Proposal:
I plan on researching the impact that the Barbie doll has had on American youth. I want to explore the original purpose for her creation and look at has actually happened since her creation. I am interested in exploring how her physical features have influenced our society. I also want to look at whether they are realistic for human girls. Has her body caused young girls to start critiquing their own bodies? I will also research what kind of affect Barbie’s perfection has had. What message does this doll send by always having her dream job, house, car and man? A little girl’s reality is skewed from the moment that she get her first plastic covered doll. Is it healthy image to send to our youth of a doll getting everything that she wants? I hope to discover if Barbie’s influence has been uplifting or detrimental to our society.
Introduction:
The Barbie doll changed the face of playing with dolls. Dolls were no longer babies or children; they were older and beautiful with perfect lives. Barbie embodied everything that young girls were supposed to become. Expectations became unattainable. Barbie has the perfect body, amazing clothes, and the ideal boyfriend. No one can actually have that kind of life. Barbie has become a household name among young girls but the original purpose of creating such a doll has become shrouded in the problems with self-image that Barbie has produced.
Points:
Original purpose
Historical context (what was happening at the time?)
Barbie’s physique
Constant boyfriend
Variety of jobs
Importance of material items (clothes, car, houses, etc.)
How has Barbie changed over time?
How popular is she?
Conclusion:
Barbie’s purpose was to bring joy to children; instead it has brought unreachable standards and unrealistic expectations. Her body, lifestyle, and boyfriend send a message that her way is the best way. Girls are taught that they have to live up to over the top standards in order to have the perfect life. Barbie has corrupted our society’s ideals, and twisted reality so that no one can actually be satisfied with real life.
I think the reason that Barbie has a jet and a dream house and a car and stuff is because that stuff sells. That's the economy for you. Barbie made stuff that sells and it works. I do not think that a six year old girl looks at a plastic doll and wishes to look like she does.
ReplyDeleteI remember looking at my two Barbie dolls. I wasn't allowed to have any more. One was black and one was white. I favored the white one. Looking at them, I remember praying to God to let me grow up and be beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI'm interesting in reading your outline.
Here is a quote from the 1960 movie Cinderfella, staring Jerry Lewis. It is an alternative remake to the traditional Cinderella fairytale. In this remake, many of the leading roles are gender reversed: Cinderfella is rescued by Princess Charming, the evil stepsisters are evil stepbrothers, and Fairy Godmother is Fairy Godfather. The way you talked about Barbie's dream life made me think of this movie. In one of the earlier scenes, Fairy Godfather very intuitively assesses the state of womanhood after 1950:
"Through the centuries, the women of the world, influenced by the legend of Cinderella, have waited—waited for their Prince Charmings to come galloping out of the wild blue yonder on their white horses to claim their hands in marriage . . . But there was only one Prince Charming. And when he didn’t appear, these women married the closest available man. And they were forever after miserable because they all was regretted and they felt that… well… that they had taken second best. But what is worse, they made their poor husbands miserable because the poor fellow wasn’t a prince. Oh, the Cinderella legend has brought nothing but dissatisfaction to the hearts of women (Tashlin)."
I don't suggest you watch the movie for this paper because I don't think it will help much. I just thought this idea was interesting.
-Candace