Growing up, I’m sure we all saw the pictures of what Barbie would look like as a real person with her fictitious body dimensions. Not only is she completely disproportionate as an actual person, her size is also completely unachievable. A 16 inch waist accompanied by three and a half inch wrists is honestly impossible. I’m pretty sure most people’s skeletal systems exceed these widths at age 10.
A doll that was designed for children’s entertainment has stirred much controversy over the years and has resulted in the creation of curvy, petite, and tall Barbie dolls, which are shown below.
I think is awesome! However, the last time I checked being “curvy” or “petite” is the same as being a regular person. Why do they have to be labeled as such? This kind of branding still makes Barbie seem like the “normal” option, when in reality they are all the normal option. At the end of the day here is what I have to say. It is just a toy. After talking to some of my friends about this issue, the general consensus was that none of them ever felt inferior to Barbie’s body. They just wanted to be her for her Dream House and killer career options. I mean how many people do you know that have the options of being professional chefs, veterinarians or full-time moms? There is so much more to Barbie than being pretty and skinny. Through this market, girls develop goals of how they see themselves in the future. If any girls watched any of the various Barbie films, they would know that those films are all about friendship and encouragement. That is what girls gravitate towards.
To be honest, I feel like most kids who play with Barbie’s just play with them because they like them. They like dressing her up in different costumes and collecting all other dolls so they can play with their friends. There are so many other issues in this world that take precedence over the image of a doll. As long as a child is happy, who cares about the leg length of the doll they are playing with. In the long run, it probably isn’t that big of a deal. I hope the new dolls thrive as much as the original Barbie and parents realize there isn’t always an underlying message behind a popular product.