Class Entry

My perception of Barbie has been permanently altered. As a child, I spent many hours dramatizing the life of Barbie and her friends. The amount of money my parent's spent on the various dolls is unfathomable. Mr. Glenn, in a series of five one-hour classes, successfully shattered the positive memories and opinions of Barbie. No, I would like to rephrase that. Mr. Glenn opened my eyes to a perception of Barbie once unknown to me.
Discussion of Barbie's role in society triumphed in the classroom this week. Heated debates over the "ideal" woman and the impact of the doll Barbie thrived in the multi-personality crowd. For me, the realization that Barbie may not be as perfect in reality intrigued me. Barbie has the power to mold young girls' minds into believing they must be, or look a certain way. In turn, boys grow up with the expectation that their dream woman is virtually perfect. Barbie provides a false expectation of life for little girls, and boys.
To not disregard the benefits of Barbie, I'll name a few I have been thinking about. Barbie nurtures an imaginative environment for creativity to prosper at a young age. The doll may instill responsibility in children due to the fact so many little chicks will take care of their beloved Barbie. Barbie sets an example of a solid business woman, mother, and friend with all her possible career endeavours and children. All this shows that Barbie, fake as she is, still has the ability to mold young society positively.
Prager's essay "Our Barbie's" reveals the ugly truths to Barbie. She shows that the physical stature of the doll truly does influence society. I never thought about the increased desire for fake boobs, or rock hard abs. After being presented with the theory that Barbies can sway the public view of flawless I see that this theory could be the truth with a sardonic edge.
In fact, while writing this entry the notion of Barbie's influence being so powerful has an eerie element to it. Mother's hairs on their neck should stand up when they stand in the Barbie section of Target, or Walmart. A mother's intuition should be able to sense the mental threat certain toys have on their offspring. Not to mention the fact, those with offspring are over-protective with out hearing that putting Barbies in their child's hand will effect their mental state when they are grown.
A chuckle could be given to these thoughts. However, an element of seriousness should be taken along with the laugh because when daughters grow to grasp reality who is it they aspire to be like? Most girls do not look in the mirror and think, "If only I gained thirty more pounds, then I would be beautiful". Overall, a man's vision of a perfect woman, Barbie, has emanated down generation after generation oppressing the minds of young girls who aspire to be all things schools teach us not to be; superficial, fake, perfect, unnatural, and blonde.