Hello. My name is Lauren. I'm 29 years old. And I still play with Barbies.
I have always loved Barbie Dolls. I still have mine from when I was little. They were just so much fun! Their clothes, shoes, homes, cars, hair, accessories, EVERYTHING was awesome. I still remember hoping and praying I would get Peaches n' Cream Barbie...
I never did....(a lone tear rolls down my cheek)
But I digress! My best friend Shannon and I would get all the Barbie stuff out. We go back and forth choosing our pick of Barbies, Kens, then clothes, accessories, then housing stuff. Then we'd organize everything, set up our own separate houses, then dress the dolls, do their hair, and so on. By the time we did all that, 2 hours had passed and we gave up on any sort of role playing with them. But that was okay with us- We loved them.
I've officially lost all the males who follow my blog. Sorry dudes.
Then the 90's came and once the Spice Girls showed up promoting GIRL POWER! then all of a sudden Barbie needed a makeover. Apparently this tiny little plastic doll was causing every girl in America to have a bad image complex about themselves. Barbie needed to get serious about life. She needs to have a bigger stomach, smaller chest, wider hips, and a darn good career.
Give her 10 lbs of baby weight, 3 kids, dark circles under her eyes, and a mortgage payment. That will give little girls a more accurate idea of real life.
I call horse apples on all of it. Why does everyone make such a big deal out of everything? At the end of a day it's still a doll! If your child is that confused, self-conscious, and worried about how they look then clearly there is a bigger issue at hand then BARBIE.
I'm getting off track again... So anyway, last year my friend Michelle and I went shopping for a gift for one of Hunter's little girl friends. We went through the Barbie aisle and noticed that they came out with a line called "I Can Be.... Barbie". We laughed so hard... If we are going to be picky about giving little girls a REALISTIC view of what they can be or do in life- then perhaps you should edit Barbies career choices. Let's take a look at Barbie and her line of "I Can Be..." careers...
I can be... Swim Teacher: Absolutely you can be! There is an incredible demand for swim teachers. You'll never go wrong with a career in swimming. The best part is, you don't even need to finish high school! You'll never make enough money to support yourself but the good news is that most pools have a shower area. At least you'll be shiny and clean for your students.
I can be... Pet Vet: In every 'Barbie I can be... Pet Vet' box you get the most adorable little puppy or kitten to take care of and love. It's awesome taking care of sick animals. They are so tiny and cute and cuddly! I never have to deal with any animals that could bite or harm me. I just love being a Pet Vet! And the reason I say 'Pet Vet' is because I don't know how to spell Veterinarian.
I can be... Baby Doctor: Yeah, okay. Ken's not going to support you through 7 years of medical school.
I can be... Computer Engineer: Perhaps a better career for you would be "I can be... Married to a Computer Engineer"
I can be... Race Car Driver: Hi, I'm Barbie and I drive a race car! It's pink and I've installed an additional 7 internal mirrors so I can check to make sure my lipstick is the perfect shade of pink! I don't know why everyone drives so fast on this road. SLOW DOWN PEOPLE! And is it just me or does it feel like all we're doing is driving around in circles??
I can be... Wedding Stylist: Actually, I think this is a fairly attainable career for Barbie.
I can be... News Anchor: I don't know how seriously I could take world news updates from Barbie... Reporting to you live from Libya, giving us the latest news on the capture and killing of Muammar Gaddafi is our lead News Anchor- Barbie.
"Good Evening everyone. I'm Barbie. We're here to bring you the latest on Muammar Gaddafi. Wait, wasn't that the bad guy from Aladdin??"
I can be... Bus Driver: This has to be the MOST PRACTICAL career they have in the line! Seriously. And you know what, Bus Driver Barbie is the one that always left on the shelf. Sad.
It's great that they have this "I can be..." line out- but I don't always agree with the creed- You can be anything you want to be as long as you put your mind to it! That is so not true in most cases! (No Hunter, you are not going to grow up and be Mario someday. I don't care what Luigi says.) I don't think you can ever go wrong with supporting your kids wholeheartedly and realistically encouraging them to pursue the things they are passionate about. And by doing this you end up giving them a sense of security that allows them to avoid being consumed by what society has done to body image and self worth. Then your kids can just be KIDS! Play with toys! Dress up! Make believe! Be outside enjoying everything that goes along with being a child!
I'm glad though that they've made Barbie look a bit more educated and put her in such diverse rolls. There are so many horrible role models and little girls never get a chance to be little girls anymore! Why is everyone in such a hurry to grow up? There are days I wish I had a daughter and I could take her in and let her pick out all the Barbies she wanted. Which brings me to my own Christmas Wish List for this season...
The Barbie Loves Elvis Doll.
I really want her.
Seriously.
