Ever since the big-breasted, long-legged, trendy-dressing Barbie first hit the scene in 1959, Barbie has caused quite a stir. She often gets blamed for spawning sexually oriented questions.
Many religious groups have banned the ultra-chic doll, saying she’s drawing children toward the life of sluts and whores.
Children have dolls to play with, but dolls are also for educational purposes.
Take the Betsy-Wetsy doll. There are many variations on the theme, but the general idea is to educate children about the needs of a baby. This may be because of an upcoming addition, or maybe parents just want to teach their children to be nurturing.
While no one disputes that Barbie is a bit unrealistic, I still think that she can be of use if handled correctly. All girls do eventually hit puberty, and I think a fully developed woman doll can be used to explain that process.
Most of what is so scary about puberty is that children are often unprepared, or they don’t know what to expect. With more mothers working outside the home, it can be difficult to find the time to correctly teach children about the “birds and the bees.”
Of course, throwing a little girl in a room full of bras will not make her understand the process. However, playing with Barbie and baby dolls can help her understand that it is not something nasty. If a child grows up thinking development is perfectly natural, then she is less likely to have self-esteem problems when she does start changing.
In fact, the Barbie line has recently been expanded to include roles that Barbie traditionally wouldn’t have played. For example, there is medical doctor Barbie and schoolteacher Barbie, along with an astronaut and a veterinarian doll.
This can be used to teach that women are equal to men in what they can do in the workplace. Parents can teach their daughters that she can do whatever she wants to do in life, just like Barbie. Children have wonderful imaginations, so “career versions” of Barbie can get them thinking big from an early age.
Barbie has even taken on a different look as Native American Barbies and Polish Barbies were produced. This can teach little girls that it’s OK to have friends from different ethnic backgrounds and that other cultures are different and interesting to learn about.
While Barbie is obviously unrealistic with her big chest and long legs, if balanced with other dolls of natural proportions, there is no need to automatically assume that children who play with Barbie will develop eating disorders or demand breast implants. Having Barbie is no different than the magazines to which Mom subscribes that lay around the house for the daughter to see.
Our society pushes a certain image on girls, but she’ll have to learn to deal with it sooner or later. Parents might as well take an active role in teaching their daughters that yes, Barbie is thin and pretty; however, you don’t have to be thin to be pretty.
It is better to be open to these discussions than try to shield a child from them. To do that only alienates the child from the parent and increases the chance of the child avoiding the parent when a problem does arise.
Jana Hatcher is a junior political science and psychology major. She can be reached at [email protected].