Yes, some decry Barbie. But playing with her won’t determine who we’ll become
reputation. You can roll your eyes all you want to at this, but the clever ploy seems to be working. A friend told me she plans to watch the movie in a movie theater — the first time in years — because she wants to check out Barbie’s clothes.
The movie’s publicity team also has marketed Barbie in ways that might surprise some purists. Barbie has partnered with X-Box consoles, Pinkberry frozen yogurt, and OPI nail polish, to name a few brands. The other night her house was featured in a Progressive Insurance commercial with Flo.
And there’s more: Barbie is the force behind a boat cruise in Boston and a Malibu Barbie pop-up café in Chicago. A Barbiethemed bacon cheeseburger with mysterious pink sauce debuted in Brazil. (I’m not making this up.) And diehard fans can book a stay in Ken’s bedroom in the Malibu DreamHouse, courtesy of Airbnb.
All this attention, however, has dredged up decades-old criticism of a toy that was modeled after an adult gag gift that, in turn, was based on a racy German comic book character. Critics have trotted out studies they claim show the deleterious effects of Barbie. For example, just the other day I read a revived report that reveals how playing with unrealistically proportioned Barbie affects the body image of 6- to 8-year-old girls.
Those girls had more complaints about their own bodies than those who favored dolls with more realistic body proportions. Researchers concluded big-boobed, tiny-waisted dolls encourage young girls to want the same for themselves. Another study found that girls see fewer career options for themselves when they play with Barbie dolls. The university professor who led the study said the effect was not massive, but it was certainly “a measurable and statistically significant effect.”
Interesting, but I think this is an oversimplification of the many factors that contribute to body image and career choices.
Barbie has evolved over the years, the better to represent the times. The Barbie of the 1960s, my childhood play decade, was an astronaut long before the first moon landing. In 1985, she broke the glass ceiling and became a CEO. In 1992, she ran for president and five years later, her waist finally expanded, reflecting what happens to the rest of us.
That said, it’s important to keep Barbie, the good and the bad, in perspective. Barbie is merely a doll with great accessories. Playing with her will not determine who we become — or what we aspire to — years later. So, let’s chill for a bit. We all need froth and fantasy in our lives, even if it’s just for a couple of hours in an air-conditioned movie theater.
Ana Veciana-Suarez writes about family and social issues. Email her at avecianasuarez@gmail.com or visit her website anavecianasuarez.com. Follow @AnaVeciana