Barbies: Your Opinions

[ChristinaTherese]

As a child I loved Barbie... as a teacher of Middle School boys and girls I don't find her helpful.  Many of my students, both boys and girls, have ridiculous ideas as to the ideal woman.  I don't blame this primarily on Barbie but on the many influences of the modern culture on our children.  However, I'm sure Barbie is a part of that culture that insists that an attractive woman maintains a body that is painfully difficult to maintain.  As a sister, I am keenly aware of the value placed on women according to their physical appearance.  I wish there were more dolls that focused on intellect, moral standards, courageous decision making, and empowering women of value and worth.  I don't necessarily think that Barbie degrades women but I don't think Barbie helps young women develop their intellectual, moral, and spiritual aptitudes.  I would love it if there was  a doll... even Barbie, who embodied selfless giving to others, generosity, love, hope, and joy in service.  Imagine the young women who would be affected by a doll that embodied those qualities!

 

 

But how do you get those characteristics in a peace of plastic? I'm not arguing, just curious.

 

 

I think you show Barbie or whatever toy it is as a woman with that value.. show her as a nurse in modest attire.  Show her as a teacher, again with the focus being on her amesomeness not on her body.  You show her as a snowboarder or a soccer player or a student who is serious about what she is about instead of a woman with impossible measurements.  Show her as a woman for others instead of a woman who exists for the external value placed on her due to her beauty by men and other women.  I don't know if that is enough but we need to show young women that their true value lies in giving of themselves to others in what we would call works of mercy and what the world would call good works instead of as a sex symbol.  Give Barbie nurse a story.  Give Barbie teacher a story to go along with the doll... Let young women see her as a strong, independent, and other-focused woman.

 

Good question FP

 

What about American Girl Dolls? They come with stories, and they're girls from different eras that all show how life was at different levels of society. (I had a doll, Samantha (sadly, she isn't produced anymore), who was upper-class but had a friend who was a factory worker, Nellie (I'm not sure if she was ever a doll).) They're all pretty good girls, and are shown striving for what is good (and probably getting into scrapes along the way, since they'd have pretty awful stories otherwise). They aren't particularly girly either, so I was probably more inclined to like them, since I was a bit of a tomboy. (A tomboy who liked to sew and wear skirts and stuff, but I wasn't particularly girly. Maybe feminine, though.)

[Nihil Obstat]

I still have my X-Files Barbie & Ken.  I never played with them, they are still in the box since the day they were given to me...

 

 

 

 

 

 

might sell it...

That is pretty freaking awesome.

[jeffboom]

I always played with barbies as a child and I turned out fine.

[He is Risen!]

I think I cared more about brushing Barbie's hair than anything else.  Any doll as long as it had hair I could play with was a good one.  THe nice thing about Barbie is that all my friends had them, too so they could trade clothes, etc and that's why they were so popular. 1. hair 2. interfacing with other Barbies.  Most of their adventures had to do with them getting married or camping in the back yard.  I think the thing that really made me have an unrealistic view of what I should wear, look like, date, etc. came later when I started reading 17 magazine and thinking that I had to measure up to that.  In real life there was no way I would ever be allowed to buy clothes at the mall or wear piles of makeup.  pout pout, this was the cause of my teen angst but is something I'm very grateful for now.

[morostheos]

I played with Barbies growing up, although I never found it very entertaining myself. The deal normally was this: I would get help with building a giant Barbie mansion out of our encyclopedia set, then my sister and friends would get assistance from me with animating the dolls.

 

While it never much interested me, our dolls definitely had an active sex life. If this was because of the dolls themselves or the actively dating parents of my friends, it's hard to say. Probably if they were less "sexy" dolls the storyline would have been different. I don't know what my opinion will be regarding allowing Barbie if I ever have kids. I will probably not be buying them myself, but if they are a gift from someone else it becomes more tricky.

[Winchester]

No offense but you are a man . Yes people will judge you by your appearance, but it is not of utmost importance.

 

Are you kidding me? I can't go anywhere without being ogled. I feel like a piece of meat. It's a real burden.

[ChristinaTherese]

I played with Barbies growing up, although I never found it very entertaining myself. The deal normally was this: I would get help with building a giant Barbie mansion out of our encyclopedia set, then my sister and friends would get assistance from me with animating the dolls.

 

While it never much interested me, our dolls definitely had an active sex life. If this was because of the dolls themselves or the actively dating parents of my friends, it's hard to say. Probably if they were less "sexy" dolls the storyline would have been different. I don't know what my opinion will be regarding allowing Barbie if I ever have kids. I will probably not be buying them myself, but if they are a gift from someone else it becomes more tricky.

Building mansions out of encyclopedias. Hm... that sounds like fun. :child:

[morostheos]

Building mansions out of encyclopedias. Hm... that sounds like fun. :child:

 

It was definitely the best part! (Except when our little brother decided he was King Kong and wanted to knock down all the buildings, of course!)

[TheLordsSouljah]

ANYONE WHO TURNED THEIR BARBIES/DOLLS INTO NUNS SAY I!!!

[PhuturePriest]

ANYONE WHO TURNED THEIR BARBIES/DOLLS INTO NUNS SAY I!!!

 

I never turned Barbie's into Nuns, but I did play with them quite a bit when I was younger at my cousin's house. :P That probably doesn't help my manly black belt image, but hey, it was fun, and my cousins enjoyed playing with me a lot. Plus, I totally brought G.I. Joe in to man it out. I'm pretty sure we did tons of weddings. Knowing me, I probably had G.I. Joe and Ken get into fights over Barbie. :P

[TheLordsSouljah]

I never turned Barbie's into Nuns, but I did play with them quite a bit when I was younger at my cousin's house. :P That probably doesn't help my manly black belt image, but hey, it was fun, and my cousins enjoyed playing with me a lot. Plus, I totally brought G.I. Joe in to man it out. I'm pretty sure we did tons of weddings. Knowing me, I probably had G.I. Joe and Ken get into fights over Barbie. :P

You still said I. hahaha! :P 

I had so much trouble actually getting them to stay anywhere. You sit them down and they fall over. Constant, constant falling. If you've ever seen a seven year old in a rage over a doll staying somewhere.... yeah.

[PhuturePriest]

You still said I. hahaha! :P

I had so much trouble actually getting them to stay anywhere. You sit them down and they fall over. Constant, constant falling. If you've ever seen a seven year old in a rage over a doll staying somewhere.... yeah.

 

I used to have hissy fits because my G.I. Joe's wouldn't freakin' stand in place. It was agony trying to get them into the positions I wanted them in. Kneeling wasn't usually a problem, it was just to make them stand. You'd think a guy with military training would know how to stand. :P

 

And I believe you have another thread of mine to visit. :P

[TheLordsSouljah]

I used to have hissy fits because my G.I. Joe's wouldn't freakin' stand in place. It was agony trying to get them into the positions I wanted them in. Kneeling wasn't usually a problem, it was just to make them stand. You'd think a guy with military training would know how to stand. :P

 

And I believe you have another thread of mine to visit. :P

Which thread of yours would that be, Monsieur? 

[PhuturePriest]

Which thread of yours would that be, Monsieur? 

 

My video thread, of course! I uploaded a video and spent ten minutes on it just for you! :P

[TheLordsSouljah]

Aww, of course! Merci! I did see it, I am just part way through and essay and my brain is pushing a major in procrastination.... Good job on it. You are blessed with a good voice. Now add some music to it!! :)