topic Re: Did you play with Barbies? in Community Chat

Did you play with Barbies?

Chloe Piper — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 19:26:56 GMT

Barbie might be trying to show a brainier side, but little girls who play with the iconic dolls are learning more than anatomic impossibility: They're also lowering their career aspirations, reports Fast Company. A new study—conducted on an admittedly small scale of 37 4- to 7-year-olds who spent a few minutes playing with Doctor Barbie, Fashion Barbie, or Mrs. Potato Head—finds that when shown photos of 10 professions, only those who played with the dowdy potato emerged believing they could follow just as many career paths as boys. Those who played with either type of Barbie saw diminished career options for themselves.

"Something about the type of doll, not characteristics of the participants, causes the difference in career aspirations," says study co-author Aurora Sherman. The authors, who admit deeper study is needed, theorize that girls are forming their ideas about gender roles from Barbie's sexual-yet-anatomically-impossible nature. For writer Carey Dunne, if further research could "solidly prove that Barbie's influence is a negative one, maybe Mattel would at least consent to giving the poor doll enough room for a liver." But don't think that Barbie is going the way of a super-skinny dinosaur anytime soon: Huffington Postnotes that the doll turned 55 yesterday.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

MomOf4 — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 19:31:04 GMT

No, do you?

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

Yuban3 — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 19:33:07 GMT

Nope.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

RainyDayGal — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 19:36:33 GMT

They asked 4-7 year olds?! Honestly, how much do they know about careers at that age? I would think they'd be more interested in play and snack time.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

Cyndog — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 19:36:37 GMT

Yes, although I don't remember exactly how, I do remember my Barbie. My mother made her the most beautiful clothes to match the clothes she made for herself.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

Marianne1 — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 19:52:56 GMT

yes. I survived.

I had a lot of fun with my sister playing with Barbies, we were very creative in our play.

And my grandmother made us clothes for our Barbies, so it was a family activity!

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

Preds — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 19:57:35 GMT

Yep, a friend made beautful clothes for them so I liked changes their outfits all the time. Then I'd put them up and go outside to play with my Matchbox and Hot Wheels. My troll dolls were my favorites.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

151949 — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:01:14 GMT

I don't think little girls the ages of 4 to 7 are normally the ones playing with Barbies. i would think more like 10 year olds would be interested in fashion dolls and the different outfits they can wear.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

luvdoodles — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:01:47 GMT

On 3/10/2014 MomOf4 said:
No, do you?

I think she was referring to in the past and you know that. How childish of you with that answer. Maybe you meant it to be funny, but I don't think so.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

gazelle77 — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:02:21 GMT

Oh yes! I had many Barbies and all the other dolls, Skipper, Midge, Alan, Ken etc, I had several dream houses and several cars. Tons of clothes. I also had trolls galore with houses, furniture etc. My aspirations as a little girl was to be a Mommie with lots of babies .....as it turned Out I chose to be child free!

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

luvdoodles — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:13:04 GMT

On 3/10/2014 gazelle77 said: Oh yes! I had many Barbies and all the other dolls, Skipper, Midge, Alan, Ken etc, I had several dream houses and several cars. Tons of clothes. I also had trolls galore with houses, furniture etc. My aspirations as a little girl was to be a Mommie with lots of babies .....as it turned Out I chose to be child free!

I had Barbie and Ken and I forgot about Skipper until you mentioned it. Tons of clothes and shoes and the suitcases to hold everything. My daughter, who is now an adult, never really got into it. She like to play school with her best friend. It was so funny listening to them. Neither of them became teachers though.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

Jessa9 — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:16:08 GMT

Another crazy study...

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

deepwaterdotter — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:27:40 GMT

No. I grew up with two younger brothers and was more fulfilled when participating in sports and riding my bicycle.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

BeckiWV — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:36:50 GMT

Yes, my favorite toy, except for my bike, was my Barbie and her accessories.

I loved her and I never once thought I was suppose to look like her, nor did I ever form any particular career aspirations because of her.

All I wanted to do was dress her up in pretty clothes. My grandmother's friend made Barbie clothes and my grandmother would give them to me by the box full. Loved that.

These studies are ridiculous. I just wanted to play.

I wanted to be a secretary, but not because of Barbie. I was enamored with typewriters and just wanted to type on one. LOL. I also wanted to have a hat box and live in New York City.

(edited - typo)

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

magemay — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:53:19 GMT

I loved playing "Barbies", as we used to say.

I never, ever remember comparing myself or anyone else to a Barbie doll. That type of thing never crossed my mind as a child.

I also played with Match Box and Hot Wheel cars. Had all of the race tracks and accessories too. Just because I liked to play with cars didn't mean that I wanted to look like or become a stock car driver when I grew up.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

Kalli — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 21:03:11 GMT

On 3/10/2014 happy housewife said: I don't think little girls the ages of 4 to 7 are normally the ones playing with Barbies. i would think more like 10 year olds would be interested in fashion dolls and the different outfits they can wear.

That's how it was when I was young. I never had a Barbie but my friend did and we played with them until we were 13 or so. Now I notice girls around 10 or 11 don't seem interested in dolls anymore. Some are maturing physically and are interested in other stuff, social stuff, boys, etc.

-Kalli

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

gidgetgh — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 21:05:03 GMT

Heck yeah, I played with Barbie and her best friend Midge, and Ken of course. She debuted when I was 4. I had the Barbie #1. I traded her in down the line for twist and turn Barbie. This was back in the very late 50's and 60's when kids played with toys for years ad didn't grow out of things by age 6. I reluctantly stopped playing Barbies when I was 12.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

hsawaknow — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 21:05:34 GMT

I loved Barbies and still do. I created a wonderful imagination of story telling thru my dolls. I turned out ok.

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

missy1 — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 21:18:44 GMT

Yes

Re: Did you play with Barbies?

lulu2 — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 21:21:38 GMT

No, Barbie was after my doll playing days.