal about how girls are especially affected. I know she mentions Barbie in there - something about a "Late Night Barbie" or something where girls can dress up the Barbie in trashy clothes to go out at night and how it affects how they think and perceive what they should be. There's probably more, but I haven't finished reading the book yet

[scapegoat]

My sister is three and she has Barbies. I used to play with Barbies when I was little and looking at Barbies now compared to Barbies when I was little, I was astounded at the differences I found.

Barbie now:

[x_crazyness_xxx]

Doesnt she look a little more proportionate now? From the pictures you posted, I would say she MAYBEKINDOF could exist in real life with her measurements.

Old school barbies rocked.

[scapegoat]

She does look proportionate, but I feel like someone shaped like that in real life (with as little meat on her bones, not that Barbie can have MEAT persee, but it looks like skin and bones... err, plastic?) would have ribs sticking out, y'know? I meant to focus more on the badonkadonk and the huge chest.

[labellacouture]

She might look proportionate, but in one of my classes in high school, I remember reading about how barbies were completely warped anatomically. If scaled to the size of a real person, she wouldn't be able to stand upright between her breast size and the fact she could have almost no ribs in order to have her small waist size. So while your sister's barbie is slim size, i think she looks more proportionate.

[chicken_fudge]

I can't remember what book it was or what the context was, but I remember reading something by bell hooks about her encounter with Barbie as a child. She compared her own black curly hair to Barbie's blond hair and thought there was something wrong with her. Looking at it from a racial point of view might be interesting.

There's also that lady who had a bunch of surgeries so that she could become a human barbie. I think her name is Cindy Jackson, and her transformation is pretty incredible. It's an extreme example, but you might be able to use it.

This is a really good topic. I'm sure you'll finds tons of stuff you can use. Good Luck!

[need_anoutlet]

might've been ann ducille's article "guys and dolls" in the black studies reader.