Barbie's New Bod, BFD
The new Barbie mimics the fashion of our times - what's so healthy about that?
Translating Barbie's plastic proportions into human being terms is a favorite pastime of eating disorder activists and other anti-Barbie crusaders; estimates have put the doll's life-size bust between 38 and 40 inches, her waist at 18-24 inches, and her height between five and a half and an outlandish more than seven feet, with a weight of 110 pounds. Need some help visualizing that? Imagine Anna Nicole Smith's breasts, suspended above Kate Moss' waist (after a fast) all resting comfortably on Cheryl Miller's frame (after a mid-life growth spurt).
Why is Mattel remolding Barbie? Her manufacturer says that complaints about Barbie's unrealistic proportions have nothing to do with it. "Our intention is for her to have more of a teenage physique," says Mattel spokesperson Lisa McKendall. "In order for hip-huggers [the new doll's debut outfit] to look right, Barbie needs to be more like a teen's body. The fashions teens wear now don't fit properly on our current sculpting."
The question of how many teen bodies "look right" in hip-huggers didn't seem to occur to Mattel. When asked if younger girls would identify more with Barbie's new teen-like body, McKendall replied only that the "reality of fashion" was dictating the change.
Mattel isn't remodeling Barbie out of a sudden recognition that young girls might learn some false lessons from her absurd proportions, or out of contrition for years of pretending that Barbie doesn't have the cultural effect that so many people believe she does. Nope; they're doing it because Barbie's big bustline is outdated. If you don't count porn and "Baywatch", there's not a lot of call for the 38-18-24 look right now. Slim-hipped, perpetually adolescent bodies, though -- we got plenty: Heroin chic may be on the way out, but its I-haven't-eaten-since-1987 legacy lingers on. Fashion, in clothing and bodies, has passed Barbie by. Now she's racing to keep up. If consumers want to believe that Mattel cares about the emotional health of American women, well, that's just icing on the marketing plan.
At the opposite end of the spectrum from Barbie, new or old, is Ruby, a pudgy doll featured in ads and posters for The Body Shop, which has long sought to use self-esteem as a selling point. The Ruby ad, which has appeared on posters and magazines including the current issue of Mother Jones reads, "There are 3 billion women who don't look like supermodels and only 8 who do. Love your body". [Editor's note: Body Shop CEO Anita Roddick is a board member of, and contributor to, The Foundation for National Progress, the parent organization of Mother Jones and the MoJo Wire.] "Ruby started as humor, teasing traditional notions of how women are presented," says spokesperson Paulette Cleghorn. And clearly, women are looking for a tweak of the skin and bones look that's everywhere these days. "We've had a huge response -- positive, positive, positive --to Ruby," says Cleghorn. So much so that the Body Shop is considering manufacturing Ruby, who so far has appeared only in print.
What does Mattel think of Ruby? "Yes, I'm familiar with it," says McKendall. Any comment? "No. But our legal department is looking into it from a trademark perspective."
Barbie's negative effects on women's feelings about their bodies are a well-worn cliché -- but, like so many clichés, this one has a truth at its heart. Barbie may not be the cause of eating disorders and body hatred, but her universally recognizable profile makes her a flashpoint, an image of female perfection, a symbol of the drawbacks of any such images, and a convenient scapegoat for our cultural troubles with them. Regardless of Mattel's stated motivation for the new body, the new doll won't be any more positive for women than the old.
Barbie's exact new proportions, which Mattel is keeping secret until she is released, will doubtless be translated into human pounds and inches for further "can you believe it" rhetoric. But it barely matters whether those measurements will be attainable by average girls. Clothing fashion is dictating Barbie's shape. Which makes the point once more that in our market-driven world, women's very flesh, not just their clothes, is subject to cultural whim. Women still try to reshape their bodies for clothing. It won't be the other way around until we stop expecting dolls--skinny and busty or proportionally size 16 -- to set an example.
Lisa Jervis is the editor of Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture, an uppity little 'zine printed on pulped trees.
Page 1 of 1 
I THINK BARBIE SHOULD BE BANNED!AND I AM DOING A DEBATE.
BARBIES BODY MAKES ME FEEL SICK I DONT WANA LOOK LIKE THAT.
SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS MAJOR PROBELM!!!!
