Barbie and I Go Way Back

 

Several weeks ago Jason and I were talking with some other adults about our children, and it somehow came up that Janae loves to watch Barbie movies. A hush fell over the group as people exchanged disapproving looks and murmured comments about the corrupting influence of Barbie (this might have only been my imagination, but it really seemed to happen!). I felt a little embarrassed, remembering that a few years ago I might have reacted the same way. I justified my decision to expose Janae to Barbie, thinking, "The Barbie of today is not the Barbie of the past" (she presents herself as a professional, encourages young girls to live up to their potential, etc., etc.), but even so, I had to admit that Barbie and I actually go way back. . . .

As a young girl, I loved playing with my Barbies (if you don't believe me, we have some excellent home movie footage to prove it!). I remember going to the toy store and staring at the new Barbies, picking out the ones I wanted. I loved dressing them, combing their hair, having them act out scenerios, setting them up for plays and dances, and even posing them for Barbie family pictures. Because my youngest sister was 5 years younger than I was, I got away with playing Barbies for a long time--well into my teenage years, in fact.

A few years passed, and I went away to university, where I majored in English and was instructed in FEMINISM. Little by little I realized that Barbie was responsible for most of the world's woes. She not only caused low self-esteem and eating disorders, she also promoted materialism, capitalism (and all of its associated evils), and male domination. Yes, Barbie was the enemy--how had I not seen it earlier? I sincerely vowed that if I ever had a daughter (which was becoming increasingly unlikely), I would keep her far away from Barbie, as well as any other pink or plastic thing.

Well, a few more years went by, and I had nieces. They played Barbies, and I had to admit, the urge to play with them was strong. I had been away from the academic world for a while (teaching first-year English courses doesn't really count), and I started to forget how bad Barbie really was. I gave in and played--acting out silly scenarios to make my nieces laugh. I had a great time.

Then one day the girls were singing and dancing to the soundtrack for a Barbie movie, The Princess and the Pauper. I was hooked. Although I only had a son at this point, I picked up a copy of Barbie in The Princess and the Pauper from a Superstore Clearance bin and kept it up on my closet shelf, just in case.

Of course, the rest is history.

 

I don't think Janae was much more than a year old when I broke out the video and watched it with her. Next it was Barbie in the Nutcracker, Barbie as Rapunzel, and (our newest favorite) Barbie and the Twelve Dancing Princesses. The other day I even found myself singing along to the Princess and the Pauper soundtrack while I was actually alone in the van.

I have to admit, I am nothing less than a Barbie fanatic.

Not in the air-head/plastic surgery/materialistic sense, of course, but I do enjoy the movies (with their music, dancing, and messages like, "Big or small there is a difference only you can make"), and I honestly don't think a little bit of exposure to Barbie is harmful.

 

So after all these years, Barbie and I have come full circle. But my feminist background has not been completely lost. I am careful to balance Janae's Barbie time with instruction in other areas like alphabet learning and discussion about true beauty coming from within.

Maybe someday she'll even co-author a "defense of Barbie" with me for a feminist academic journal.

When I brought this idea up with Janae, she looked at me very seriously for a few minutes, then said, "Where are my sparkly shoes?"

So, I guess maybe not. . . .