First Brexit and now Barbie. If nothing else I like to make my contributions to Rock My Style diverse. This feature was originally targeted solely at Rock My Family – Mabel’s Nana Debs had created various spectacular outfits for Mabel’s future collection of Barbie dolls. Subsequently I gave some consideration to the prospect of my daughter playing with/potentially aspiring to look like, Mattel’s iconic and global plastic phenomenon.
You can read more about my thoughts on the matter over on Rock My Family today. What I discovered from the associated research was frankly fascinating, and so I thought I would share with the Rock My Style community.
In the slider above you will see how Barbie’s initially pneumatic physique and facial details have changed from the 1960’s through to 2013. I wouldn’t call it dramatic by any stretch of the imagination, but with falling sales manufacturing giant Mattel have endeavoured to remodel the original 1957 blonde bombshell in recent years, with a wider waist and smaller bust being introduced in the 90’s and the addition of knickers and slightly peculiar hinged arms in 2013. Also is it me, or does the latest Barbie’s thigh gap seem even wider to you than ever before?
According to Medical Daily Barbie’s current measurements would leave her unable to lift her own head and she would be forced to walk on all fours. She would be 6ft tall, weigh 100 pounds and have a 39 inch bust, a 19 inch waist and 29 inch hips. I would hope that no young girl would ever aspire to those kinds of proportions, but then I would be naive and ignorant to ignore the fact that for decades, Barbie has been heralded as the ultimate American dream.
In 1963 Mattel introduced “Slumber Party Barbie”, not only was she accessorised with pink pyjamas and pink slippers, she also came with her own set of pink bathroom scales, set at 110 pounds. Oh and a “diet plan” that simply read “DON’T EAT”. I’m not even kidding.
Less than ten years ago, in 2007, Mattel introduced a “Growing Up Glam” line from their “My Scene” line of dolls (similar to Barbie but aimed at the tween market). You could turn a key in their back that would make them grow taller and…bustier. They did this even after pulling “Growing Up Skipper” from the shelves 30 years previously in 1975 due to (understandable) public outcry relating to Skipper’s similar body morphing ability (Skipper didn’t have a key, she was lucky enough to simply rotate her arm to increase her bra cup size).
In 2015 as a response to the increasing number of American children who are members of a minority ethnic group or race, Mattel released Barbies in seven new skin tones, 14 hairstyles, and bendable ankles so that the dolls could even wear flat shoes (!). This year sees Mattel introduce Barbies with three additional body shapes, “tall”, “petite” and “curvy”. Apparently the hashtag #theDollEvolves is part of the marketing campaign.You can have yourselves a butchers at the new models in the slider above.
When Adam and I went to Toys R US to buy a more recent Barbie for this feature (no 2 days at Rock My Ltd are ever the same you know), we found only super slender caucasian versions….perhaps the new models haven’t been released in the UK yet.
Representing more realistic shapes, sizes and skin tones can only be a positive move, but I wonder in the current climate, what with such easy access to various social media platforms full to bursting with real girls who have photoshopped/face-tuned/dieted to make themselves look like their perception of the female ideal, it’s all too little too late.
I’ve got to admit, the thought of Mabel being surrounded by this world that is seemingly dominated by celebrity and the way you look, fills me with fear.
Given the choice I would much rather she play make-believe with Barbie (yes, even the older more ridiculous version) than spend any time at all obsessing over the contents of Facebook.
Please please do discuss in the comments section below.
RESOURCES: medicaldaily.com | Fortune.com | entrepreneur.com
In the 1980s/90s my mum disagreed with the concept of Barbie so I was only allowed them if they were ethnically diverse. So I had a black Barbie, (Christina) a black Ken (Steven) and a phillapino Barbie (can’t remember her name). This in addition to my 2 black dollies one of which belonged to my mum. Clearly trying to have socially responsible toys went back a few generations in our family!
Claire, I also had a black baby doll called Chloe who I adored. I could never understand why non of my friends didn’t have one. She was the best xx
Charlotte you are spot on with the final paragraphs. Bravo.
Also I hate Toys R Us. It is a gender segregated pit of hell.
