I think it's time we stop scapegoating Barbie just because she
is an inanimate object, safely mute to feeling depression or guilt. Her plastic legs--however unnaturally shapely
they be--are not Roman arches made to withstand the envy with which we dislike
ourselves. She is not some architectural
design meant to hold the weight of ubiquitous physical insecurities.
I grow weary of people talking about how Barbie's proportions
are inaccurate. Where proportion is out
of whack is in how much blame we attribute a toy.
Newsflash: NO DOLL'S PROPORTIONS HAVE EVER BEEN ACCURATE. And that's fine. You know why?
From an early age humans have an uncanny ability to separate fiction
from reality. Children only have a few
precious years before Christmas and Easter take on a different
meaning--perceptive buggers. Even
newborn babies feel safe enough to nap under a mobile because they understand
the plastic butterflies are not actually attacking them.
Despite her best efforts to derail us, for half a century we've
all still managed to grow up to become reasoning, rational, functioning adults.
Let's stop pretending.
(That statement is going to become ironic three sentences down.) No one (except Valeria Lukyanova, who is
quite happy in her quest) is forcing his/herself into Barbie's reality. So, let's stop forcing our reality on her.
She is fantasy, imagination, a plaything. How dismal is the time spent trying to
extract fantasy from imaginary. If all
leisure were required to mimic reality there would be no play, no fun, no
escape. Let fantasy be, and instead,
improve reality.
*He steps aside and lets Chris
Crocker have his soapbox back*
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