ideal barbies....ciara hoehne

The Barbie is the typically beloved little girl’s toy and friend. Although there is thought to be nothing wrong with this classic toy, faults can be found in the basic design of this doll. These toys are said to be a man’s design. From the hardness of the plastic to the unrealistic proportions, this can be seen through out the thought process behind it.
Thursday, in class, we were faced with the challenge and opportunity to re-design this common childhood toy. We had to use the ideas of Sontag and Prager for the design and reason behind each of our Barbie drawings. With my group of four, we created four very different Barbies with separate cultural backgrounds. After drawing the new figure and crafting a background story for each one, we wrote a paper summarizing why Prager and Sontag, both, would like the new aims we created for our Barbies.
The designs, although humorous, did show a deeper meaning for common stereotypes often forgotten in the designing of the ideal woman. To address this issue, we crafted four whole new different doll designs. The first was a pear-shaped Barbie. This new woman features a wider set figure but still a healthy life style. Though a girl seen with wider hips and larger curves would most likely be rejected for her size, this girl has confidence and comfort in herself. Because of this back story, girls can feel comfort in their particular shape and be filled with a confidence most wouldn’t have.
The second design features a Mexican or Latin based cultural Barbie. This one on the surface may appear cruel, however because of the story behind it becomes more acceptable. The character is depicted without a hand and one arm amputated at the elbow. This was at first a joke between friends in our group but then we decided to take it and turn it into something more positive. We showed the deeper meaning of dedication some make to their country by telling of her commitment to the navy in her life story.
These designs led to a lot of laughs through out the class and were a very interesting activity to do. The drawing of fake Barbies was an appealing way for the youth to describe their own “perfect” woman or figure. It really showed the thought process of everyone describing their figures and their stories. Through the process of designing new children’s toys, I saw the different types of people and deeper stories these picturesque toys smoothes over and simply seem to forget. Through performing these activities, we actually had fun and shared a few laughs while completing the school work. This was a nice change from most classes where silence overwhelms the room, while involved in mindless busy work.