So there ARE parents concerned with children and the Barbie image other than my mom. Here’s a link to a post and survey on lilsugar.com under the title “Do You Let Your Daughters Play with Barbie?” Apparently, Barbie’s anniversary was 2/12 so this series of posts from me is somewhat timely.
Here’s the link: http://www.lilsugar.com/1036077
Another blog site femina.reformedblogs.com poses a similar point of view on Barbie and other, as she puts it, “hoochie mama” dolls.
Here’s the link: http://femina.reformedblogs.com/2008/02/24/lets-play-dolls/
I even found a post about a lady who has put a Muslim spin on the Barbie concept for girls in Indonesia. Now that’s deep. I’m not sure that Barbie’s image is a good one to convert to the Muslim faith, but I’m not Muslim.
I bet you’re wondering what I think?
I think if I were allowed to play with Barbies I would have turned out ok. I would not have complained if they could only be black. There are many more powerful images out there in the media and even in children’s movies/shows that were more likely to affect my body image. I have body image issues now, so Barbie certainly wasn’t “saving me”. I think growing up with a mother who had her own body image issues surrounding her weight had way more influence on me than anything else. As with many things, it’s how you package the message to your children. I just loved dolls growing up. I liked doing their hair and dressing them up and playing make believe games. I never had them engage in anything sexual. In fact, I distinctly remember having a friend (white, Jewish…in case you were wondering or think it matters) over and we played with my dolls. I remember getting angry when she started making my dolls hump each other. It was so naughty to me and I quickly had us move onto some other crap that didn’t include dolls. My poor babies. So, I was THAT kid. Age appropriately naive.
Any thoughts on Barbie or no Barbie?
Written from the perspective of a thirty-something African American woman, Affrodite's Adventures In Nappy Hair will make you think, laugh, cry, and take action. Check it out! Blog topics include natural hair care, African American perspectives in culture/pop culture/politics, women's empowerment, stories from Corporate America, current events, and more!
