CEO Barbie

[Mimile]

Is there already a discussion somewhere about this?
www.theonion.com/articles/ceo-barbie-criticized-for-promoting-unrealistic-ca,1787/

Not looking into the body-image issue side of things - I was generally shocked that this kind of thinking is still seen as valid, and that challenging the status quo is seen as unreasonable...

[Mimile]

link here, hopefully working

[buzzsore]

Um, it's the Onion.

[MrsChemist]

The Onion is a satirical news website, I believe.

[Mimile]

Not really aware of The Onion, its style or readership TBH.
I just went and checked on it - still unsure of the overall point of the publication or its satirical coverages.

Happy to be enlightened, though!

[buzzsore]

Its point is humour. Not to be taken seriously.

[AliceWhirled]

The Onion is satirical. There's not really much more to know.

Another relevant article

[buzzsore]

That one makes me laugh.

[tribpot]

Erm, it's a joke. Not dissimilar in intent to this one in The Daily Mash, actually!

I can see how you could make the mistake, given some of the shite churned out by our media, of thinking an article like that in The Onion could be serious, but have a look at some of the others - this one on Trump is amusing.

[Mimile]

Thanks Alice.

However, satire or not, does it make the issue any less valid?

[AliceWhirled]

Which issue? I don't know what you mean.

[Mimile]

Thanks Tribpot - is their articles only intented as jokes?

[tribpot]

No, it doesn't - that's the point of satire!

[Mimile]

By issue, I mean, probably quite unclearly, the projection [or lack of] of women in empowered position via toys.
The point about appropriateness is interesting - would people indeed mind if a toy portrayed a woman in such a position, on the ground that the likelyhood of a little girl growing into that position is unlikely according to stats?

Now - please don't shout me, I am just thinking aloud...

[tribpot]

Sorry Mimile, my last comment was in response to your comment to Alice.

The Onion's articles are intended to be both amusing and relevant, they're making a serious point in a humorous way. But rest assured the writers at The Onion don't really think "Any girl who thinks that she can run a large corporation when she grows up is in for a bitter disappointment".

[Mimile]

I thought that satire was meant to induce reflection, though

[Mimile]

Sorry Tribpot / got confused with cross-comments.

[buzzsore]

Oh I see. I have to admit I thought you were someone posting up an article to get us to bite and then laugh at the "humourless" feminists.

[Mimile]

no bother :)

[LilBB]

Barbie has held ever increasingly important jobs. Shes been a vet, doctor, paratrooper and even president. She's also quite an independent woman as she raises her younger siblings without a man. I know she has Ken but he doesn't live with her and I think he was off the scene for quite some time. She owns a house, car, plane and yacht. As 'girl' toys go I think she probably one of the more positive ones. If only we could have one that looked a little more like a real person.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie's_careers