NOW!
YEAH STRAIGHT UP TO THE DAYZ I REALLY WISH I NEVER PLAYED WITH ONE.
IT HAS EFFECTS IN THE LONG RUN!
i think it is awfull what the effects of barbie has on young girls around the world. At this moment im writting a speech for a school project on the dangers of the stereo type barbie .
i am disagreeing with this only because i am doing a debate on it an i am on the negative side.
barbie is a horrible piece of s*** and she shud burn in h*** sorry if i have offended anyone and sarah i fink i kno u r u from nz???
lataysha gobn h hhhgbg khhfhb jarxv orj
What's so scary about a doll? I played with Barbie when I was a child, and I doubt that most little girls get scary side effects from it.
Oh get over it! She's a bloody doll for petes sake.
BARBIE IS NOT A GOOD INFLUENCE TO YOUNG GIRLS SO WHY CAN'T THEY BAN THEM. THEY MAKE THE YOUNG GIRLS LOOK AT A BAD IMAGE FOR WHEN THEY'RE OLDER.
u barstard she should not be banned biches
you people are ridiculous. sure barbie isnt as realistic as she could be, but what about bratz? they have massiver heads on tiny bodies.. so whats the difference there?
barbie is a successful woman who has achieved so much in her life, all while keeping her independance with her boyfriend ken. whats so wrong about a doll when she is clearly a wonderwoman?
your losers, just coz your not happy with the way you look dont go blaming barbie.
I just saw a commercial for the new Barbie (7-31-07) and I have to say ... she looks like Hooker Barbie... I will not buy these ones for my daughter. I thought the Bratz Dolls were bad, but these ones are even worse. I had no problem with the way they looked before, so the dolls are slim, who cares.. But I will not have her ( my daughter ) playing with a doll that looks like it should be standing on a street corner!!
Learn to communicate to children about self worth,and this so called major concern will take care of it's self. Futhermore, any young lady that finds themself inpired by a plastic doll has bigger issues, and should seek professional help immediately.
I think that if your children are looking up to a doll as a sole role model in their lifes you parents have something more serious to be concerned about. If parents are doing their jobs in society and raising children with high self-esteem and self-love we wouldn't have to be concerned with the image of a doll. Focus on that.
you have lovely things and beautiful barbies.
i cant see how you have all got so irate about it!! if some one gave you a pill tomorrow and said when you wake up after taking it your look like barbi!! you would ALLLLL want 1!!
oh and 1 more thing... barbi is a doll!! you do all know this right? you need to stop over reacting!!
Who cares? Obviously you have some body image problems and are using the barbie body to get them out. The only reason people now a days are having issues with the barbie body is because of all the hype to look perfect. I played with them when I was a kid and never once did I say "Oh I wish I had barbie's body. Get over it and get on a treadmill.
well said!!! i could not have responded to these comments any better!!!!!
well said!!! i could not have responded to these negative comments about BARBIE any better!!!!!
I debate all the time on both sides of the issue of many issues including this one. I do, however, realize that no matter what I might be debating I have a brain and can think my own thoughts.
You're on the negative side of a debate and so what you lose your mind and freewill? Get a brain for gods sake.
I think barbies are just dolls, and i do not think they have any affect on young girls... It is society that has an affect on everyone... Don't blame a toy.
Your all just jealous of Barbie! She's blonde, tanned, and very pretty! If you havnt worked out that her body shape is impossible then more fool you. Barbie is a fantasy figure, created for kids to let there imaginations flow! I played with Barbie as a young girl and in no way has it ever affected me. Ive been fat, I've been thin, and never did I blame it on Barbie. Wake up and smell the plastic people, cause that's all it is!
Wow. Good for you.
We are in no way jealous of Barbie. We just don't want the kids being set a bad example by the...toothpick. If you like her so much, don't visit the Barbie-critic website. And she does not have a fantasy figure; having a body so thin you need to move on all fours to move is not considered a fantasy figure. And guess what? It ain't hot. It ain't even okay. Its sick. And guess what? You may not be affected by the stupid doll, but adolescents are. So go play with you precious Barbie dolls if you love them so much, and leave the protesting to us, okay, hun?