“It is a gender segregated pit of hell” this did make me laugh out loud. I find it very daunting in there….so.much.stuff. And Mabel is always trying to get herself on the display slide…or the display bicycles. I dread the place.
And the jingle! The endless jingle. How the staff stay sane I do not know.
I adored my Barbies growing up. I thought they were beautiful – but even at age 7/8/9?? (It is me or are kids moving on from these toys much earlier than we did before?) I knew she wasn’t real and didn’t look like anyone I knew. I never thought I would grow up to have permanently arched feet ready for heels. I thought she was amazing; she was a doctor, a vet, a business woman and a rock star (oh Barbie and the Rockers how I loved you!).
I think its far more damaging the representations for our children today – with real people and real celebrities giving a dangerous message about how we should treat and view our bodies. I find more horror in Kim Kardashian than a plastic doll.
LJ yes I feel the same, I also thought my Barbie was beautiful, but very much in a Disney/cartoon esque way. I also loved Jessica Rabbit – but I never thought I would ever look like that in real life, or aspired to either (!)
I loved my barbies growing up but not to the point that I’d play only with them and nothing else. If anything I was more of a fan of playmobil and lego and I ALWAYS had my head in at least one book.
Like LJ commented above, there was no woman in my life then (nor has there been since), that looked like the doll and I never developed any unrealistic expectations as to what this is what I would/should look like. She was simply a doll and a make-believe one at that.
Like you say Charlotte it is far more damaging – yes even to adults- to be constantly bombarded with these images of ‘perfection’ that flood Facebook and Instagram. I do wonder what our world will look like in twenty years time and whether we’ll be proud of it.
Lolly I can’t even imagine, how many more social media platforms can be invented?! How will anyone have the time?
It’s enough to make you want your littles to not have access to online media for as long as possible. But I know that’s incredibly unrealistic.
I had a couple of Barbies when I was little (including the black Barbie) and for me the fun was in dressing them up/making outfits for them.
As mentioned above, I never held saw her an idealistic figure (aside from the extensive wardrobe ?).
I also don’t see the difference between Barbie who has long been held up as the pinnacle of unrealistic body types and the Disney princesses etc (have you seen the size of the little mermaids waist??!?). Children are, in my experience, pretty good at understanding ‘real’ and ‘pretend’.
As mentioned in other posts, more worrying are the Victoria Secret models, Kim K’s etc being held up by media as aspirational body types.
What I find even more odd about the Victoria’s Secret situation is how many of the models openly admit to the gruelling work out regime and “liquid” diet they embark on pre-show. In a way I suppose at least they are honest about it, i.e. not one of these “Oh I eat and drink what I want” nonsense, but at the same time I wonder if this also encourages young girls to essentially not eat. Such a minefield.
I loved my barbie and to this day ( i’m 22 and should definitely not care), I am still upset about the fact that i ruined my first barbie,songbird Barbie dress with a wax crayon on a hot day.
Honestly I don’t think they gave me any unrealistic expectations, social media and the general culture as a teenager did. I went to an all girls school in the midlands and whilst it was an amazing school and taught me a lot about independence and achieving what i wanted in life, i won’t lie and say that it didn’t breed a need for perfection in all areas. However, it was more social media than the teachers at that school that taught the need for a perfect image. I would say my generation are the first to really suffer this growing up as facebook came into real being around the time i was 14 and snapchat at 18 so social media was a major influence, both positive and not so positive. It certainly leaves me feeling less than perfect when you see your feed filled with *perfect* lives, be it boyfriends, jobs, bodies and holidays. Usually at that point i walk outside into a field and remember I live in the Cotswolds, and whilst i maybe single and still living at home, life could be way worse.
Having said all of that I am still sad that unlike my barbies my clothes don’t deliberately change colour when I wash them, likewise with my hair.
xx
Ps. Did anyone else desperately plead for holiday barbie every christmas?
Amelia, I asked for holiday Barbie EVERY Christmas. I remember the one with the red gown, she was so festive (!)
