Many girls around the world are playing with Barbie dolls. What they are hidden from is that those dolls are bringing them down. Little girls have a wish to be just like the Barbie doll and that sets a bad example. Barbie was originally supposed to be a role as an adult and show gender equality upon the dolls. Barbie dolls are bad influences because they cause eating disorders, false hopes, and lower self-esteem.
Over the past 50 years the Barbie doll has been positively mass produced to the world. Barbie since the beginning has had a major effect across the world/America. The doll has made such an impact on American culture she is on the 101 Influential People Who Never Lived placed at #43, before Luke Skywalker (85th) and after Micky Mouse (18th). The impact is not entirely positive, however. There are a few things about Barbie that are negative.
There was a study done where a group gave girls a Barbie doll to play with and other girls Ms. Potato Head. The girls that played with Ms. Potato Head saw no difference in their future, but the girls that played with Barbie said they could not do as many jobs as boys could. Take Dr. Barbie for example, on the package says she is specifically a “baby doctor”. She does not wear the appropriate attire to be a doctor; she wears pink jeans with glitter on them. The message this gives young girls is that although she can be a doctor, she is more towards the feminine and the stereotypical aspect of it, which can be said for every Barbie
Barbie influences girls by what they wear to how they see their body shape. Moms all over agree that Barbie’s slim proportions are one of the many unrealistic body images bombarding girls today. Dr. Carole Lieberman a psychiatrist thinks “Barbie has been the number one most destructive force on self image of women all over the globe,” (Stone). Many women agree with Dr. Lieberman on her opinions of Barbie’s body shape and her influence. Many moms push their daughters away from Babies to toys like My Little Pony because they think toys that don’t look like unrealistic women won’t have as negative affect as Barbie (Dockterman).
Barbie is a popular young girls toy that seems harmless at first glance but can cause a lot of subconscious attitudes and thoughts. They teach girls that it is important to only focus on the outer appearance with the many different skimpy barbie outfits. Barbie's body shape is unrealistic and gives small girls the thought that the Barbie body is the “normal” body. There has been multiple other dolls that are more sexualized since barbie such as My Scene dolls and Bratz. These dolls are shown with tiny clothing, makeup and unrealistic bodies.
Toys for girls are most commonly thought of as Barbie dolls or even baby dolls. Barbie dolls have a history of being the example of a perfect girl, thus affecting how many girls see their figure compared to the waistless doll. These dolls have been presents for young girls for a long time. Women’s clothing has also been shaped around the mentality of being feminine. Stereotypically, baby dolls are a girls toy, a toy preparing girls for the feminine task of having children.
The first Barbie doll was created in 1959 by Ruth handler and manufactured by the company Mattel inc. Throughout the years Barbie has changed drastically physically and in fashion. Barbie has influenced the views that little girls have on the image of a ‘woman’ she has also influenced fashion and the positive mindset of little girls as she encourages them to be independent and successful like her. Barbie is a plastic doll, and it was easy for her to have a slim waist and big bust, but unfortunately this caused some problems for actual humans, it was unrealistic and unachievable. Girls wanted to be just like Barbie
Barbie dolls can cause negative effects on girls and these effects can sometimes last up to adulthood. The most common negative effects the barbie portrays are low self esteem, body image, materialistic things and appearances.
Barbara Millicent Roberts, better known as Barbie, has been a crucial influence for young girls since the late 1950’s and has been in nearly all american homes for more than fifty years. Barbie has been the focus of hundreds of remodelings, countless specials, and many vintage dolls. Barbie is a giant among toys in the American market, but with fame comes accusations, lies, and judgment. Barbie has a much darker side that people are too unaware of or just do not care about. Barbie teaches little girls that women can have to always be in a relationship, stereotypical careers, and gets girls to try to reach impossible standards.
The new career Barbie dolls could positively influence younger girls and potentially boys. I think making the Barbies have a more normal and realistic "life style" will teach children to pursue their dreams. It will get children thinking about their future at a younger age, which could help them later in life as they go through schooling and start their lives in the work force. I think that the Barbie company should introduce more jobs such as: a firefighter, construction worker, and other jobs that are thought of as jobs only for men. That way as girls grow up they Will not be ashamed of wanting to pursue one of those careers because Barbie did it too and she is an influential figure to young children.
I don’t know if I would agree completely with Anna Quindlens, but some of her opinions did seem to make sense. I do agree that Barbie dolls have made little girls more self-conscious of themselves and that every girl deep down has wanted the “Barbie body”. I really don’t get this cause as a kid I didn’t want to look like my toys I just want to play with them. But I guess It was different for other people cause my sister always wanted to look like her favorite doll. I do see what they are talking about and I do believe the Barbie should have different body types so girls don’t have to think that they have to look like a certain person/thing.
Barbie is constantly being put above others. Everyone is created equal, but when Barbie is deemed better than everyone kids can feel worthless compared to
A Barbie Doll is a plastic toy that can move and looks like a person. Barbie Dolls have been on the market since 1959. People who play with the dolls are as young as six or seven and have some bad feeling about them. Barbie Dolls have made over seven billion dollars over the past fifty years. However, the young children can get upset by how they look, how it can cause poor mental health and body image issues,and how they are not age appropriate.
How do we know that all children who buy Barbies see her as a physical role model? Nobody can really say for sure that the physical appearance of the doll isn’t dangerous, because it’s very possible that it is. Though, is the doll really all that corrupting? It is 2015 and society changed in a way that allows women to have more equal rights.
Barbie’s Good Influence on Children Barbie has been the most popular doll since her debut on March 9, 1959. She has been changing ever since then, by changing her jobs and hobbies. Like the New York times said, “Barbie is a positive role model, and a legend.” (Justina Sharp) (Ethos). Barbie has made record sales ever since that day in March of 1995, but the criticism has been relentless.
