Re: Barbie dolls - new body shapes - Page 10

lulu2 · ‎03-09-2010

Our 3 granddaughters (ages 5-10) love Barbie. She was very big this Christmas with all of them. What attracts them to a specific doll, is what she is wearing. (particularly the color of her outfit) I doubt any of them expects to grow up looking like Barbie.

Personally I do not think most girls are necessarily attracted to dolls that resemble them. At American Girl you can choose a doll with your hair and eye color as well as your skintone. I've bought 7 "first" AG dolls. (a trying and overwhelming experience for all involved) Only a few of the girls bought a doll that reflected their coloring. When I went with 2 of my grandnieces, their mother encouraged them to choose dolls with their coloring. The younger (blond, blue eyes and fair) chose a doll with black hair, brown eyes and dark skin.

I fear these curvy Barbies will be passed by (and end up on clearance) for glamorous Barbie.

Witchy Woman · ‎03-15-2010

@SahmIam wrote:
@Witchy Woman Quickly stated, if you are 20% above the highest weight in the range for your age, build and height, you are obese. It used to be though that if you were 100 pounds or more over your weight, you're obese. Not true. What's scary is that the growing number of those overweight (which includes overweight, obese, morbidly obese, super-morbid obese, etc) are those in the morbidly obese and UP.

As for what I see and the causes; clinics and conferences that are 8 hours a day for a week only TOUCH the subject matter. It isn't one thing, it's many and it varies from person to person like hair color, skin color, religious outlook, income, etc. No one is immune.

As for my weight, I was the fat kid until I discovered sports. No issue until 6 years ago when I was in an accident. Overall I gained just over 300 pounds. I'm down 200, with another 100 to go. Many papers in this experience, let me tell ya. (I've posted quite a bit in the Weight Watchers threads).

What a remarkable effort to lose all that weight! It takes a lot of strength to continue on the journey.

My heart breaks for children who are obese. Life is hard enough without that burden.

ladyroxanne · ‎03-09-2010

regarding the new barbies.......it's a good thing they came out with them and i think it certainly took them long enough considering.

blackhole99 · ‎08-22-2013

I think I was 9 or 10 when I had a Barbie doll and the only thing I thought was different about her was her boobs. I enjoyed dressing her and trying to make clothes for her, but it never entered my head to compare myself to the doll. I know kids are more savvy about things than we were back in the day just because of todays climate. I don't think it matters one way or the other if Barbie is physically altered in any way, the fact that we make an issue of it is telling, that we as a society are very shallow and unaccepting of differences. Why do we have to make an issue of peoples physical differences to be accepting of them?

ladyroxanne · ‎03-09-2010

i had a barbie too when i was about 9 or 10 and loved all the clothes. it never occurred to me that i should look like or aspire to look or be like her in any way. she was a doll! i didn't know any women that even closely resembled her so i never had any idenity issues. LOL

Lucky Charm · ‎03-09-2010

I got my first Barbie when I was six and I loved her!

She was a platinum blonde and came in a red case.

I can't remember one outfit, but remember the spiked heeled shoes in hot pink and neon yellow. And, of course, I wore those shoes in those colors when I got older!

I knew plenty of people who looked like Barbie dolls. My two older (beautiful) sisters.

There was a Barbie will short brown hair (I think it was a version of Barbie) that reminded me of my mom. (Then--not now! lol)

My friend just sent a picture of her and her new husband (first one died about 7 years ago). She looks just like a Barbie doll and I don't think it's insulting to say that.

Some people (women) go koo koo as tho Barbie is the anti-XXXX. She's just a doll and some people happen to look like her.

I did when I had my hair super duper blonde, I'm not ashamed to say.

liliblu · ‎09-06-2011

@GingerPeach wrote:

http://time.com/barbie-new-body-cover-story/

Mattel is now offering its iconic Barbie doll in three new body shapes: curvy, tall, and petite. Time magazine's article covers all the ramifications.

There have been a lot of posts about girls not aspiring to look like Barbie. I don't think many girls/women realize how we internalize images. One poster thought Barbie is what an adult woman should look like.

I'm Black and it was almost impossible to find a Black Barbie in the 1980s. My parents wouldn't buy them or any other white dolls because none of the dolls even remotely looked like us. I remember my dad painting a princess halloween mask light brown so it would be a closer match to my skin tone. Everyone wanted to know where my parents had found the mask. Images matter. Children and adults need to see themselves in dolls and costumes. We are not outside of the norm. We are a part of this world. The products we buy should reflect that.