To Barbie or not to Barbie?

[mrsruffallo]

I never wanted dd to have one, but her friend has a couple and ny dd loves them.
She has told me she wants to save up for one-what do you think?

Hmm.
DS and I make huge comedy "NOOOOOOO!" slomo faces and run at the TV, whenever ads for Barbie/Bratz/MLP etc come on.

Makes dd (2.5) laugh.

I think I will end up providing Barbie (tho not the insane dogshit accessories - would have loved to be in that Mattel strategy meeting) on the understanding that everyone else in the family will mock her ludicrous breasts.

This despite my feminism. Am I weak or realistic? Don't know.

Bratz would be insanity tho.

onebatmother- I completely relate to you- I consider myself a feminist and I am certainly not an airhead but I think, esp after reading this thread that I will allow her to save up for one. I think the posts re; really wanting one and not getting it have swayed me.
It is really only a doll isn't it?
And she is also into dinosaurs, egyptians, and lots of other non gender things

well you know onebat I once thought like that but I have changed my mind

we had Barbies and they were boring. God but they were boring. They lounged around on plastic beds and sat in front of plastic dressing tables and primped and preened strange woolly dogs with colour change hair and displayed them on plints (I am not kidding)

and then this year dd1 informed us that they were for 5-6 year olds, thank you very much, and she was 7 and wanted Bratz. And the grandparents obliged and dh picked a couple up half price

and they are fun! Ours skateboards on a remote control board which is super-fun and helps her with fine motor control (bonus!) and then we have another one called Beyonce Brat which is dressed up in a spangly gown and has posable arms and you take pictures of her with a real camera!

and the other one has a watering can and seeds!

also they have brown hair look constantly pissed off so they are a very good representation of her own mother, who is not blonde and smiley like a Barbie at all

plinths

not plints

and there's an and missing in there somewhere

"I am really glad my Mum did not let me have a Barbie, I am a better person for it"
hahaha pmsl
I DON'T think so....

hee hee harpsi

yes I had Pippa dolls and that is why I am so short

dolls can have amazingly pernicious longterm effects

Capp- I still don't think I would get bratz- they just look so baaad-lots of make uo and fishy lips. Now they look more porno to me than Barbie

I am as feminist as the next hairy armpitted person. I went to Greenham Common, twice.
dds have Barbies - I haven't bought them, but it is important to have a little perspective.
I do think that dolls like Barbie do contribute to crapola body images for girls, but there is so much else out there that you can't only blame Barbies.
we have to try and arm and protect our girls instead

You're arming your girls Harpsi.
Blimey.

Cappie Leeetle Cappie, hmmmmmm.

I'm hearing your dog plints.

I am particularly hearing your skateboarding action and your non-blondeness.

But.

Bratz have their labia majora on their faces.

What are arong with Bratz lips?! I love my lip plumping gloss.Gets same effect!

Do you look like fish then Carmen?

My MIL had a discussion about Barbie when dd was 2 and she was appalled that at that age I wouldn't let dd have a Barbie. She said if I bought her one you would HAVE to give her it. Erm no. I never said never but at 2 when I still had the say she wasn't getting them but only because I thought she was too young and she was already growing up too fast.
DD has always loved barbie stuff, party cups, plates etc not for barbie but because of the pink sparklyness of it all.

She is 4 now and has 2 barbies but again not bought for being barbie, she wanted them because they were the barbie island princesses from watching the film when she was ill one time. She still has no interest in Barbie for barbie and thank god not that pooping one

And I don't know if ti applies to all Barbies or just the 2 dd has but her boobs are definately not as LARGE as they once were.

I like my lips up above and my labia down below.

No dont look like fish!!ha! Just luscious lips when i wear lip plumper!

"I am really glad my Mum did not let me have a Barbie, I am a better person for it"

Well, you know, my Mum didn't let me have a Barbie for ages and ages (they weren't forbidden exactly, she just gave me to understand that they were basically crap and horrible and she didn't think they were worth the money etc). I whinged and whinged for one as all my friends had them and finally got a Silky (same sort of thing only with hair that grew) when I was 9. And it was boring boring boring and I never felt very fond of it and actually, I'm really glad I wasn't given Barbies as a matter of course. And I'm not letting my daughter have one unless she can think of a better reason than 'all my friends have got them'.

Blimey, spud guns, remember those! Wouldnt be allowed now by PC brigade on health and safety grounds.

You don't actually have a choice in this kind of thing MR - if you don't buy her one/ allow her to buy one then you're making a rod for your own back IME and O

She will always want one forever and ever....

plus you'll be the 'evil' Mum as you'll have to visibly remove them from her when she gets them for presents at a party.....

Really not worth it - best piece of advice I ever had 'don't sweat the small stuff'..

Hmm. on this mother business.
I can't drive - the batcave was until recently in a fairly central location -
and guess what? My own dm didn't drive..

but am finally learning.

Bbecause (apart from its really nice to sit down) I don't want dd to have infantilized self-sabotaging role-model.

Flippin Hell DCMH a spud cannon?

IM truly shocked.I really thought they would be illegal!

Oh Christ I thought thread was about barbecueing in January.

Was going to post noooo,nooo you nutter, plenty enough opportunity to eat burnt sausages and shoe-leather chargrilled chicken breast in summer.

Then read the thread.

Hate Barbie's personally, have done since a child, with her silly bendy arms and vacant smile. Mind you, was only allowed SINDY DOLLS so perhaps am a bit biased.