Lyndsay Woodrum
Communications: Advertising/Public Relations, Minor: Marketing
*BARBIE*
After viewing through the different articles, I chose article 20, “Klaus Barbie and other doll’s I’d like to see”. I believe that this article was extremely interesting, and my interest in Barbie only gives me a lot to write about. Since I was a little girl, I have been infatuated with Barbie, as well as her little sister Skipper, and Ken. I have done extensive research on Barbie, and could tell you almost any type of minute detail about her. Growing up, my sister was always called Barbie, and I was called Skipper. In fact, Skipper is the reason I drive the car I do today. I have a little red Mazda Miata convertible, just like Skipper, and had wanted one since I was 7 years old, when I discovered that Skipper drove that type of sports car. Now, I am 21 years old and my nickname known to everyone is Barbie. I still drive my little convertible, my interests are broad like Barbie’s, I have white-blond hair, my favorite color is PINK, and I have a hot pink motorcycle. I do not feel that because people call me Barbie, I am degraded. I believe even though she is a doll, that she is beautiful and intelligent, since she did graduate as Valedictorian from Malibu High.
I enjoyed reading this article, though I had steam coming from my ears! This article represented only negative information about Barbie. I understand that in the chapter it states that dolls often give children their first lessons in what a society considers valuable and beautiful. But honestly, this article is bashing Barbie saying that because she is tall, thin, has beautiful long white-blonde hair, tan skin, and seems perfect, that it is giving children thoughts and beliefs that looks are the only things important in life. Mattel has created Barbie so that she comes in different colors, sizes, has different hair lengths as well as hair color. There are millions of dolls that are on the market today, and are made to show common interest with the consumer or whomever the consumer is purchasing the doll for. Example: There is Nurse Barbie, Sports Barbie, Doctor Barbie, Veterinary Barbie, Babysitter Barbie etc. Personally, I believe that all of these different types represents a roll model figure, while the article says that if Mattel can create a talking Barbie, then they can create a working Barbie. Well, all of these different types are a form of working Barbie because it expresses to people and children that you opportunity to be whatever you want to be when you grow up. It also shows that you can be strong, powerful, beautiful (inside and out), and independent. Not everyone has to look like a Barbie doll; this is why everyone is created differently and has their own individual beauty. The author of this article talks about how she is not anti- doll because she owned the entire Dawn collection of dolls ( the underdog of fashion dolls), but she stereotypes so roughly about how Barbie is only a doll, so give her a little more inspired goofiness and pizzazz! In this article she discusses about Barbie’s that she would personally like to see. I cannot lie, the descriptions were hilarious, but honestly she stereotypes worse than our society. The first doll was called “Dinner Roll Barbie”, and her description states the following: “A Barbie with multiple love handles, double chin, a real curvy belly, generous tits and ass, and voluminous thighs to show girls that voluptuousness is also beautiful. This Barbie comes with a miniature basket of dinner rolls, bucket o’ fried chicken, tiny Entenmann’s walnut ring, a brick of Sealtest ice cream, three packs of potato chips, a T-shirt reading “Only the Weak Don’t Eat”, and, of course, an appetite. By this statement, the author is stereotyping because she is saying that people that are heavy in our society are only heavy because they eat unhealthy foods such as a basket of rolls, fried chicken, ice-cream, potato chips, etc. Yes, I do believe that a lot of our obesity is caused because of unhealthy eating, but individuals also have health issues such as metabolism problems, or often they have to take medications like steroids that plump a person up very quickly.
I enjoyed this article a lot. I had fun reading the entire topic, relating it to my life, as well as my beliefs. This was definitely a topic that had me on my toes, and I enjoy that. I believe that the author did have a few substantial points, but overall, I totally disagree with her beliefs, but everyone has their own opinion and that is what makes communication evolve.