I'm 5 foot 10 and weigh 119 pounds. i've never been on a diet and i dont care about my weight. this i just how i am naturally. even if when i have tried to put on weight i can't. i think that you should stop blasting thin people because you are making them feel bad about themselves when there is not always something that they can do about it. you should be fair. all body types are okay and everyone should be accepted for what they want to be or what they want to look like.
I think that every single one of u r [deleted]ing retarted .. u all need a life .. who gets on these sites .. unless they r havin 2 do a stupid [deleted]in research like me n the 11th grade!! people like u disgust me i want 2 vomit!!! have a great day and goo masterbate ! itll make u feel better!
i thnks barbie has bad influence on men because there women to live up to the fastay that women shoule be a supermodel.tall ,skinny thin,goodlooking,young,long blonde hair. the most shallow men fancy women like this. which is most unfair to rest of us.who have suffer this.
which is very cruel to us who don,t like a barbie doll that we should over some plastic bimbo .
Barbie has brang more good into girls' lives than bad. She has more been a friend than a rolemodel, and if she was ur rolemodel good 4 u! she's always smiling! If barbie was fat like 90 % of the people on this page no one would buy her and thats just the facts. you can't ban barbie u idiots, she a part of history, a part of Americana! You only are effected by her body if you let it be!
I grew up with barbie. It's true that Barbie has bad porportions, but bratz are not much better. As a child I saw these rail thin supermodel and heard that I had to be that to be pretty from the media. I know that's not true, but children are very impressionable. We really need more plus sized models (oh did you know that to qualify to be a pluss sized model, you can be a size ten). I weigh 140 lbs, and I am qualified to be a plus sized model .What knid of society do we live in? As long as your healthy and happy, who cares? Just be happy as who you are.
i was love barbie and i was had over 100 barbie doll and had barbie bedroom and i had it barbie doll. not i have barbie bacuse i not like barbie now i love bratz.
I think barbie should look like normal people. Most girls play with barbie and look up to her. They grow up wanting to look like Barbie, causing eating diorders and a decline in confidence.
ccncjvjbmvv,bvkvblv[c;bv,bjvmffg
vfhdnvhvnvlcjccfhbvvbvhvffnvvv
ncufnvjvifkvvm nvovmffnffigfnf
fjjbnbmvifnirydodlpjvnifnfhfn vmjvm vj
mjin nvikkmvif
Eww who would name a band after barbie
You can always choose to NOT buy it. Just remember it's a doll, it's plastic.
... I never did understand what it is that makes Barbie pretty. Her body type (the old one) isn't sexy. It's just weird. O_o I've seen pictures of a woman with her exact body type, only her waist was 15 inces, not 18. It was odd-looking. I never aspired to have Barbie's body when I was little. Nor did I aspire to have her facial features. I did like her hair though, but because I wanted her hair on my own head.
Even though I'm female... I also never really found long skinny legs attractive either, nor long skinny arms. Sure sometimes I wish I had them only because it seems like the only cute clothes out there are for people who are 20 lbs thinner than Kate Moss.
It's just so strange though... in the 30's, 40's, and 50's you were beautiful at a size 12, in the 60's and 70's you were beautiful at a size 10, 90's you were beautiful at a size 6. Now you're considered chubby and ugly at a size 4. I don't get it. I dread the day (which is probably very soon) when a size 2 is considered plus-size.
I'm not gonna blame Barbie for that though.... because she's not to blame. You can't blame a doll for that.
Oops.... I meant but NOT because I wanted her hair on my own head. I never wanted Barbie's hair for myself either, like with the rest of her.
Barbie is the perfect role model 4 every girl! Whatever size she may be, barbie represents perfection in every way, a role model. Everyone should look up 2 her cause by aiming 4 ultimate perfection if you mess up atleast you won't ruin your life. Barbie used to inspire girls 2 be doctors, lawyers, dentists, teachers, business women etc. all successful people to date, an independant woman who can take care of herself and doesn't need Ken 2 support her! A woman who expressed individuality and does not need 2 be around friends all the time 2 be comfortable; something seldom seen in today's world. Barbie taught girls they could be anything they wanted (not only fashion designers) and portrayed the sense that every girl is a princess and no one is inferior. What is so wrong with that Barbie. Just because that might not be what grabs the attention of the youths today why can't it still be used? Aren't the youths today interested in drugs and alcohol? Must we provide that as well? Aren't the rate of STD's increasing? Teenage Pregnancy? Must we just sit back and adjust to what's popular by creating what is supposedly "attractive" to today's children? Barbie, the old Barbie was someone needed in every girls' life and if no one wants her anymore then don't make her but don't strip her of her dignity...
