If you haven’t had a chance to see the new Barbie Ad, get ready for some major feels. It seems like ever since we were young and played with our own Barbies, the critism behind America’s favorite dolls is always so negative. The focus of the media and society on the unnatural appearance of the dolls really made us all think twice about the impact these toys were having on girls as they grow up. A huge current issue that we hear about every day is women’s rights and the younger generations that will be directly impacted by this movement.
In my opinion, we have failed to think about the imagination behind child’s play and really see Barbie through the eyes of the youth. It’s important to realize that a little girl playing won’t just see a thin doll with perfectly drawn on winged eyeliner and a shiny silver space suit, but instead she will imagine that the Barbie is actually an astronaut completing a mission by landing on Mars. I’m sure we can all agree that the message this new ad is able to present is so incredibly important to the cause that all of us young women fight for everyday. Take a second to check it out and prepare yourself for serious inspiration!
Here are 10 reasons why this ad is so important:
1. There are Barbie’s representing at least 150 careers and more than 40 nationalities.
2. Even when we loose sight of the child within us, the idea of a Barbie will take us back to the good days.
3. Countless studies have proved the importance of pretend play as a vital factor of child development.
4. Inspiring young girls to believe in equality will change the future of women’s rights.
5. The company claims to sell one Barbie every three seconds so embracing the positive aspects of these dolls is essential.
6. In 1965, Astronaut Barbie was released, four years before any man walked on the moon.
7. Barbie teaches both independence and sharing because they can be played with alone or in a group of friends.
8. Barbie’s parent company, Mattel, was one of the first Fortune 500 companies led by a female CEO.
9. The average girl owns approximately 10 Barbie’s, representing infinite dreams and possibilites.
10. In the digital world we live in today, Barbie is still a relevant toy that takes kids away from staring at a screen.
“My whole philosophy was that, through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a women has choices.” –Ruther Handler, creator of Barbie