Barbie Dolls: Support for feminism, or not? [Final]

Barbie dolls are so popular all around the world. According to the statistics made by Mattel Inc., the producer of Barbie dolls, a total of 1,000,000,000 have been sold in over 150 countries including 350,000 in the first year, and the number is still increasing by 3 every second; American girls each has 8 Barbie dolls in average, while a French girl has 5 and in Hong Kong, Asia, the number is 3. She is not a simple doll, but also a symbol of popular culture.

Though the main owners of Barbie are girls, the fancy doll originated from a German doll named Bild Lilli which was even referred to as a sex toy for her “inappropriate” clothing and sexy body.

Barbie did inherit many characteristics from Lilli. When she first appeared, she was marketed "Teen-age Fashion Model" with her well-designed clothes, fashionable make-ups and popular hair styles. The most enviable thing may be her so-called "killer-body", which is the dream of girls, and, boys.

However, it’s where the main criticism from. A real girl has to be 5 feet 9 inches, with vital statistics at 36 inches, 18 inches and 33inches to achieve her body shape. According to the scientific research (by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland), it is impossible for a girl to keep healthy under such situation. This misleading information may result in girls’ anorexia while they try to pursue the killer-body, as well as many diseases caused by lack of enough nutrition and energy during the progress of dieting. She seems to make girls focus more on their body shape and appearance, which, has long focused to attract males’ eyes.

Thus, “Barbie” became a derogatory slang which describes girls with appealing appearance and empty mind. “Will we ever have enough clothes?” “I love shopping!” “Wanna have a pizza party?” These sentences from the Teen Talk Barbie released in 1992, especially the one “Math class is tough!” proves this kind of view in some way. It is not a good model for girls. Though only a very low percent of all the Teen Talk Barbie can speak this sentence, it was severely criticized by the American Association of University Women, and these Barbie dolls were recalled with Mattel’s promise to change.

However, as mentioned in Zeisler’s Feminism and Pop Culture: “In examining how feminism has informed pop culture and vice versa, it’s instructive to look at the way the evolution of the women’s movement has been mirrored in pockets of popular culture”, the more important thing is to detect the development of Barbie Dolls and how it reflects the development of feminism.

The change of Barbie’s eyes in 1971 is regarded as a main change in Barbie’s development. The influence is obvious: looking straight forward makes her more welcoming and confident; the scornful expression in her eyes while looking down to one side disappeared. I do not know if there is someone who is also impressed by the doctor Barbie: she looks reliable, kind, and will never frighten children in the hospital. She is different from male doctors who always made me nervous when I was a little girl, but at the same time she creates a strong sense of a good doctor. Though considered childish, I set her as my model of a good pediatrician.

More changes kept happening to her. Her body shape, once so disputed, was changed, too, in the year 1997. She looks more like a real girl than ever before. Splitting from her boyfriend Ken and their getting together 10 years after gives her own mind about affection.

In the 60s, when women were encouraged to work, Barbie began wearing suits and carrying a briefcase with business cards, credit cards, newspaper and a calculator; when human beings first landed on the moon, she soon became an astronaut; when the information are came, she learned how to use e-mail quickly. These changes reflect the advancement of our society, and shows that she tried her best to catch up with the world.

From my personal point of view, I did not realize the change of her body. Her “killer-body” is of less importance these days and she is more of a role model. She is alive in most girls’ mind, as a friend who grows with them and encourages them. Just as the cultural critic M.G.Lord said in Forever Barbie: the unauthorized biography of a real doll, Barbie belongs to herself and teaches us to be independent women. In the past 40 years, however she changed, she never hesitates and keeps happy and optimistic; this is why she succeeded, and this is how we can succeed.

She is a symbol of feminism, at least, in my mind.

Citations:

websites:

Joseph, Lee. "Barbie-wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"

wikipedia.org. Wikipedia, 4. Sept. 2011. Web, 20. Sept, 2011.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie>

Mattel, Inc., and its subsidiaries, including, without limitation, Fisher-Price, Inc. and American Girl Brands, LLC. "Barbie Collector"

barbiecollector.com. Barbiecollector, 20. Sept. 2011. Web, 20.Sept, 2011.

<http://www.barbiecollector.com/>


Books:

Andi, Zeistler. Feminism and Pop Culture. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press, 2008.

M, G, Lord. Forever Barbie: the unauthorized biography of a real doll. New York: Morrow and Co. 1994.