In her 53-year existence, Barbie has been a doctor, a lawyer and even an air force office. But, what she is best known for is being skinny.
Over the years, Barbie has proved to be one of the most popular toys in history, with more than 800 million dolls sold since her 1959 debut. Even in an age of iPods and Xbox 360s, Barbie dolls still continue to sell well. In 2011, Mattel’s total revenue increased nine percent, with a 17-percent increase in the sale of Barbie brand products.
In a society where body insecurity and eating disorders are on the rise, many struggle to define the cause of the issue. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, up to 24 million people in the U.S. suffer from eating disorders and the disorders are most common in women age 12 to 25. Some people blame the fashion industry. Some people blame the entertainment industry. Some people blame Barbie.
Barbie stands at about 11.5 inches tall, and weighs 7.25 ounces; some estimate that this would put a life-size Barbie at the height of 5’9” with body measurements of 36-18-38, weighing around 110 lbs. Some activists argue that Barbie gives young girls the impression that this body type is the ideal shape to have, and that they will strive to look like her. However, how many young girls would even pay attention to the scale of her size, let alone notice it at all? Wouldn’t most girls be more concerned with her outfits, shoes or accessories than her skinniness?
I don’t believe those who accuse Barbie of spreading negative body image give young girls enough credit. Should it be assumed that when a girl holds a Barbie doll, she will only care about Barbie’s bus-to-waist ratio, not the fact that she’s a veterinarian or running for president? Even the slogan for the Barbie brand is “I can be … ” Do the so-called “experts” also assume that “I can be…” tells girls “I can be skinny and look like Barbie,” rather than “I can be anything I want when I grow up?”
When I was younger, I had a good amount of Barbie dolls — about 15. Among them were the Pilot Barbie, Hairdresser Barbie, Presidential Candidate Barbie and Princess Barbie. Personally, I never paid attention to Barbie’s body proportions, nor did I ever strive to look like her; I only cared about which Barbie she was. I also don’t recall any of my friends mentioning anything about the Barbie’s body size; the most I ever heard was that her hair was pretty.
Why is it that Barbie portrays a strong, independent woman, but she’s considered a bad role model because she’s skinny? Would Barbie have a better reputation if she was bigger, but depended on Ken for everything? How come Bratz dolls don’t get this kind of criticism, when those dolls only portray somewhat moody, scantily-clad teenage girls?
With her vast amount of college degrees and careers under her belt, I don’t believe Barbie is a bad influence for girls at all; Barbie lets young girls know that they can have whatever career they want. The “experts” who feel like they have to determine Barbie’s “real-life” measurements are the ones with the problem.
