Some Facebook friends made me aware of some exciting news last week – Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian are going to be made into limited edition Barbie pals – I mean, what next? BUT then I read the comments, and for me, the story starting getting strange. People are up in arms because apparently Barbie is a role model and people do not believe the Kadashians – who made sex tapes, got divorced after 70+ days, etc – would be good ambassadors for the Barbie brand. I think I must have missed that part of my education where Barbie was supposed to be a role model? I mean, if I physically looked like Barbie, I’d be 6 foot tall, have a 39 inch bust and 33 inch hips. I suppose I got the big tits…
Don’t get me wrong, I loved my Barbies. I got my early sex education from them before I even knew what sex was AND I got some early hair dressing experience, only realizing after the fact that their hair didn’t grow back. I was not happy having bald Barbie’s I can tell you, but it taught me a very important lesson – consequences. Mattel have done a good job in recent years delivering Barbie’s with professional careers, and while competing with knock-offs from China, they still reign supreme for little girls around the world.
But most importantly, the Kardashians are probably a perfect choice to be Barbiefied. First of all, Barbie definitely bleaches her anus – to the point of non-existence – and Barbie was probably the first “girl” in the world to go for a complete Brazilian – definitely a trend-setter and right in line with the Kardashian’s personal grooming philosophies. Barbie has always been a glamour puss first, and that’s how I spent my Barbie play time – when I wasn’t making her hump Ken of course – dressing her up in fabulous fairytale gowns, just like the K sister’s right? A perfect match.
I certainly don’t join the outrage against the Kardashian’s becoming Barbies. I think it’s a match made in heaven, but if you’re interested, a few years back, a lady got some pretty extensive media coverage for making a life sized Barbie (pictured.) And another article referenced within this article talking about body issues linked back to Barbie. I have to say I find this argument hard to swallow, because within the mix of influences on young girls and body image, I’d say Barbie might be in there, but the real life beauties in bikinis on the front pages of magazines probably had a much MUCH bigger impact on me. I desperately wanted to look like Elle in a swim suit, but knew there was no bloody chance at all. And “Dolly Magazine” – a teen girl mag in Australia – was an equally powerful influence. How I wanted to look as good in those clothes as the models did. Barbie wasn’t even in my body image angst equation….
However, rather than becoming anorexic when I realized I could never look like those girls, I stopped buying all women’s/girl’s magazines, took up body building and started shopping for all of my clothes in second hand shops. I was a beauty, no doubt about it. Hey if you can’t beat them, go the other extreme I say.
But that’s just my experience.
Yours, without the bollocks
Andrea
