This truth is that nobody wants to play with an ugly doll. The Barbie doll has always had its slim and ‘beautiful’ image as this defines what it was and what it stands for. It can be seen as the epitome of style for young children and making them obese or changing them into educational tools, will in turn ruin its whole point. The dolls are also made as a collectable item, and if their image is destroyed, and made to represent something that is not generally nice to look at, then their purpose as a collectable item is too ruined.
Moreover, if children want to play with dolls such as Barbie dolls, and place them as their role models, then obesity in society will not be accepted as whole, and as an extreme obese children will feel unwanted, left out and out of place in society. The slim and fashionable look also deters children from accepting their image if they do not meet the image of the doll. It is known that a Barbie doll has unrealistic measurements, 34-22-33, and her thin hips and cleavage would only ever be achieved by about 1% of woman.
In addition, Barbie dolls also show a side of life that doesn’t really provide a good influence upon children, as it doesn’t encourage socialising among children, as their free time becomes centred on fictional characters with no purpose. The dolls should be made to be educational as well as to entertain and should not provide a slim, glamorous appearance.
On the other hand though, it is believed that a person would want to purchase something like a doll as a means of display. If the doll in question were of an appearance that made it seem that the doll was not beautiful and glamorous then the doll would lose its appeal to many.
Overall, we can see that the issue of Barbie dolls and their effect on children can be a disturbing issue. With her body (estimates have put the doll's life-size bust between 38 and 40 inches, her waist at 18-24 inches) and her many different looks (from hip teen to all out glamour). Although the physique of Barbie has been changed a few times (once was so that she was able to look “right” in hip-huggers) the fact still remains that the Barbie doll does not at all contribute a child’s social life. It does in fact have the opposite affect and makes a child believe that life should be centred on looking ‘cool’. The Barbie doll should have its measurements changed for a start and should be made more education in order to be a children’s toy. When it boils down to it though, collectors would want to have Barbie remain as she is, and would not want her any other way. This remains a divided issue, as the Barbie doll is not able to satisfy both needs at once, and cannot function as an educational tool and a piece of display as well. Anorexia groups and parents have also rallied many times to get a change to the appearance of Barbie dolls. We can expect this issue to continue for a long time.
By
Izaldin Ali 10B 10Y1
