Being Barbie


People give Barbie a lot of flack.  People say she is a bad role model for children.  People don’t typically have a sense of humor about things.  They like to say, “What if Barbie was a real person?”

Well, if Barbie was a real person, she’d probably be called a “slut” because she’s conventionally attractive.  She would be very insecure, because all these unwarranted opinions about her body eventually convinced her to change her appearance to appease the critics.  She might regret succumbing to the pressure to change herself to make people happy.  But when she tries to make herself happy with a tattoo or a new hairstyle, the media balks and the backlash is everywhere.  Barbie feels like her body is public property, and everyone feels entitled to an opinion on it – everyone, that is, except Barbie.

She would be called a “whore” because of her split from Ken, during which time she learned to appreciate herself as a single woman and enjoyed a brief flirtation with Blaine, many years her junior.  Though she reunited with Ken in 2006, Barbie would be called a “man-eater” or a “cougar” or a “tramp” for not wanting to be tied down, for exploring her own needs, and for not wanting to be defined by her relationship with a man.

And Barbie has so many interests!  People would probably call her “fickle” for changing careers so many times, a “bitch” for choosing to work outside the home as opposed to embrace a more traditional role, and they would criticize her for being “frigid” as she has never had any children.  Whenever Barbie makes a choice and stands by her decisions, somebody finds fault with it.

Despite all this, Barbie loves kids and animals.  She sometimes makes mistakes, but she always apologizes.  She tries her best and admits when she’s wrong.  She’s flawed, but she means well.

So please explain to me…

…who would want to be like Barbie?

It’s the shoes, right?

(Be sure to check out the amazing work of Mariel Clayton for more doll photography)


7 responses to “Being Barbie”

    • That's Mariel Clayton! Her work is so perverse and amazing, I thought it offset the brute reality of Barbie's sad existence. Don't you remember seeing those ads all around NYC where Ken was begging Barbie to come back to him? I vaguely remember seeing billboards and phone booth posters and being like "WHAT?"

  1. I love the way your brain works ๐Ÿ™‚ lol Super cool post. I'm a huge Barbie fan and so is my daughter. I don't see anything wrong with her, she's pretty ๐Ÿ™‚ Those Bratz dollz are another story, I can't stand them.

    xo,
    Eeka

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