I was already in my 20’s when Facebook was launched, I can’t say I’ve ever been a very regular user – and even then only because it it so intrinsic to my business/Rock My Ltd. I can’t begin to imagine how it might effect a 14 year old.
Do you use snapchat? We don’t have it for the business – we feel the demographic (from the stats we’ve researched) simply isn’t right, present company not included of course.
The Cotswolds is beautiful, what a wonderful place to grow up x
The velvet red one with the cape with the cream fluffy bit. They still sell them in Hamleys!!
Quite a big effect, to be honest it’s not something I do, i don’t have it. It just got too depressing. I am more about snapchat, instagram and pinterest. Snapchat just works easily in my life and seems less show offy and more fun. Pinterest is amazing for that “omg, my capsule wardrobing may have gone too far and how do i make a breton fun again for the 16th time this month?” And instagram for the food!!!
It really was and still is. There are some beautiful places to visit and I am very lucky, even if I do get snowed in in winter!
Yes Amelia THAT one! Gosh wish I’d kept them all, would be worth a fortune (!)
How do you make Breton cool again for the 16th time this month, I think I need tips 🙂 x
Yeah it was in hamleys for £150 in their vintage Barbie section. I resisted. Thinking about it the biggest thing I learnt was that Barbie could do anything in a skirt and I’m pretty sure until the age of 11 all I wore was skirts because of it.
Pretty sure the answer is accessories, particularly lipstick- love a bright red! Although my friends have now nick named me wally after I turned up to the pub in a Breton, jeans and a bobble hat the other day because my hair was yuck!
Xx
As a child I had a Barbie but found her boring!! I was much more into sylvanian families and I think it was because they came in different breeds of animal and therefor offered more diversity which intrigued me more.
On the subject of social media, while I think its incredible the way people meet and strike up conversations on there I think it can be so isolating too. Sometimes flicking through peoples seemingly perfect existence on Instagram can become nauseating and I don’t think it is a true representation of real life in any way shape or form xx
Helen I also had Sylvania families, I love the caravan with the badger family, they used to have such exciting adventures (!)
Social Media is a very edited version of life, but I do wonder whether some girls/boys are simply too young and naive to truly appreciate that x
I agree with most that’s already been said here, I inherited quite a few Barbie’s from a neighbour’s daughter and I enjoyed playing with them – or building houses/dens etc for them. Overall, I preferred Lego, Playmobil, books or just being outside, but I grew up with an older brother in a small town.
I do remember a moment in school though when I was about 11/12 though (and I’m 35 now) when one of the girls said Barbie had the ideal physical shape. Our (female) teacher was horrified and tried to get a sensible discussion going but I think we were all a bit too young to really see her points. Interestingly, that girl grew up to a stunning woman – but with a diet plan and physical shape very similar to Barbie.
I’m hoping that the selfie and empty celebrity craze will run its course eventually and be replaced by something else, these things usually are. I hope….
I loved my Barbies as a kid – my favourite was a toss up between Peaches and Cream Barbie and Valentines Barbie, who had a ballgown with a red bodice and a white net skirt with red velvet hearts (or flock hearts, more accurately). SO. ’80s. Anyone else remember the hole in her hand that you could push a ‘diamond’ ring into? I also had (flat-chested) Skipper and Ken.
I must say that Barbie definitely didn’t affect my body image in the way that real women in the media did. I never envied her figure in the same way I aspired to look like Kylie! But girls seem to become body conscious so much younger these days…as mummy to a girl I do worry about this. I can only hope that I succeed in teaching her that there is more to life than face contouring and cleavage. 🙂
Tracy! Your post has bought back so many memories! Gosh turns out I had way more Barbies than I initially remembered. I used to bloody love that ring, but wasn’t it teeny?!
Also with you on the Kylie thing, although to be fair to her I don’t think as a celebrity she’s ever exploited her body in an OTT or unhealthy way ever, she’s clearly very naturally petite and pretty. I wish there were more like her. i.e., natural and more private than most.
x
Valentines Barbie was my favourite! I wanted that dress so much for myself!
