I had a Barbie. I played with her. I sewed clothes for her. And she didn't affect my body image at all. Kids are smart. They recognize things as representational items. They can see a person's shape in a lollipop with a triangle pasted on and pipe cleaner legs and arms. They don't overgeneralize and think it is what they should look like. I actually think that the whole Barbie/body image thing is a convenient misdirection from the real issue, which is how media portrays women and women's roles and what types of bodies it celebrates.

I had a real gobsmacked moment a few weeks ago about this issue. I had been watching Downton Abbey and suffered through those ridiculous Ralph Lauren ads that they run before them. I hate them. The sentiment is ridiculous. The false romance is irritating. And worst of all, as even my husband commented, the women are homogeneously so thin that you can't help but wonder about their health. They also look like they are 14 and they are highly sexualized. It makes me ill. Of course Ralph Lauren is notorious for that (witness the bobble head RL advert that got so much attention for horrible photoshopping). That alone wouldn't have shocked me, but I've also been watching 1980s Power Rangers with my kiddos. The women's bodies in it are gorgeous and healthy and strong. It was really striking. And it suddenly reminded me that that was what I was pretty used to seeing on tv when I was growing up. It is scary to think how far away we are from that. And just to be clear, I don't think that there is anything wrong with a very slim body type. What I object to is the idea that every single woman shown in media lately seems to be one body shape, whether that is natural to her or not. I hope things improve soon. In the meantime, do I blame Barbie? Nah. She's got her own problems. (How would you like to have to wear pink every. single. day.?)

I loved Barbie! Barbie was just so. Her airplane/carrying case, Barbie house, etc. My friend had the Barbie RV... But I never thought about being her. Probably because, if she were human, she'd be the sort of person my parents would call "lower class." I mean, all that plastic. And the Barbie makeup head... definitely wasn't ever gonna get one of those. My mom would have said that was down right tarty.

I suppose what I got from Barbie was the habit of a giant wardrobe... hehe.

I had Barbies and other dolls of that type as well. And the makeup head Barbie - so fun. I loved the clothes and hair and makeup but didn't really notice the bodies. I never thought about comparing myself to dolls or even to real people when I was growing up. We just were what we were.

Well said K. Period!

I remember reading somewhere that Barbie's unusual shape made her perfect for small, chubby hand to grasp so she could be made to "walk" by bumping her up and down. Her alien appearance made her a good prop for a child's imagination, sort a popsicle stick with hair and vaguely human features.