1. The significance of Barbie in contemporary American culture would represent the idealistic icon of modern success in America. This means that to be deemed as successful, one would obtain all four of Motz’s attributes: “wealth, beauty, popularity, and leisure (Motz 3).” In real life, the closest figures mirroring Barbie would be famous celebrities. Celebrities wield all four of the attributes in society, which is why they became famous in the first place. They accumulated a plethora of wealth; society admires their beauty/handsomeness; being famous means they’re popular; they have leisure to play around and accumulate a heap of currency. That is also why some people own dolls of their idolized celebrity(ies). Playing with a Barbie or their …show more content…
The doll continues to sell more successfully every year because like Motz stated, “when a girl plays with a baby doll, she becomes in her fantasy the doll’s mother. She talks directly to the doll…and becomes Barbie, manipulating Barbie, speaking for her and moving other dolls around engaging in role-playing activities. She can imitate adult speech, dress, and behavior…(Motz 1).” When a little girl plays with Barbie, she becomes engrossed and mesmerized into the actions, acting as if the little girl was the one acting everything out like in real life and assuming all of the success, despite the fact that Barbie does corrupt the girl’s vision of real life by living in a world of success, fame, and fortune. The little girl would feel a surge of happiness manipulating the Barbie’s to her likings. Moreover, like any other products, playing with Barbie’s also develops camaraderie with other Barbie loving girls. Within women’s lives, it would establish “identity among women in the micro level (Kirk and Rey 2-3).” Girls are typically exposed to other people through places in society such as school. Upon meeting friends, her friends could have an addiction to Barbie and influence the girl to wanting Barbie as well. Because of this, the girl would stop at nothing to eventually wield and manipulate Barbie’s. This is also due to “our sense of comfort and solace and others with whom they feel they belong with whom they share common value and interests (Kirk and Rey
This website article provides the history of Barbie and her newly inspiring images for young women. Barbie was the new popular doll during World War 2 because she provided something inspiring for young girls and something that mothers felt strong about, independence. Barbie helped with what was being told to women, that they didn’t have to settle for being just a housewife or a stay at home mother. Women around the country could have a variety, a choice to work and have a career. “Barbie’s early professions were limited
For starters the title, “Barbie Doll” holds a meaning. It symbolizes the ideal figure of a female body. Society creates this ideal that is embed into every century. It is never ending. It is intended that she must have the twig like arms and legs, the minuscule waist and nose,
“If Barbie was designed by a man, suddenly a lot of things made sense to me,” says Emily Prager in her essay “Our Barbies, Ourselves” (Prager 354). Prager’s purpose for writing this essay is to explain the history of Barbie and how the doll itself has influenced and continue to influence our society today. Prager is appealing to the average girl, to those who can relate to the way she felt growing up with Barbie seen as the ideal woman. Emily Prager uses a constant shift between a formal and informal tone to effectively communicate her ideas that we view women today based upon the unrealistic expectations set forth by Barbie. By adopting this strategy she avoids making readers feel attacked and therefore
(Steinberg: 271) Barbie is portrayed as this blonde perfect female and was made in the image of the perfect body type. Children idolize Barbie and the way she is advertised causes them to believe that your body is only supposed to look this way, everything is life is perfect and that they will not face any obstacles as life goes on. Steinberg mentions, “Thematically Mattel still hasn't invented the Homeless Barbie, the Abortion Barbie, the Alcoholic Barbie, or the S&M Bondage Barbie”. (Steinberg: 272) After reading this section I agreed with the statement “This Bitch Has Everything”. Mattel has painted a picture in the mind of young children that the perfect life can be created through their imagination and not that there are different paths that we all go through in life. Children lose their agency due to the fact that society has constructed and idea of what life is all about and children look to the media and the items around them for guidance and understanding of what is to be expected. Barbie creates the idea of what is the best and appropriate way to live your life as a
Martin, Melanie. “Negative Effects of Barbie on Girls.” eHow. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.
Not many arguments or tests are done on the positive effects of Barbie. Sure, she is a role model but what about when girls set goals for themselves and later in life do not meet these expectations? Unlike Barbie, most of these goals are unrealistic and cannot be met. Barbie provies alternatives to the female stereotype of a mother and wife, but marriage isn’t perfect like the way it is portrayed. She goes through absolutely no struggles.
