McGuire 1
The Anatomically Impossible Image of Feminism
She is the epitome of beauty, the beauty queen of all beauty queens, a role model
to thousands, and is believed to aid in the worldwide eating disorder epidemic. With her
16-inch waist and 22-inch head, this icon’s anatomically impossible body is plastered on
store’s advertisements, and more importantly, the future of America’s bedroom walls
(Goldstein 1). Leading the feminist movement of the 70’s, her various careers inspired
“youngsters” to strive for their dreams, but could those dreams be to look as perfectly
perfect as their favorite childhood doll (Rand 1)? Whether she is anorexia’s cover girl or
a feminist inspiration, Barbie has been a largely debated topic in the past, and continues
to raise arguments into the current year.
The iconic Barbie, by the Mattel Corporation, may appear as this terrible doll that
is causing eating disorders around the world and various other controversies, but are all
of these arguments necessary, or even valid? While all of the accusations made against
Barbie may sound convincing and drastic to children’s wellbeing, the thought may cross
one’s mind that Mattel is being attacked for simply creating a doll for young girls to play
with. The Mattel Corporation displays Barbie on the foundation of innocence; “Inspired
by her daughter’s fascination with cutout paper dolls, Ruther Handler suggests making a
three-dimensional doll through which little girls could play out their dreams… Barbie
soon leads Mattel to the forefront of the toy industry and fascinates generations of young
girls,” exclaims the Mattel “History” page on the official website for the corporation
(Barbie Doll Makes Her Debut 1). Whether she is a self-image killer, or an independence
encourager, there are many arguments that have arisen about Barbie’s stance in our
society.
McGuire 2
While the days of Marilyn Monroe are long gone, and the desire for curvy figured
women has nearly vanished, the aspiration to be skinny beckons at every door that girls
around the nation come across. “The average model, dancer, and actor is calculated to be
thinner than 95% of the population…”(Briscoe 1). In today’s day and age, America’s
“teen-pop-sensations” are often idolized, and then in return, scrutinized for their
appearance. Thinness is becoming extremely prominent in today’s celebrities and “role
models” (Briscoe 1). It is almost as if it is in their job description to be skinny in the eyes
of society.
The article “An Epidemic of Body Hatred,” conducted by rehabs.com, compares
the average American woman to the disproportional Barbie. The data shows images of
the enlarged doll, and gives accurate measurements of Barbie’s size and shape, along
with the U.S. national average for woman. The doll’s 22-inch head and 16-inch waist
would equate to a liver that is half the size of a normal liver, and mere inches of intestine
(Goldstein 1). Our beloved Barbie would have a size three shoe, and 6-inch ankles
(compared to the American average of 9 inches), making it impossible for her to walk.
Also, her 3.5-inch wrist would not allow her to hold anything, including her precious cell
phone (Goldstein 1). With the United States average woman weighing in at 166 pounds
and 5 foot, 4 inches tall, and Barbie standing at 5 feet, 9 inches and 110 pounds, one
could see how anatomically impossible this “role model” really is. To put that into
perspective, our five-foot-nine bottle-blonde would not be able to menstruate due to
being so underweight (Goldstein 1).
Medical records show that anorexia nervosa is the deadliest mental condition, and
often causes disturbances with the heart, organs, and also often leads to suicide (DeNoon
McGuire 3
1). The drastic increase in eating disorders is causing much awareness of the seriousness
of the disorders, along with many precautions and signs we all should be aware of. It has
been suggested that there has been an 119 percent increase in the prevalence of eating
disorders within the last five years, and that the mortality rate of anorexia is 12 times
higher now than before, especially for women between the ages of 15 and 24 (Eating
Disorders Rise Among Young Children 1). Records show that over 8 million people in
the United States alone have an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and
other behavioral patterns). Eighty-five to ninety percent of those 8 million individuals are
female, and more than 80% of those females are under the age of 20 (The Barbie Effect
1).
