The Barbie Hype

I've heard some things in the past from those who oppose Barbie dolls. They don't like them because they think that Barbie is an impossible ideal of beauty that is ruining the self-esteem of girls around the world. Now there is a new doll, the Lammily. It is similar to a Barbie doll, but it's supposed to represent the looks and proportions of the "average" woman.

I know many disagree, but I think people have gotten carried away with this Barbie hype. I played with Barbie dolls a lot growing up. I loved Barbie. I owned many dolls and Barbie accessories. However, I never felt insecure about myself or my looks because of the way my Barbie dolls looked. I always knew that Barbie was a toy. I knew that no one had the looks or proportions of Barbie because she is a fake character. She isn't totally realistic, and she didn't have to be. When I played, and when most kids play, we're in a fantasy world. It's nice to play with characters you can relate to, but they don't have to be lifelike.

I don't think the creation of these new dolls are going to solve all the problems some people think they are. If someone wants to create a new doll, that's fine. But, as I've heard before, there is a problem with the premises of this particular doll. The creator claims to have formed the new dolls based on scientific studies of what the "average" woman looks like. Yes, the doll is more realistic-looking than Barbie, but if people really think Barbie caused bad feelings and insecurities, this new doll will cause problems, too. To my knowledge, the creators of Barbie never claimed Barbie was supposed to have realistic proportions. Now we have the Lammily, which is supposed to represent the average woman. What if the girls who play with them don't think they look as good as this doll? Wouldn't they feel bad if they think they can't measure up to "average"? If self-image is really based on a doll, the Lammily isn't going to do much better than Barbie. 

If people want to help girls' self-image, perhaps they can put their energy towards changing the way women are portrayed in magazines and television. Those women are altered and air-brushed and tucked and pinned and then presented as if that's the way they normally look with minimal effort. They are actual human beings, whose images are altered and then presented as realistic bodies. That bothers me a lot more than how Barbie dolls look.

A better way to help girls' self-esteem is to focus on the accomplishments and amazing things women do. Talk about the amazing works of all women-women of all shapes, sizes, proportions, and colors. Talk about people in terms of the good things they can accomplish, instead of focusing on what they look like. So go ahead- make dolls and toys of all proportions and designs. Buy the ones you like. Let children know that most toys aren't totally realistic. Then let them play and use their imaginations.