I, for some reason, only had Disney barbie dolls, Pocahontas being my absolute favourite closely followed by Ariel (I am a red head after all), although I am pretty sure she got a hair cut at some stage. For years I loved them, I learned to plait on Pocahontas’ long black hair, but I am never sure I ever wanted to look like them. The tiny feet did fascinate the tiny me, though. I also never wanted to look like my cabbage patch kid or polly pocket….
I, like others, would be far more worried about the ever present media. You used to be able to just not read ‘those’ magazines or papers, even turn off your TV. But you get bombarded with everything on your phone, adverts when trying to keep up with friends on facebook, trashy news stories when snapping a friend a picture of something that made you think of them, ‘teatoxes’ when you simply want to show the world the amazing breakfast you had on instagram. 😛 🙂 x)
My Mum hated Barbies and Sindy, so steered me towards My Little Pony and Rainbow Bright instead, So deprived 😉
This link isn’t about Barbie dolls, but Bratz – but oh my goodness, how lovely are these transformations?
http://treechangedolls.tumblr.com/
What a lovely idea. I am all over this. My attempts will probably only be fit to be played with on Halloween but it’s the thought that counts, right?
Barbie was my favourite. I had so many of them and the camper van and Ferrari!!! I just loved dressing the dolls up and the only body aspiration I had from Barbie while I was young was wanting boobs ha ha!
Have you heard about Lottie dolls? They’re body-proportionate dolls based on measurements of a typical 9 year old. It’s what I’ll be aiming for if my child would like to play with dolls!
So many memories on here!
I loved my Barbies – my auntie lived in Canada so birthday and Christmas presents were little parcels of Barbie and Ken outfits that came with their own hangers! Ken even had a monogrammed tracksuit and loafers (purple and yellow, since you asked), how modern.
My Barbies were second hand – I remember going to a car boot with my Mum and coming back with 2 and being so excited. What’s funny is I remember being annoyed every time I changed her outfit as her swimsuits/tops/skinny jeans used to be such a struggle to get on over her giant gangly limbs and I used to think ‘god I hope it’s not this annoying when I grow up!’ HA!
I haven’t read all the comments above so I apologise if this has been said. However, the thing that strikes me is how I wish these ‘figures’ would promote a healthier role model for young girls which is not solely focused on image, clothes and materialistic things. It would be great to see more figures aimed at widening a young girls perspective on important, female roles to try and lessen the gap in gender stereotypes. Why not a lawyer barbie, or surgeon barbie, or firefighter barbie!
I had one Sindy and one Barbie, but much preferred Sindy as she didn’t look quite to manic! She did rock a beautiful frock though, although I remember losing her diamanté slipper in Granny’s sheepskin rug on Christmas Day, which frankly ruined the rest of the Festive Period.
I certainly don’t remember any childhood ambitions to resemble either Sindy or Barbie, but I did wonder why they both had ‘yellow’ hair, as mine seemed dull and brown in comparison.
I never really liked Barbie, so I never actually owned one as a child as I way preferred Sindy and her fractionally more realistic look! Funnily enough I’ve recently found my entire childhood collection of Sindy dolls (including miniature knitwear hand-crafted by my grandmother; so dedicated!) and am amazed at how well they have lasted, and how well I apparently looked after them! The oldest must be over 30 years old (yeek, I’m old enough to say that!!) Needless to say, my five year old [twin] daughters were so desperate to play with them that I put in a request for a couple of Barbie’s at Christmas (sadly Sindy didn’t last!) via the grandparents, for them to have instead – I’m not ready to hand them just on yet! I have to admit that I was really disappointed in the modern day versions of Barbie. Some of their limbs are sort of fixed in place and they’re almost contorted to stand in set positions and, in my humble opinion, really not much fun to play with.
Anyways, have you heard of ‘Lottie’ dolls?? They’re fab! With a design based on the physique of a 9-year old girl, who likes to look for fossils, and do karate, as much as she likes to ride ponies and go to festivals, they’re the perfect size for little hands and are a far better image for little ones to aspire to, if that is indeed a worry. They have different hair colours, skin tones and there is even a boy version too! Highly recommend them!
http://uk.lottie.com/