Barbie is a DOLL...
If you are going to ban her, then say goodbye to every popstar and actress and model... say goodbye to TV, Movies, Music, Magazines, Make-up. Say goodbye to everything.
Hell all this other stuff causes more trouble then a stupid plastic doll.
I played with barbie and I don't regret it, I renamed my favourite one AJ, she had curly hair and came with a pony I called Thunder. It was a toy, I never looked at her and thought I want a body like hers, I looked at her and though she doesn't look human.
People say they want more realistic dolls to give thier children, yet they don't want them to be too sexualised or humanised really. People come in all diffrent shapes and sizes one doll can't incorperate EVERYONE.
FOR ALL WHO SAY ITS JUST A PLASTIC DOLL AN SAY GET OVER IT, IT MORE THEN A KIDS TOY SYMBOLIZES WAT AMERICAN SOCIETY IS TODAY, PROBABLY ALOT OF U DNT NO THAT THE BARBIE WAS DESIGNED BY A MAN WHO MADE WEAPON FOR WAR... HOW IRONIC IS THAT! NO WONDER BARBIE LOOKS THE WAY SHE LOOKS, AN GUY SET THE STANDARD FOR WAT A WOMAN SHUD LOOK LIKE, SHES NOT SUCCESFUL IN HER CAREERS CAUSE IF U DIDNT NO PROFESSIONAL BARBIES R WAT MATTEL HAS LOW SALES ON! I HEAR PEOPLE SAYIN SHES PRETTY UR JEALOUSE GET OVR IT ON THE PAGE, WAT SAYS SHES PRETTY... U... DEFINE PRETTY?? AN UR PROBABLY THINKIN THIS GRL MUST BE FAT IF SHES HATIN ON A PLASTIC DOLL WELL NO IM THIN BUT THAT 2 ME AINT NOTHIN CAUSE WAT CAN BE THIN TO SOME1 MAYB UGLY TO OTHER. WE WOMAN COME IN DIFFERENT SHAPES BUT U CANT B SO NAIVE AN SAY ITS JUS A DOLL CUS ITS MORE THEN THAT. BARBIE HAS DIGNITY.. WAT HAPPEND TO SHES JUST PLASTIC. IM ALL FOR BEIN REAL BUT IF UR GOIN TO PUT BOOBS ON A FEMALE DOLL THEN Y DOESNT KEN HAVE A DICK... WATS MORE SPECIAL OR SACRID OF A MALES BODY PART THEN A WOMANS??
IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT
IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT....
1. Barbie was created by a woman-there is a book about her and barbie
2. common sense- some parents are dumb because if they dont like their child playing with barbies DONT BUY THEM DUH. BE CONSIDERATE THERE ARE STILL COLLECTORS LIKE ME IN THE WORLD
3. fat people should not complain because they are the ones deciding to sit around and not excersise
4. in this hard hitting truthful world- barbie's image is pretty and i would want my daughter to look like her than some fat a**
5. girls usually become anorexic because people call them fat or are fat- not because barbies body. in my opinion barbie actually has an average womans body. s**t it seems like all the haters are trying to say they want everyone in the whole world to be fat and ugly just cause they messed up their own image along the way of growing up
I think that's funny you said barbie has boobs but ken doesn't have genitals. Um.. barbie doesn't have a genitalia either. And ken does have pecs. If they want to give ken man boobs, then they can, but neither one has genitalia.
If you don't like the doll, don't buy it. Simple as that.
Well..
this is amazing. barbie is cool, okay? i played with her andd had fun. kids that little that play with them dont look up to them. and by the time they figure out WHAT THAT MEANS they dont want to play with them anymore.
so just stop. oh and FYI the creator was a girl or woman with a family of two kids and a husband.
READ UP.
:P
This is rediculous I can't believe fat disgusting people are trying to blame barbie now to. Stop siting around trying to make the world believe its ok to be fat and nasty instead of talking about barbie go take a long run or something! You people are sick!
