By: Ariel Eliach
As girls and boys we are all brought up to believe that Barbie has the best most “perfect” body and life. She is 7 feet tall with irregularly long legs platinum blonde hair blue eyes, very large chest, a tiny waist ,a flat stomach and not an inch of fat on her entire body. She has a dreamy boyfriend/husband (whatever your imagination chooses) Ken. They have dream houses and amazing get away vacation spots.
“Its time for bed” my mother says. I quickly wrap up my Barbie dolls and put them to bed. Before I brush my teeth I take a quick glance in the mirror. I think to myself, I do not have blond hair nor do I have long legs I have a pop belly and some chub on my thighs. I do not have a boy friend and I do not have the money to go on vacations. As a seven-year-old girl one is faced with questions and identity issues that no one especially a seven-year-old child should have to go through.
Why is it that as girls we are faced with body image insecurities at such a young age? I went to a Barbie website and this is what popped up “It’s Barbie’s world we just play in it” Exactly, we will never live it, because it is fake and unobtainable. From the young age of 5,6,7 girls are taught to believe that life is just like Barbie’s life. What young children can see is Barbie, and her appearance. They are not paying attention to the fact that she may have a career. Barbie’s life is about looks and “beauty”. It is giving these children the message that they should grow up and be exactly like her. Which is than translated in their minds as “look” exactly like her”. Barbie herself is plastic and fake; her essence is merely giving children a negative message. Whether it is telling young girls to look exactly like Barbie or young boys that all girls look like Barbie, the message is negative in both. She isn’t real! She is made out of manufactures that just wanted to make some money. Do they have any idea of there impact on young children all over the world? If it is Barbie’s 50th anniversary why hasn’t she aged a day in her life? The world has become so caught up in having the “perfect” everything they have forgotten that humans are imperfect and that the beauty lies with in those “imperfections”. They forgot to tell these seven-year-old girls, to sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty of their youth. One does not need to look like Barbie just to be beautiful. One can try and teach a child that, but if the child has already been taught to have one image of beauty it is pretty hard to undo.
I am not saying that Barbie is the only reason for the high rate of eating disorders in America. But, she definitely doesn’t help it. While the media presents beautiful women as needing to be a specific shape, size and/or color, 5,6,7 year old girls are not reading seventeen magazine (or I at least hope not) But, they are playing with dolls, friends and dress up. The dolls just happen to be “beautiful” “perfect” unrealistic Barbie’s. If as a child that is all one is shown. How does one expect them not to think that there is only one way to be beautiful? If all Barbie’s look the same than how can we as humans who come in different shape, sizes and color ever be “pretty”?
We have to start teaching our children from a very young age that there is not one idea and way to be beautiful. Beauty comes from with in. There is not one way to neither define it nor live it. Now how are we supposed to do that while they are playing with a one very specific perfect, beautiful, fake Barbie doll?
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