How to look like barbie

[ComradeJing]

Has anyone seen this image yet?

Oprah mag

the article has some interesting points about self esteem and how to love yourself.

Looking at that picture, I am imagining one entitled "How to look like Ken"........

Just pick up a copy of Men's Health for "how to look like Ken". It's not about health at all, it is about six packs.

True.
The Ken doll is, however, missing a few vital parts.

Maybe there's an ad for that in the back pages

I liked the article, and am a bit surprised because I expected Oprah .com to be more sacharrine than that. Shows what I know.

Body image is such a millstone round our necks. Mine is quite healthy, which is unexpected because I come from a female dominated family where there are varying levels of unhealthy relationships with food. It's very sad to see the waste of mental energy and the knack self consciousness has of casting a shadow over what should be happy times and special days.

men don't suffer to the same degree. It's changing now, but it's not the same intensity. Which is a shame, equality is not about doubling the problem, is it?

Sal I've read the magazine a fair bit in the past and I too thought the article wouldn't be quite as positively feminist as it was. Having said that I read two copies of my MIL 'notebook' (now closed) here in Aus and every 'feminist' article decried how feminism had failed them.

YY to mental energy going into this. I was absolutely stunned at how nipped and tucked the woman needed to be to become barbie - especially her shoulders, neck and waist.

I'm not happy with my body image ATM. It is hard to ignore societies diktats on how a young (ish) woman should look at the same time as accepting my post pg body.

I read this somewhere else, thought it was interesting.

"Barbie was never meant to be a nudist.
Barbie was meant as a fashion doll. Her proportions are designed to allow for seam allowances in the clothing that is made for her. You will note when a classic Barbie is dressed, she looks far closer to normal than she does unclad.
She is basically a tiny mannequin for her clothing.
If a regular sized human woman had to contend with 1/4 of their measurements being lost to seam allowances around the waist, every woman would look chunky. Barbie's original fashions in the 50's, were chock full of 50's gathered waists and skirts. That is a lot of bunched up material around her waist. This is why she had to have a tiny waist, to look normal in clothing."

That's really interesting eccles. The problem with that is that it tells you (general you) that very thin with long legs and oversized bust is normal which it isn't.

I'm sure barbie's breasts have changed shape, when I was a child they were sort of conical and 'cross your heart bra' shape, in that pic they look breast implant shaped
only to be expected I spose

that's very interesting ecclesvet and totally obvious now it's been pointed out! Problem is nobody would know that until it's pointed out, and as ComradeJing says the message is going through. They should write that on the box - ok, our DD's are not going to take much heed but at least mothers can point it out to them when appropriate.

I loved that article. Thanks for the link, Jing.

I am weary of being either sneered at or ignored on Mumsnet when I proffer 'learn to like yourself' tips instead of regurgitating a load of inaccuracies about weight, health and women's dress sizes (not this board, obv.)

Now I can just link to the article and back away smartly [hsmile]

Interesting about the role model thing. I'm good on the personal body image side (it probably helps that I'm tall and fairly thin) which I try and give to my children, but I have to admit I'm generally more keen to criticize dd's favourite singers than I am to tell her who I think is inspiring.