Meet Emme, a plus sized doll (modeled off of a size 16 U.S woman), which has
had multiple careers, and owns numerous accessories that she can play dress up in
(Hoskins 1). Emme is promoted and advertised by the American Dietetic Association,
and is being chosen over Barbie by many mothers across the nation. Again, “and is being
chosen over Barbie by many mothers across the nation.” Mothers and fathers should
always be choosing which dolls their children play with, and should always be deciding if
these play toys will have a positive or negative effect on their children, based off their
own personal morals and beliefs (Glassy 1).
While Barbie’s physical appearance is often scrutinized for being impossible, and
is believed to be aiding in the rise of the worldwide eating disorder epidemic; her
feminism facade gets an A+. Living healthy is one of Barbie’s many fortes in the 125
different careers that she has had. She has shown the utmost importance of healthy living
by being a dancer, an aerobics teacher, and a trainer (Spellman 1). With the variety of
McGuire 4
careers that Barbie has held, she stands as the queen of jobs. With Barbie’s launch in the
late 50’s, there were not very many jobs available to woman at that time. With the raise
of the economy after the Great Depression of the 30’s, women became more independent,
but were often scrutinized for their previous roles within the household: cleaning,
cooking, and making babies. It is believed that Barbie helped lead the feminist movement
of the 1970’s (Rand 1).
Starting as a ballerina and a nurse, Barbie’s jobs slowly became more unisex
going through the 80’s (Rand 1). With the slogan “We Girls Can Do Anything” plastered
across the advertisements, Barbie ventured into the medical field, along with becoming a
musician, and many different armed forces occupations. Now, instead of strictly “female
jobs,” Barbie could be whatever she wanted to be, as could all of her female followers
(Rand 1). There are many people who, “view Barbie as a motivator who encourages
young girls everywhere to have a dream and to work very hard to see that dream become
a reality (Spellman 1).” Thus, Barbie has become one of the most prevalent role models
for young girls who want to break any possible gender barriers that may arise in their
future.
Another more recent controversy in our society is Barbie’s dating life. The
restrictions that are put on Barbie, by Mattel, to only date boys is giving off a
heterosexual norm, to a homosexual culture (Rand 1). With current uprising in the
debates of equality, most can understand why this would be a controversy, but is it blown
out of proportion? Parents should be monitoring the toys that their children play with,
based off of their own morals (Glassy 1). So if a parent decides that Barbie is a terrible
role model because she only dates guys, then that parent has the choice to buy different
McGuire 5
toys that promote homosexuality. On the other hand, Barbie could be praised because of
her relationship with Ken. Ever since Ken’s introduction into the “Barbie World” two
years after Barbie’s debut, their relationship has thrived and stayed strong throughout all
of the years of their existence (Timeline 1).
While Barbie’s appearance is widely argued about, her lifestyle is also a largely
debatable topic. Barbie has a seemingly endless closet of every outfit imaginable, along
with matching shoes and purses, and almost identical outfits for her large array of friends
(Hoskins 1). Barbie makes material objects seem much more desirable with the worldrenown Barbie Dream House, hot-pink Corvette convertible, and the Barbie swimming
pool. Oh, and who could forget the Barbie shopping mall (The Barbie Effect 1)? The list
of Barbie’s products could go on for hours. Recent debate has arisen across the globe on
whether Barbie dolls should be banned because of their materialistic appeal to young
girls. Due to the strict dress codes for women, selling and purchasing of Barbie dolls was
banned in Saudi Arabia in 1995 (Hoskins 1).
In 1965, Slumber Party Barbie was released into the world with her pink and
purple pajamas, and similar outfits included for her friends to join in on the over-night
fun. Included with the doll was a scale that was set permanently to 110 pounds, and book
entitled “How To Lose Weight” which included the helpful tip for all to read, “Don’t eat”
inside (The Barbie Effect 1). Receiving countless complaints from fans across the nation,
Mattel soon launched a new campaign that allowed the American people to submit their
own ideas for Barbie’s next career and/or festivity. The “I Can Be” campaign received
numerous responses, and was mainly directed at young girls and women’s votes. The
people chose the career of computer engineer (Meibar 1).
