Barbie Influence On America

The Barbie doll has become a widely pervasive entity within American society. Its iconic status has allowed it to shape popular attitudes about success and gender roles, generally emphasizing commercialism and traditional, complacent values. In the same way Barbie influences American society, American society commands Barbie, as a result of her being a product of it. Commercialism, for these purposes best defined as promotion of material goods, is generally seen as an adverse concept in that it leads people to pursue what is seen as more shallow aspects of life, such as excessive wealth and meaningless possessions. Harmful gender roles can be deemed those in which one gender is dominant over the other, with Barbie perpetuating the more commonly

Although the most pervasive judgment of Barbie in today’s society seems to be that she is a “prefeminist bimbo,” some may argue that her influence is, at least in some ways, positive (Leo 14). In an article conspicuously titled “Barbie is Not the Enemy,” one mother cedes that even though “Barbies do seem to be dressed a little more skankaliciously than when [she] was a kid, [...] society, as a whole, [has been] promoting the sexualization of young girls,” not Barbie alone (Brozak 2). She points out that in today’s society can be seen “5-year-olds in full makeup and skimpy costumes gyrating on stage to Nikki [sic] Minaj music” as well as young girls coming into dangerous contact with much older men on social media (Brozak 2).

This includes the doll, considering its more recent adaptations concerning race, occupation, and status. The idea that Barbie is shaped by society is proven by the innate notion that Barbie is a direct result and manifestation of American society itself, especially representing its more commercialistic aspects. This quality is innate in that Barbie is a toy to be sold. The doll is of a commercial origin, and thus its every action is devised with marketing in mind. That is not to say its actions cannot be manipulated by the user, but the doll’s creators have clearly defined its intended limits. These limits’ existence depend entirely on the influence of society. Thus, American society influences Barbie to a wide extent. Those critical of Barbie’s societal influence tend to cite its unrealistic body, materialistic qualities, and misogynistic undertones. These qualities are derived preciselyfrom American culture at the time of its inception. Barbie came to be in 1959, one of many years succeeding the Second World War when soldiers were coaxed into building families and buying homes with the G.I. Bill. The results of this practice well-established by 1959, a prevailing culture, one which favored servility and sex appeal in its women and wealth and conformity in nuclear family units, took hold. The Barbie, at