Exploring the Effect of the Slim and Fashionable Imagery of Barbies on Children

Cultural differences in my definition refer to differences among people because of their racial or ethnic background, gender, language, nationality, sexual orientation, dress and traditions. These differences can bring strength to the group if valued and integrated into the group dynamics, at the same time it can also weaken a group as differences in interpretation of events can lead to miscommunication, awkwardness and hostilities if not addressed. Prejudices about people of different backgrounds can also lead people to jump to conclusions and misinterpret actions and behaviors. In the article, “Dyes and Dolls: Multicultural Barbie and the Merchandising of Difference,” by Ann Ducille helps us to understand how the making

The Barbie doll is an eleven-inch-long plastic doll that was the first representation of an adult woman. The original Barbie doll, built in 1959, looked as such, going from head to toe. The doll’s skin color was white. The hair color was available in either blonde or brunette put up in a ponytail. The face: the eyes were constructed with white irises, heavy black eyeliner, blonde or brown eyebrows, blush, and red lips. As for clothing, she wore a black and white striped swimsuit with gold hoop earrings. Along with her came two accessories of black open toe heels

First of all, Barbie doll represent an unrealistic body type and a rigid beauty ideal that studies show can be harmful to girls. This is dangerous, when considered that from the young age girls play with the doll and want to be like Barbie. It is not possible to look like the doll and be healthy at the same time. Also, the looks which Barbie represent are suggestive. Blond hair, pretty face and unreal body curves may suggest young girls that this is what girls are supposed to look like.

Valeria Lukyanova, a 31 one year old woman who at a younger age began to starve herself to achieve Barbie like body portions. This is just one example of many women and girls who make unhealthy decisions to attain unrealistic body images. Barbie affects the way girls believe their body should look and their self worth through her unrealistic body shape, and ideals.

Young girls have been playing with Barbie dolls since the dolls inception at the American International Toy Fair in New York. Recently, researchers have been skeptical on whether the dolls have an effect on the self-image of girls who play with them. In order to determine if Barbies have an impact on young-girls self-concept, clinicians have carried out several studies where they monitor the interaction between the young girls and the famous figurine. From these experiments, scientists concluded that Barbies can have a bearing on a girls self-image, making the consumers who buy the doll more aware of the issue Barbie

Picture yourself as the ‘perfect’ woman. Embodying every woman’s dream. You are undeniably gorgeous, weighing in at 100 pounds, standing 6 feet tall and holding nearly 150 careers (barbiemedia.com). Yes, this is the beloved, ever so ‘inspirational’ childhood toy, the perfectly perfect Barbie Doll. Barbie is America’s most beloved toy, considering young girls between the ages of three and eleven own at least 10 Barbie’s throughout their childhood (‘Life in Plastic’). As creator of the Barbie Doll once said, “My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented that a woman has choices,” (Handler). However, Barbie has proved to serve the opposite effect and

Every Christmas morning as a child, I would be disappointed because I would always get toys that I didn’t like. My mom scolded at me for being ungrateful as I would complain that Barbie dolls wasn’t what I wanted for Christmas. My mom replied, “Barbie dolls are what girls are supposed to have. Girls don’t play with Transformers or Power Rangers. You aren’t a boy!” As a child, I didn’t understand what she meant. Acting like a boy wasn’t my intention, as I simply expressed that I would rather have action figures instead. I was simply blinded by the fact that there was a social construct happening, and realized the social constructivism of gender roles. As the troublemaker child that I was, I disagreed with her. Instead I had these questions like,

"Be anything, Do everything", says Barbie. This slogan is widely represented in most Barbie commercials. Barbie is a toy fashion model doll that was created by Ruth Handler and manufactured by the American toy company, Mattel Inc. Recently, Mattel Inc. had dropped a new Barbie commercial called, "Imagine the Possibilities". The true purpose of this commercial was to grasp the audience in a diverse way than other Barbie commercials. By the visual aspects this promotional commercial argues that a Barbie doll can be a significant factor to young girls and help them realize they can achieve anything in life.

Since it was first introduced to U.S. toy markets back in 1959 (Abramson 2009), the commercially successful Barbie doll has historically solidified its legacy in American consumer culture. It is every little girl’s rite of passage to be old enough to finally receive a Barbie. Although the gifting of a Barbie can be an exciting moment for children, its effects on their body images can leave lasting detrimental damage to their self-esteem. These damages often manifest themselves in multidimensional ways, with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, being highly common examples. It may seem incredulous one doll can engender so much turmoil in a child’s life, but several developmental psychologists have demonstrated that the unrealistic body expectations espoused by Barbie have permanent implications for young girls’ developmental trajectories.

The Barbie Doll, created in 1959 and first appeared at the American Toy Fair in New York City, is a prime example of the idea of the perfect body image of a woman in society. The original Barbie portrays a thin, blonde woman with clear skin and a “perfect” outfit. Standing 11 inches tall,

Perfection, one word, ten letters and thousands of teenage girls are addicted to this. Most people think that perfection is just a word but the overall effect of this word is huge whether it’s negative or positive.

Everyone knows the name Barbie. You’d be hard pressed to walk into a house of young children and not find Barbies laying around complete with all of her accessories; especially in the late 90’s or early millennium. Mattel, and more so Barbie herself, are easily household names worldwide. It’s an easy assumption that every young girl only wants Barbie dolls in her playroom, but maybe not for the right reasons. There has been controversy over Barbie since her introduction.

I have 29 items of vintage Barbie clothing items for sale. I counted a pair of shoes as 1 item.

An Icon is familiar to people’s everyday life for it represents something that they believe in, something that is influential to mold the ways in which we view our world. In 1959, Barbie was created; today Barbie creates the way we look at ourselves and society. Up to date, 1 billion Barbie dolls have been sold. The number still being more than the population of the United States of America, Brazil and Pakistan combined. The Barbie brand is worth 2 million dollars (and counting) which is a little ahead of the luxury brand Armani.

Barbie, at the age of 41, is one of the longest living toys in America. Analyzing her early history can give a person a look into the societal trends and culture of the late 1950's and early 1960's. There is evidence of fashion innovations in Barbie's wardrobe. Also, one can see the perception of females by society, such as what they should look like, how they should act and dress, as well as what their future goals could be. The following essay follows Barbie's history from 1959 to 1963, covering her development, her appeal to children, and her existence as a cultural artifact of the time period.