McGuire 6
Many may see the slumber party Barbie to be a complete disaster, and the “I Can
Be” campaign to be a phenomenal win on Mattel’s part, but why is it causing such a fuss
with the people? Yes, the people of America want what is best for their children, but
should they not be monitoring their playtime already? Rather than attempting to
overthrow a corporation for a marketing mistake, simply take away the scale and book
from the set, and leave the child with a fun doll to play with. Instead of getting frustrated
at the possible gender barriers created by the computer engineer Barbie, simply do not
buy the doll, or better yet, vote for another one. “You must be the change you wish to see
in the world.” A major problem in today’s society is that people all want things to go
their own way, but they do little to make it happen. Like the famous quote by Mahatma
Gandhi implies, rather than fussing about every problem that may occur, fix it for
yourself.
Is Barbie the one that is causing self-image problems, or are our every-day
resources aiding in this? With the image that television and social media stars portray,
and the idealistic body that the American society strives for, it is not safe to assume that
Barbie is to blame for many controversies (An Epidemic of Body Hatred 1). She can be
seen as a role model and figure for girls to be independent. With her relationships with
Ken, and her various jobs, Barbie is a patriot to America. With her roles in the Air Force,
Army, Marine Corps, and Navy, Barbie could be a positive role model for our children to
admire (Rand 1). Barbie can also been seen as a self-image destructor. When blown-up in
to human’s size, her anatomically impossible can be picked apart, and more importantly,
picked apart by young children who need someone to look up to. Whether looked at
McGuire 7
negatively and positively, “I believe that Barbie is a great figure to have in our society,
but it should be understood that she isn’t real (Barbie's Positive Influence 1).”
McGuire 8
Works cited:
"An Epidemic of Body Hatred." Rehabs.com. Rehabs.com, 2012. Web. 06 Feb.
2014.
"Barbie Doll Makes Her Debut” Corporate.mattel.com. Mattel, Web. 03 Feb.
2014.
"Barbie's Positive Influence." UMKCWomanC, 22 Mar. 2010. Web. 03 Feb.
2014.
Briscoe, Joanna. "The Standards of Beauty Are Homogenous." The Culture of
Beauty. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt.
from "Haven't I Seen You Somewhere?" Guardian 17 Jan. 2004.Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
DeNoon, Daniel J. "Deadliest Psychiatric Disorder: Anorexia." WebMD.
WebMD, 12 July 2011. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.
"Eating Disorders Rise Among Young Children." Schubertcenter.case.edu. Case
Western Reserve, 2009. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
Gandhi, Mahatma. BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2014. 5 February 2014
Glassy, Danette, MD, and Judith Romano, MD. "Selecting Appropriate For
Young Children: The Pediatrician's Role." Pediatrics.aapublications.org. American
Academy of Pediatrics, 2003. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.
Goldstein, Sasha. "Barbie as a Real Woman Is Anatomically Impossible and
Would Have to Walk on All Fours, Chart Shows ." NY Daily News. 14 Apr. 2013. Web.
16 Jan. 2014.
McGuire 9
Hoskins, Stephanie. "The Negative Effects of Barbie on Young Girls an the Long
Term Results." Divine Caroline. Divine Caroline, 08 May 2012. Web. 01 Feb. 2014.
Meibar, Graciela. "Inspiring Girls to Science and Math Through Play - By
Graciela Meibar - INSIGHT Into Diversity." Inspiring Girls to Science and Math
Through Play - By Graciela Meibar - INSIGHT Into Diversity. Insight Into
Diversity,Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
Rand, Erica. "Barbie." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele.
Vol. 1. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 121-123. Gale Virtual Reference Library.
Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
Spellman, Ajai. "More than Just a Pretty Face: A Role Model Too." Daily Titan.
15 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
"Timeline." Barbie. Mattel, 2012. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.
"The Barbie Effect." Teen Ink. Emerson Media, n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.