The Effects of the Barbie Syndrome

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The Effects of the Barbie Syndrome

What is the Barbie syndrome ? a question posed by many that glace through the title on the top of this paper As defined by Farlex “The drive, often of adolescent girls, to attain impossible standards of beauty, projected by toys—e. g., Mattel’s Barbie Doll—and the media, resulting in failure and frustration, issues related to body image, eating disorders, and self-image," this is a formal definition of the Barbie syndrome.The people that the Barbie syndrome it effects are widespread and is not inclusive to women this syndrome also affects men to. causing much damage to their mental and physical health. Britannica Encyclopedia states that “Barbie is a plastic doll, 11.9 inches tall, with the figure of an adult woman that was introduced in 1959 by Mattel Inc.”1

The Barbie doll introduced and created by a woman by the name of Ruth Handler in the year 1955. The Barbie was a modifcation a German pornographic doll called Bild Lilli. This doll would forever affect our American youth with its abnormally perfect body. The doll is named after her daughter Barbara Handler now Barbara Handler Segal due to her marriage, the daughter of Ruth handler does not look like Barbie. Alongside the Barbie doll there was also a Ken doll know has Barbie's boyfriend the Ken doll was introduced in 1961 a few years after the Barbie doll. The Barbie effect is an effect that shows how playing with Barbie dolls affected a child's mind by displaying a perfect or so called perfect body the doll now used as a Childs play toy so many women have played with now for fifty years. Many mothers have yet to notice the effect of the Barbie on their children this is due to the innocence that the doll at first glance has this is a hug...

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...omen & Body Image." Adios Barbie. Accessed April 16, 2014. http://www.adiosbarbie.com/feature-articles/multicultural-women-body-image/.

"Is Your Little One On Track? Childhood Development Stages." Accessed April 15, 2014. http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/normaldevelopment.

Maine, Margo. Body Wars: Making Peace with Women's Bodies: An Activist's Guide. Carlsbad, CA: Gürze Books, 2000.

"Minnesota Starvation Experiment." Wikipedia. August 04, 2014. Accessed April 16, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment.

"The Negative Effects of Barbie on Young Girls an the Long Term Results." Divine Caroline. Accessed April 20, 2014. http://www.divinecaroline.com/life-etc/momhood/negative-effects-barbie-young-girls-long-term-results.

Oppenheimer, Jerry. Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2009.

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