Marge Piercy’s Barbie Doll

By that I mean let the girls be who they really are instead of getting them all glammed up and walking around like human dolls. Parents dressing four year old girls in adult style clothes and makeup with big hair and tanning spray are plotting a Barbie kind of future for their girls. (Freymark) Research shows that reinforcing emphasis on looks and attractiveness leads to negative body image, disordered eating, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. (Freymark) For me I don’t even understand why you would want to continue in pageants if you were to know how much damage it could do to yourself. It is extremely sad so the little girls get judged by their appearance without the judges giving a hoot about their actual personality.

Since the beginning of time, women have not lived up to set expectations. Society has long been obsessed with the idea of the perfect woman. This slightly varies in different cultures, but in America, they have been known to be housewives and mothers who must constantly look pretty. In Marge Piercy’s “Barbie Doll,” she uses bold diction and symbolism to shows society’s views on women. Anne Sexton uses metaphoric imagery, for the same reason, in her poem “Her Kind.” In Marge Piercy’s “Barbie Doll,” females are pressured into their pre-assigned gender roles starting at a young age with their dolls.

Soon after, Barbie was advertised strictly just for children through mass media. Although the Barbie doll is supposed to symbolize the various job opportunities for females, she has become the idea of what the country now sees as the “perfect woman” and is criticized around the world for her negative effects on girls’ self-esteem and eating habits. The average girl in America is raised up surrounded with images of Barbie’s body image. An overwhelming 99% of girls between the ages of three to twelve own at least one Barbie doll. Constantly surrounded by Barbie’s perfect body image can take a toll on one’s self-esteem and body perception.

Imagine being a 5 year old girl playing with baby dolls and brushing your Barbie doll’s hair and feeling fat. A 5 year old feeling fat sounds crazy, right? Well with the influence Barbie has had for years is causing girls younger and younger to feel that their body is not “perfect”. Eating disorders, unrealistic expectations, and self-confidence are all at jeopardy once a young girl is rewarded with her first Barbie doll. It would be logical to ban Barbie.

In Marge Piercy’s, “Barbie Doll,” we see the effect that society has on the expectations of women. A woman, like the girl described in ‘Barbie Doll’, should be perfect. She should know how to cook and clean, but most importantly be attractive according to the impossible stereotypes of womanly beauty. Many women in today’s society are compared to the unrealistic life and form of the doll. The doll, throughout many years, has transformed itself from a popular toy to a role model for actual women.

Most of these children are too young to even understand what is going on. From the day these kids can crawl they are welcomed onto the stage of any pageant to compete for the grand prize. During childhood the foucus should be on learning and playing instead of being viewed as a Barbie doll. Paisley Dickey, age three, participated in a "Toddlers and Tiara's "pageant where her mother dressed her as a prostitute portraying Julia Roberts in the film "P... ... middle of paper ... ...t matter if you can't breathe. It matters if it looks good", says the mother of a beauty pagent child.

Children female beauty pageants such as the televised show “Toddlers and Tiaras,” have a bad influence on young girls. The show more or over is a reality show of young girls in between the ages of as young as 3 months and older. Truly, this is poisoning their brains. Not only are they poisoning the young childs brains, but teaching them that face and body image is everything. It does not help the young girls self-esteem; it is damaging them morally in the real sense that they are real people that are being taught looks are important.

Barbie, with her unrealistic body type: busty, thin waist, thin thighs, long legs, blonde and blue eyed, is reflective of our cultures idea of being feminine. Yet most women will never achieve, no matter how hard they try, to become a living Barbie. By using similes, symbols and a fairytale like tone Piercy creates a masterpiece starring a suicidal girl rather than Barbie, the “perfect women”, the young girl is compared to throughout the poem. The speaker sets the tone for the entire poem by starting the first stanza with a happy beginning, in fairy-tale like fashion. Just as Barbie’s life is filled with exciting material things, as depicted in the books and movies starring Barbie, the young g... ... middle of paper ... ...this can be viewed as a happy ending is because the young woman no longer has to try to conform to society.

When they do not do their “best”, they can suffer from depression or feeling of worthlessness. It is said that these pageants help build these confidence but it is clearly that is hinders more than helps, most of these “competitions” have girls questioning their self-worth or always second guessing their abilities. Girls are taught that appearance is the only thing that matters and they are always being judged. Child beauty pageants are more hurtful then helpful for girls, even in their adult years.

Being one of the most controversial dolls in history, Barbie has broken barriers for women all over the world. Many parents don’t understand the benefits that Barbie provides for young girls. They only look to the negative side of her. Confidence is one of the biggest pros for Barbie. Young girls want to express themselves through fashion and makeup and Barbie is the biggest idol for that specific thing.