Barbie(s) on Pixabay

“Live your dream.” ~ Barbie, in The Princess and The Pauper

“What makes you different just might be your greatest strength.” ~ Barbie, in A Mermaid Tale

“True courage is pursuing your dream, even when everyone else says it’s impossible.” ~ Barbie, in Barbie and The Three Musketeers

When I was a little girl, The Ginny Doll was all the rage. She was a little girl doll that had wardrobe items and accessories to set a child’s heart atwitter.  And because Ginny was prepubescent, there were few if any issues with body image. Ginny was a step up from the baby dolls my friends and I played with, albeit more fashionable and pricier. I had only one Ginny Doll with limited outfits and accessories, while some of my friends from more lenient (and well-to-do) families had much larger collections of dolls and accoutrements. (I’m still somewhat bitter about that. Kidding. I got over it in my 30s.) There was also the Jill Doll, a grownup version of Ginny. I had one of those dollies, too, and (again) just enough outfits and accessories to get her through a day and evening…or maybe a few – whatever. 🙂

Enter Barbie

By the time Barbara Millicent Roberts  – AKA “Barbie”  entered the scene in 1959, I was through with dolls and had turned my attention to boys (I had strict limits set on that, as well!).

I did, however, wind up having a complicated history with Barbie.

At first, I was in the camp that thought Barbie dolls were shaped unrealistically for young girls’ self-image and self-esteem. Reportedly, Barbie was modeled after movie stars, and even then her shape was pretty unrealistic and, thus, unattainable. According to a recent New York Times article, “The neck of a life-size Barbie would be too thin to support her head, and her torso would have room for only half a liver.” Of course, most dolls — male or female — are not usually anatomically correct, and that includes Barbie’s friend, Kenneth Sean Carson – AKA “Ken”.  But for many women, especially moms, Barbie was over the top for a kid’s toy.

Thus, when our daughter came along, I was strongly opposed to getting a Barbie for her. That decision was taken out of my hands when our four-year-old, on various occasions, was gifted several Barbies along with outfits and accessories by moms of her playmates. The damage done, I didn’t have the heart to deny our daughter when her friends had Barbies; what would playdates be like if she were left out? So, the proverbial Barbie barn door had been opened and my little one was hooked.

Of course, our friends knew better than to give our daughter a Barbie doll! At least, I think so. It’s possible that one or more might have slipped a Barbie in at some point…

That all aside, from my own experience and observing my daughter, a major part of the fun of playing with dolls is the social aspect — playing with friends who have similar dolls so they can compare, swap, borrow and dress their dollies together. That inclusion can be very good — or it can be a tad bad, depending on the group and the emergence of any green-eyed monsters: “I want a pink car like Kelly’s Barbie has!” That’s just an example; my daughter never said that (lest she takes me to task)! As well, playing with dolls can be a lovely solitary pastime, allowing a child’s imagination to soar! (For the record, though, when I visited with or babysat for my bestie’s little sons, I also enjoyed playing with their toy cars and gas stations!)

For unlike baby dolls that showed little girls how to be mothers, Barbie showed little girls what they could be when they grow up — beautiful, glamourous, independent and, yes (sigh), materialistic.  Barbie was simply more exciting than baby dolls. And despite the dismay over the negative impact that Barbie’s image could have on our daughters, moms (including yours truly), grandmas, godmothers, aunties, etc., enjoyed the guilty pleasure of helping their little girls collect accessories (furniture, sports cars, etc.) and outfits and dress their Barbies and engage in that wonderful imaginative play right along with the kids. (Heaven forgive us.)

A New Career Barbie

But, then, Barbie changed! She became a feminist and career woman, pursuing careers in nearly every profession and industry. She became a business executive, sports star, medical professional, entertainer, retail worker, entrepreneur, astronaut and UNICEF ambassador! She joined law enforcement and the military. She scuba-dived in the deep blue sea and along with Ken joined the Star Trek crew to go where no woman has gone before! She became a superhero (in 1995)! The list goes on. Barbie became a different kind of doll role model to young girls, providing inspiration for what their professional futures could be. Along the way, she acquired a new body — several, in fact — that looked more “real world.”  

In particular, I appreciated that Barbie headlined a Pink Power Lunch to dispense career and business advice to women, as I have for many years. I kind of bonded with Barb over that move. In light of all the swirl around the release of Barbie, the movie, maybe it’s time for another PPL! 

Best Day Ever (To See A Movie!)

Speaking of the movie, if you are trying to make up your mind which summer blockbuster to see, here is one viewer’s review of Barbenheimer: “I saw Barbie and Oppenheimer opening weekend — and one is obviously better.” Hmmm…wonder which one it could be? I did read that Barbie has been beating the pants off of Oppenheimer at the box office. But, then, Barbie’s a businesswoman, so…duh. 

And because Barbie is a shrewd businesswoman, some of her dolls are worth a small fortune today — for those smart enough or lucky enough to have held on to theirs over the years. Our family has various kinds of dolls that were popular in their heyday, but their monetary worth is in question because they have been a bit too well loved and played with. Their hand-me-down worth, however, is priceless.

Meanwhile, as Barb is busy breaking box office records today, I will wait patiently for her movie to come to streaming, and according to the rave reviews that’s what my eyes will be doing from laughing and crying. 

Apparently, Oppenheimer is also a brilliant film, so I’m sure I’ll see it. too. For now, though…dolls over nukes, any old best day ever!  

 Until next time,

Jeanne