What's with all the Barbie bashing?

Growing up, I was never very interested in baby dolls. I remember playing with the little dolls that came in boxes with different outfits. I confess, I just liked those dolls for all the little clothes. Baby dolls just didn't do it for me. I didn't have fun carrying them around, pretending to feed them, and who wants to change a diaper for fun? I didn't understand the appeal of baby dolls but Barbie made a lot of sense to me.

I got my first Barbie when I was about 4 as a bribe. I really, really wanted one. It just so happened that I had a nasty habit of biting my nails. My mom offered to get me my first Barbie if I would quit biting my nails. Easy enough. I got my doll and, to this day, I'm not a nail-biter.

I had all kinds of Barbie dolls but never any Ken dolls. My Barbie's boyfriends were much better than Ken. They were more attractive, had better jobs, treated her better than Ken ever could, and were all imaginary, of course. (Side note: Did Ken even have a job??) My Barbie also had several different jobs, depending on what held my interest at the time. Sometimes she was a musician, other times she was a detective or a doctor. Again, all imaginary. That's what Barbie is all about, right? Imagination? So, what's with all the articles and art projects putting real measurements and standards on a toy? Yes, a life-sized Barbie would be pretty scary but just about any toy would be equally frightening in real proportions. Take a deep breath. Barbie is just a toy.

Why is Barbie a great toy for girls?


Growing up, I never dreamed of my wedding day or of the children I was going to have. Lots of my friends did, but neither of those events held my interest. I never even wanted the bridal Barbies. Barbie dolls have been made in the image of rock stars, astronauts, doctors, teachers, and many other careers. She traveled and had houses in different places. Barbie was black, Asian, Native American, and embraced a multitude of diversity that goes beyond the blonde-blue eyed doll. And if I wanted my Barbie to have a baby, I folded up one of her clothes and stuck it under her shirt. Voila! Barbie's a mom. Barbie could do and be anything from your imagination.

Eating Disorders and Self-Esteem

Some of you know the horror of eating disorders from personal experience. Waking up every day, constantly tortured by what you put (or don't) put in your mouth is a nightmare for millions of women. Even if we're not starving ourselves, women find other forms of torture in the name of beauty. Plucking brows, waxing various body parts, high heels, plastic surgery...the list goes on and on. Are we really blaming this on a doll?

But, I hear some of you saying, Barbie will make our daughters grow up to think that this is how they should look! Do we really believe that? I believe that girls and women are smarter than this. I resent the fears that a toy will cause us to develop anorexia or self-esteem issues. This fear sends the message that girls and women are not bright enough to understand the difference between a toy and reality. I never played with Barbie dolls under the guise that I would look like her when I grew up and I bet none of my Barbie-playing readers thought they would either. If anything, Barbie is a blank slate; a vehicle for imagination. Please, give our daughters some credit.