In the short story "Barbie-Q,” by Sandra Cisneros, the young girls didn't mind they did not receive other things such as new Barbie's or Ken Barbie's and the friends to go along with the dolls (206). These girls were just happy to play with their own dolls. The girls have bonded with each other and they enjoy playing with each other's dolls. A doll brings two or more children together for fun and social entertainment. Have you ever listened to a child frequently you will hear a child say " so what” that means the child really don't care, it don't matter; nothing else mattered to the two little girls. In the short story "Barbie-Q,” by Sandra Cisneros to purchase a brand new Barbie doll meant that the dolls are expensive in the store so the girls are very happy and pleased to own a second hand Barbie. When the parent places the dolls in the child's hands the dolls take on the character of the owner's beauty; culture; how girls see themselves and the future when the kids are all grown up. Barbie is a fun toy to dress up. Each child has her or his own imagination of a Barbie doll. I, too, myself, like watching all the different cultural background Barbie dolls in the malls or Macy's Department Store around Christmas times. Most large department stores dress
...th the times and with the latest technology. She has new electronic games where players can choose to discuss careers, shopping, dating, or parties with her, and her own web site. She has also been the proud recipient of a brain (“New Barbie” 1). “Talk with Me” Barbie was just recently unveiled who can actually hold a conversation with a real human being. Barbie can now even wish a girl happy birthday, but she just can’t seem to blow out the candles (“New Barbie” 1)-- yet. What does this mere eleven and one-half-inch beauty mean to Mattel? The company realized over $1.5 billion in sales in 1999 in more than 150 countries worldwide (“Barbie Overview”1). And considering all of the books and videos marketed to attract the adult collectors that have grown up with Barbie over the last four decades, it doesn’t look like her popularity is going to fade anytime soon.
With this incentives offered by the media, playing with Barbie’s would bring children an imaginary way of anticipating their future social roles as adults. “It’s true this ad is light on the pink,
Barbie represents the “perfect Aryan” woman with unrealistic physical appearances and characteristics. She is very skinny, busty, and has full hips. This reinforces to young girls what they must strive to look like and to shun people who do not look like Barbie. Young girls see Barbie as a pretty doll with nice clothes, a dream house, cars, friends, and other accessories and think that is all being a woman has to offer. Barbie’s boyfriend Ken also has blond hair and blue eyes.
Those perfect days as a child when your countless days were filled with playtime. The time to set up those houses and dress the dolls up, and act out the future. “Through their play Barbara imagined their lives as adults. They used the dolls to reflect the adult world around them. They would sit and carry on conversations, making the dolls real people” (Ruth Handler). As a young child, it is all you look forward to in your future: being successful and confident, loved and cherished. Many dolls were used to project this. Specifically, the Barbie. Barbie is a positive role model girl should look up to for confidence and inspiration. She is a talented and educated career woman, self-sufficient in every aspect of her life, and a stunning example to young girls the body that is healthy and fit.
According to Lisa Belkin, Barbie is good for society because she’s fun to play with and she encourages little girls to use their imagination and dream big. Many young girls who play with Barbie dolls have realized that she is just a doll. Some of these little girls don’t have the desire to look like Barbie; they just think Barbie is just a doll that they play with and leave them everywhere. At a young age girls are given their first Barbie doll and thought what “perfect” should be. Barbie portrays the perfect image and life. Not only is Barbie tall, skinny, and beautiful, she has all the luxurious accessories to match her perfect life. To go along with her perfect life she is accompanied with the perfect boyfriend, family and dream house.At a young age girls are also being influenced by this doll, what they should look like, and what kind of life they sgould lead. Young girls strive to achieve this look which is life threatening to obtain. Regardless to the changes they made to Barbie, she is still far from real. Little girls that are mature enough don’t strive to look like Barbie because she’s just a plastic doll.(Debate.org, 9). According to “The Intentions behind the creation of Barbie”, Barbie dolls ...
One day, as Ruth Handler watched her daughter play with paper dolls, she noticed that often the dolls were put into adult scenarios, such as grocery shopping, working, et cetera (“The Creation of Barbie”). As most dolls in this era, the 1950’s, were either babies or small children, Handler got an idea: what if she created an adult doll (“The Creation of Barbie”)? So, she drew up a design for one, and she named her Barbie, after her daughter, Barbara (“The Creation of Barbie”). Then, in 1959, Mattel, a huge and very popular toy company, picked up the idea (“The Creation of Barbie”). Barbie made her first appearance in New York, at the annual toy fair (“The Creation of Barbie”). That year, 351,000 Barbie dolls were sold, which was a sales record in America (“The Creation of Barbie”). Today, Barbie continues to be the most popular doll in the world, with two sold every minute (“The Creation of Barbie”).
Little girls are growing up play with barbie dolls that shape their idea of beauty.
It may seem trivial and go unnoticed to most, but by assigning Barbie a real career, people are able to identify with and recognize her. The marketers also provide Barbie with a life other than modeling, such as friends and a home. The Ken doll, which is commonly known as Barbie’s boyfriend, makes her appear more real to the audience. Girls are able to identify with the idea of a boyfriend, which makes the notion of Barbie seem more realistic and desirable. The same idea is applied to the many friends Barbie has been accompanied by over the years. Lastly, and perhaps most famously, Barbie, like almost all of the girls who play with her, have a home. The Barbie Dream House is just another clever way her marketing team has presented her to society as a real person. Humanizing Barbie, and portraying her in such a manner makes her more attractive to potential buyers. The girls who engage in play with dolls do not want merely a doll; they desire something they can relate to and envision in the real world. Imaginative play is a large portion of childhood, and the ability for children to posses a doll like Barbie , who represents a real person in society, is extremely valuable. The use of social constructionism in the marketing of products such as Barbie is both brilliant and effective.