Barbie is turning fifty this year, making her the oldest teenager that I am aware of. Note Barbie’s humble beginnings:
She looks like Lucille Ball on Valium, which is kind of cute in an ooky way.
There was a lot of first-wave feminist hating on Barbie, which I get but also don’t get. I realize that Barbie may reinforce unrealistic body image on young girls, but she’s also just a doll. Sure, it’s a good idea to make her waist and thighs a little thicker, but I don’t see how a doll single-handedly destroys somebody’s self-esteem. Besides, when I was a kid, I didn’t want to be like Barbie. I wanted to be like D.J. Tanner on Full House.
Oh Mylanta!
To be fair, I was never real into Barbies. I preferred books and interpretive dancing to the soundtrack of Somewhere in Time. My mother never bought me a Barbie, but I had them, usually hand-me-downs from my cousins. My Finnish grandmother gave me a Saami Barbie.
Reindeer sold separately.
One of the unique things about Barbie is that she’s one of the few dolls for girls that is a grown-up. Barbie has been a doctor, a veterinarian, a pilot… she’s even run for president three times! Playing with Barbie instead of a baby doll means that the imagination is going in a totally different direction, and I think that’s important. Children should have all kinds of different toys. Note that I’m not knocking baby dolls. I still have mine somewhere. Her name is Anastasia.
I had Saami Barbie, Hawaiian Barbie, and a few of the standard blondes, but the Barbie that I never got but desperately wanted was Totally Hair Barbie, aka the best selling Barbie of all time.
I’m pretty sure I actually had those bangs in 1992. I also crimped my hair, but sadly, it has never grown to my feet.
Remember Barbie and the Rockers?
This video makes me laugh until Ken comes on and then I’m just totally creeped out by him. I’m so glad Barbie dumped his sorry ass.
