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Barbie - the Hero or the Evil?
Posted by MrsBlog • 3/14/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: barbie, doll, girl, image, woman
My last blog entry is about Barbie - who turned 50 last week.
Her name is for sure one of the most controversial and at the same time influential names that shaped the image of the contemporary woman.
Is she a Hero or an Evil to you?
You may also share your meaning in the poll under: www.wwomenglobally.com/barbie-the-icon-turns-50/
User Comments
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Klaus Barbie??? Certainly evil... there can be no debate.-
great point - but he was born in 1913, so apparently not this one I have in mind.
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Ok, I new that... just acting clever.. it's another bad habit of mine.
I think what she started of as and what she has come to represent are two different things. I understand why you ask is she "evil" and I know there will be book length replies proving that she is.
I don't think a toy can be evil although it can represent something other than what it is. What Barbie represents to me is the power of globalisation, capital & marketing along with the pressing of certain cultures upon others. She is used as a marketing tool by the west.
However, that has nothing to do with the innocent play that a young girl will have with her. The same as boys with guns. Adults can intellectualise and make fancy theories, but very often they're completely nonsensical & not valid. (Mine included)
Barbie haters have forgotten their childhood... and are imposing adult views upon children. Let her exist & educate your children... then there's no problem.
If not, get rid of ALL toys and have only educational playthings... god, what a crappy childhood that would be! -
@Myheroinhead thanks for your points - I actually haven't heard about Klaus Barbie until now (even if I recently moved to Germany), so thanks for making me a bit more clever now.
Of course, the 'evil' or 'hero' is a very simplified choice - made in order to provoque a discussion.
But I also think that as adults we can influence what values we would like to give them - also through the toys.
In case of Barbie - it's a must-have really no matter what meaning you have, once you have a girl she MUST have it in order to function in the social context with other girls in her environment. That works still in all the so-called Western countries I think.
But Barbie looks too sexual to be just a toy for children! And yes - I strongly believe that the vision of her look stays with girls forever - and that's the evil part for sure.
Once you give a boy a gun to play with - his mind gets also influenced by this - I would rather give a boxer gloves - that is the choice we have as adults I believe. -
"Once you give a boy a gun to play with - his mind gets also influenced by this"
What a load of politically correct bollocks. I had loads of toy guns when I was a kid and I haven't given up my job to go on a shooting spree...
...yet.
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@qelqoth
I personally don't believe there is anything called political correctness any longer. After 5 mass-shootings at schools since 2000 in the Southern Germany I believe only in 'common sense' now.
(I don't even want to mention US statistics here!)
The photos you attached here - they make this discussion even more relevant to take - as Barbie is in your minds, too - dead or alive!! -
As for guns influencing boys... I've never robbed a bank, but I did take up 'shooting'.. maybe there's a connection?!
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I love Barbie. Ok I'm going to check out your poll -
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LOL epic! -
But not as epic as Barbie's Crack Den Adventure:
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HAHAHAHAHAH!!! That is a genius's work
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By the way, her original name was Lilie and she was German, bought by Mattel who made her the superstar she's today.
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yes, the German doll BildLilli was made 'as a 3-D pin-up bombshell for German men following World War II and sold to adults in bars and tobacco shops as a joke or gag gift.'
so originally - not for children at all! - that's the evil part of it I believe...
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Evil of course! My sister used to have more barbie babies and apertures than all of my toys i had when i was a child.
Maybe that's bcs i don't like barbie girls now -
I don't really care about Barbie.
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yeah right
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Barbie is and always has been teh suck.
Transformers, M.A.S.K. and Ninja Turtles FTW. -
No boglins? -
My favourite toy as a kid was my fat little taggle. -
Yeah, you look like you're more into Ken.
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Ninja Turtles?
This might explain why at 13 years old some boys want surgical shell implants, talk with surfer dude accents and make 3 fingers when they clearly have 5 to look perfect. I find it disgusting and psychologically harmful that it does this to children - so subtle but very damaging.
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Enemy. She can't possibly cook with those nails.
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No wonder my dinner's cold.
Back to the kitchen, biatch!
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Barbie's plane (in French): www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LMTClqvCGs&feature=PlayList&p=2FAE57DAB1B5BC11&pla...
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c'est vraiment drôle, merci!
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some woman who is 50 years old and looks like plastic
sounds evil to me
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she killed sindy!! -
I always thought barbie was a ho-
That's Cindy.
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EEEEVIIIIIL! and anorexic. -
I never saw what the big deal or fascination was with this doll barbie but from what I've seen I find it disturbing for children. A regular doll would be just fine but not this anorexic blond idea of what perfection should be. It sure send the wrong message to children.
This might explain why at 13 years old some girls want surgical breast implants to look perfect. I find it disgusting and the psychological harm that it does to these children is subtle but very damaging.-
I think you're giving Barbie too much credit. At 13, girls want to dance like Britney Spears and boys want to burn Barbie's face with a magnifying glass.
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very true, agree with you here, Jeunelle.
'Disturbing' is the right word to describe the effect it makes.
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I agree is Jeunelle
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Barbie was an evil to me as a young girl... or at least to my parents... none of us girls were allowed to own a Barbie... and looking back on it am very thankful that Barbie was NOT a part of my growing-up female years.-
I can understand you very well as it was also my case.
And what more: I also think that you can actually see it in a way looking at an adult woman if she WAS playing with Barbie or NOT!!
And it has nothing to do with the division into 'good women' and 'bad women' - it's simply a difference you can see (at least I can see).
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According to my poll, Barbie is an evil with 57% of votes..
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I think its just a toy. People give too much credence to the idea that barbie supports a stereotype. Barbie has been around for 50 years and it hasn't been until the last 15-20 years that there has been this crazy rise in breast implants and super-skinny trends. I think people use toys as a scapegoat for the decline in soceity (same thing with video games making kids violent). But the fact is most children know that barbie is just a toy, just like Bugs Bunny shooting off Elmer Fudd's face is not real.
My sisters and I all grew up with barbies and even though we all played with them differently none of us have grown up to get breast implants or become anorexic. The girls who are getting the wrong message are the girls whose parents don't talk to their kids or set healthy examples. -
It is not in a doll to be good or evil. But in how the doll is presented. Or, represented. -
Good topic. I left you a comment on your blog. -
She's just another chick with plastic tata's and a better wardrobe than me. -
Oh, I grew up with Barbie; she was my ideal. How could I not love her? I was a real Barbie Girl. :-)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgcK1FTt2OY
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