Barbara Millicent Roberts: Barbie

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We may know the most controversial piece of molded plastic formed into the shape of an out of proportion woman with blonde hair. Her name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, or as we know her, Barbie. With her odd portrayal of a woman, many believe that Barbie should be banned for suggesting to young girls that a woman only has one image to strive for. But Barbie is no more than a “piece of plastic” molded into something that looks nothing like a woman at all; she is a simply innocent child’s toy that should never be used as a tool for feminists. The Barbie controversy started in 1959 when she was introduced to a toy fair in New York after becoming popular overseas. The controversies went from her being too lewd to being too thin, both reasons supposedly encouraging unacceptable thoughts in the minds of young girls. Although many believe that this toy is harmful, we need to see that Barbie is just an innocent toy that promotes positive imagination of future careers and self-image in our young generation of females. At the request of many who say that Barbie gives an overly sexualized image of women to children, Barbie has undergone several breast reductions and waist-widening modifications to make her more acceptable not in the eyes of children, but in the eyes of the children’s parents. Even though her height has remained rather irrelevant through her 55 years of being alive, Barbie has been produced with several different feminine physiques and many different skin colors in an attempt to satisfy outraged people. She started out as a fashion doll that needed unrealistic proportions to help her numerous outfits fit better, but somewhere along the way her harmless journey became stained with the accusations of feminists. Even after takin... ... middle of paper ... ...at Barbie is a tool of destruction, we should take the time and consider what our young generation will have to admire if we take away our only form of clear, innocent, feminine success. Works Cited Alter, Charlotte. "Doctor Barbie Doesn't Make Girls Want To Be Doctors." Time.Com (2014): 1. Business Source Complete. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. Engin, Hande Bilsel. "Barbied Dreams, Barbied Lives: On Our Backs, In The Attics Of Our Memories, On The Shelves." International Journal Of Social Inquiry 6.2 (2013): 18-37. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Apr. 2014 Martin, Courtney E. "Barbie Doll Is No Threat To Little Girls." Inside Tucson Business 18.42 (2009): 22. Regional Business News. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. Stampler, Laura. "Barbie Lead Designer Blames Moms, Not Doll's Crazy Proportions, For Girls' Body Issues." Time.Com (2014): 1. Business Source Complete. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

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