To think that Barbie advert can piss off?

[TammySwansonTwo]

Starts with a small girl giving a lecture to a room full of adults, then switches to showing her actually playing with barbies. Then says something about how when you're playing with Barbie you can be anything you want to be.

Huh, really? Like something other than an anatomically inaccurate sexualised image of a woman? DFOD.

Anyone seen it?

Nope, I have clarified my problem multiple times. If anyone can't understand why barbies being branded as a symbol of female empowerment i insulting and comical then there's little point. But sure, lets continue to behave like there's no problem like theres no problem, that's served women well so far.

No, not really - I was hoping I wouldn't have to explain to women why this shit us a problem. Should have known better.

Doubt it’s very popular

Maybe it’s not the HUGE problem you appear to think it is op

Maybe females aren’t as stupid as you would like to think

Why wouldn't the manufacturers give her more realistic proportions unless they still hold Barbie to be the ideal woman?

Find me a single doll that is in proportion. they aren't - and neither is Action Man

All this pearl clutching about Barbie being 'pretty' - It's such a shame that board like this so vilifies attractive women. Honestly listening you lot at times, you'd think Hedy Lammar should have shoved her face in a vat of acid in persuit of her brains.

www.women-inventors.com/Hedy-Lammar.asp

Christ, there isn't an eyeroll big enough for that response, to be honest.

Vilifying attractive women?!

Hahahahahhahahahaa.
No.

Jesus Christ. It’s jut a DOLL. Why are people looking at anything and everything to be offended with these days??!!!! It’s a DOLL.

I’ve had the exact conversation with my mum.

TammySwansonTwo
What a bizarre comment.

I'm saying that forcing not only unrealistic but biologically impossible standards of beauty on to very young children is disgraceful, and that wrapping it up in a "be whatever you want to be" message is insulting.

Would Barbie be an acceptable toy if she were ugly?

Do you genuinely not understand that it's the proliferation and constancy of these images that are the problem? In a vacuum it's just a doll, just a t shirt, or whatever. But kids don't exist in a vacuum.

I'm not saying that barbies should be banned - I'm saying they form one part of a broader unhealthy message given to girls, and thatthe advert is laughable given the brand and its history.

Lol op is it all wooden train sets and penguin classics round your gaff then? What do you ‘let’ your kids have?

I loved Barbie as a child. I dont get these Lottie dolls and things.... what child actually wants to play with a doll which is like them? I certainly didnt. Or a baby doll. Is that fun? It just cries and wets itself.
No i wanted to play with glamorous idealised versions of an adult woman who could simultaneously be an astronaut whilst maintaining a career as a racing driver and also owning a bright pink 3 storey house to keep her collection of fabulous ballgowns in. Thats fun.
These dolls that look like actual children are pretty boring for children imo.

What a ridiculous question.

My kids are 1, so yeah, pretty much right now it is. But they're boys, so they're not getting the impression that their appearance is their greatest asset and value.

I'm actually quite surprised this needs to be explained!

I think we all understood what you were saying.

I agree that young girls are surrounded by unrealistic images of beauty and that this is a massive problem.

I don't think a Barbie doll is a problem though.

I grant my girls with enough credit to know it's just a doll and most women will never look like a barbie doll. I worry about the messages they receive from the media about 'beauty' but not the messages they receive from a bit of plastic.

Yes there's "normal sized" Barbie in (I think) the Fashions Collection. They've gone a bit diverse

DD picks them on outfit, not skin colour or body shape

Just reading the history of Barbie and she got her first bellybutton in 2000

You run to Dragons Den with the marketing genius of Ugly Doll and see if any little girls get the aspiration to to be fat, raddled, no education, and hairy legs.

Yeah, there's quite a lot to choose from now. Fat(ish) Barbie, petite Barbie, tall Barbie, different skin colour and hair styles. The men have gone all stylish too instead of bog standard Ken. It's great fun!

Nicely missing the point there sloe, with a bonus bit of misogyny.

However, assuming the "ugly doll" would have no education sort of proves my point, doesn't it?

You're the one who is proffing that Barbie is some sort of bimbo - posters have been at length to show you she’s been a doctor, vet , Astronaut thus implying a degree standard education.

The opposite of that would be what I described. This seems to be your aspiration for little girls to look up to. The very antithesis of Barbie. Because you think pretty girls cant be clever.

n

Yabu. Get off your soap box. I think the ad is fine.

If you look at it another way round though I feel the problems actually lie in people assuming that caring about things being pretty is somehow stupid or petty. Like to be a serious, intelligent woman you need to not care about appearance and glamour.
Cant both things exist at the same time? Cant you enjoy ballgowns, pink soft top cars and glittery wings as well as being intelligent and ambitious? I honestly dont see why liking Barbies needs to be damaging to little girls. The only thing thats damaging is the way adults project onto it all.
Im sure both young boys and girls can have fun with Barbies and not grow up to be shallow or empty headed or have unrealistic expectations of their bodies.
There are plenty of dolls out there that resemble real kids now days why do you need to slate Barbie for representing an exaggerated adult female form? Sometimes its fun to play at being that way. Action Man is the same. Its just fantasy. I loved Barbie and i dont have any self image problems as an adult. I never expected to grow up to look like Barbie because shes just a doll.
I personally worry more about the photoshopping of real actresses on the cover of magazines and the effect that has on young girls. As a child it took ages to dawn on me that no one could really look like that because I thought 'well those are real women?'

My Barbies were all kinds of things when I was a child from doctors to serial killers (don't judge me, I was a bit morbid as a child).