Barbie Doll Anna Quindlen Analysis

Should you buy your child a Barbie doll? In 1994, the New York Times published “Barbie: At 35, still a doll-like 40-18-32” in which Anna Quindlen argues that Barbie sends a terrible message to young girls that being thin and having a lot of clothes is important. Barbie would not be able to menstruate regularly if she was a normal woman because she is a 40-18-32 size. According to the University of Arizona study, “ninety percent expressed dissatisfaction with their own bodies and many said they saw dieting as a kind of all-purpose panacea” (par. 10). Many of the white girls that were asked about the description of the perfect girl, they said, “She’s 5 feet & inches, weighs just over 100 pounds, has long legs, and flowing hair” (par. 11). The description describes a living model of Barbie. According to Quindlen, Barbie causes girls to want to be skinny and go on crazy diets. Quindlen believes that Barbie will not die down. In fact,“‘Two Barbie dolls are sold every second’” (par. 17). Many parents continue to buy their children Barbie dolls. Quindlen wants Barbie to be put to rest by driving a silver stake into her heart.

I would argue that Barbie does not cause girls to be unsatisfied with their body images because Barbie is just a doll that children play with. Barbie has a figure that many girls wants, but they understand that Barbie is just a doll. Barbie is not real. There are other factors, such as social media and other females, that causes young girls to want to lose weight. According to one study, “83 percent wanted to lose weight, although 62 percent were in the normal range” (par. 15). Most females see other females on social media and wishes to have a similar body image. “‘I think the reason I would diet would be to gain self-confidence,’ said one” (par. 10). Most females see other females, and they feel insecure. Barbie is not a terrible