Impact of a Barbie Girl - Essay Example

and Number of the Teacher’s Gender and Sexual Studies BARBIE ASSIGNMENT Introduction “The Barbie doll is one ofthe most successful toys of the 20th century and, arguably the icon of female beauty and the American dream” (Kuther & Mcdonald 39). According to the manufacturer Mattel, a Barbie doll is purchased every three seconds. Created in 1959, Barbie is a popular doll in almost every girl’s life. The toy is believed to characterize adult female beauty to which young girls aspire. It is widely claimed that Barbie dolls have a highly sexualized image and limit girls’ play by emphasizing approved roles and patterns of interaction. One of the arguments against girls playing with Barbie dolls is that by “dramatizing stereotypical feminine roles during play, girls will internalize” (Kuther & Mcdonald 39) and later strive to personify such roles. Boys do not wish to be seen playing with dolls, hence Barbies’ impact on them is less. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate Barbie dolls and their impact on oneself, as an essential area of gender and sexual studies. One’s Personal Perceptions of Barbie as a Child and Adolescent Though boys generally would not dream of playing with Barbies, most have experiences of some kind of destructive play with a Barbie belonging to their siblings or friends. As a child and while growing up, I had a fascination for the perfectly formed Barbie doll that my younger sister would dress in garments she stitched on her own. As a ten year old, she played imaginatively with her doll, and was proud to display it with her handiwork, of what she believed was high-fashion wear fit for the runways of Paris and Milan. Being her brother a couple of years older to her, I took immense pleasure in hiding her doll in inaccessilbe places, rolling it in mud, or coloring her hair with multi-colored inks, to horrify my kid sister. This would result in her crying and reporting to our parents, which would inevitably lead to some kind of punishment for me. However, her look of utter shock over my destructive work would give me immense satisfaction. The demolition was in a way related to the fact that the perfectly formed adult shape of Barbie made me uneasy. Hence I considered destructive measures to be a good way to display my disdain for all things feminine and attractive. This natural impulse that boys have is reiterated by Kuther and Mcdonald (p.46) who state that torture play with Barbies is commonly reported by boys. Another reason was my wish to teach my kid sister a lesson for having to baby sit her for short durations while I would have preferred to join my friends’ boisterous outdoor games. This destructive phase however, did not last long, and I stopped harassing her due to parental imposition. Girls in relation to their experiences with Barbie doll play are found to have long-lasting outcomes resulting from the unrealistically ideal body shape of the doll. It is widely argued that girls are severely constrained and even subjugated by the “rigid boundaries of normative femininity as well as the patriarchal and overly sexualized portrayals of females in Western cultures” (Ivashkevich 40). This is further rooted in the fact that the female body is checked, obsessed over, beautified and objectified through the media and other cultural products and discourses. In rebellion, girls are also stated to innovatively and imaginatively transform existing cultural texts and artifacts created for their consumption, not content to passively internalize cultural norms and values. On the other hand, one of the approaches that girls have towards their childhood play with Barbie dolls is a practical one, as revealed by Reid-Walsh and Mitchell (p.175). They state that they grew up loving the doll, and her exaggerated proportions made no difference to them. Further, they believe that those who consider Barbie dolls to be the root of their eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa should look into themselves for the causes, and refrain from blaming Barbie’s unrealistically tiny waist and extremely slim body. When the authors were ten years old, Barbie had come into existence. At that time there was no Skipper, Midge, fancy cars, dream house or any of the accessories created for the doll in the intervening years. The main enjoyment for the authors had been in stitching clothes for her, to create a wardrobe of clothes suitable for any occasion or activity. Barbie Survey A Barbie survey to take note of where and how many times I encountered Barbie over a period of one week was undertaken. Actual Mattel Barbies, depictions of Barbies images or a representation of Barbie in the form of a human looking similar to her were noted and recorded. I observed that in my neighborhood, little girls played at tea parties on their front lawns, with their collections of Barbie dolls. They changed Barbies dresses and enacted imaginative stories depicting the doll’s activities and outings. In magazines I found advertisements for the latest Barbie with pink hair and tattoos, which appears to be stirring up a debate in the media on whether it has wrong implications on youth. I attempted to chronicle the places where I saw Barbie look-alike persons, and to interview them on whether they were Barbie fans who deliberately went to great lengths to promote the doll’s look. An example is downtown while waiting in line for theater tickets I spotted a girl with luxurious blonde hair, and the slim but full-bodied look of Barbie dolls. She was dressed in a very feminine manner, and epitomized the doll in every way. She was with a group of friends. I picked up the courage to ask her for a short, casual interview, and she excitedly agreed. I discovered that she had indeed attempted to look like Barbie, as a result of a challenge that her friends had given her with the promise of a reward if anyone noticed her Barbie-like appearance. I guess I made her day having recognized her look. I also took a couple of Barbies from my sister’s vast collection with me over the week as a social experiment. I observed how people reacted when they walked past. Most people threw me amused glances since being a guy the dolls appeared incongruous in my hands. My Barbies accompanied me wherever I went alone or with friends. They proved to be a great conversation piece and generated much frivolity and laughter. An interestng collage of Barbie representation in the media, in the environment and society was evident from this social experiment. Any Changes in My Perceptions About Barbies at the End of the Week Reflecting on the past week of highlighting and focusing on Barbies in numerous ways, my perceptions about the doll has changed slightly. I have now realized that she is indeed an embedded part of our contemporary culture, and that children as well as adults have a special corner in their hearts for Barbie. Men usually like to trivialize anything to do with the doll, and crack jokes when she is in their company. This I found to be similar to my own reactions when I was a child and adolescent. However, the former destructive tendencies do not carry forth when one is older today. It can be stated that over two generations of women have played with Barbies, and it is likely that several more will do so, because of the classic nature of this postmodern doll. Conclusion This paper has highlighted Barbie dolls and their imact on oneself. My encounters with Barbies in childhood and while growing up, my Barbie survey and any changes in my perceptions after a week of the social experiment with the doll have been examined. It is clear that Barbies are an important part of American culture for over half a century, and continue to be in demand. Various kith and kin, and accessories have been added to Barbie over the years, increasing her popularity particularly among little girls. The study found that even adults have a soft corner for the doll, and some women create collections of the various versions of Barbies that are manufactured. Children’s toys help to promote self concept in childhood and adolescence, hence various debates have raged over whether Barbies do more harm than good on little girls’ and young women’s perceptions of themselves in relation to the doll’s perfect form. Anorexia among girls is considered to be one of the downsides. Play is vital for children’s development. This is supported by Kuther and Mcdonald (p.39), who state that “toys present messages about gender, adult roles, and values that children internalize”. Works Cited Ivashkevich, Olga. I’m gonna make you look weird: Preteen girls’ subversive gender play. Visual Culture and Gender, 6 (2011): pp.40-49. Kuther, Tara L. & Mcdonald, Erin. Early adolescents’ experiences with, and views of Barbie. Adolescence, 39.153 (2004): pp.39-53. Reid-Walsh, Jacqueline & Mitchell, Claudia. “Just a doll”?: “Liberating accounts of Barbie play. Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 22.2 (2000): pp.175-190. Read More