Barbie: Friend or Foe?

Ronni - posted on 03/14/2012

Anyone remember when Barbie was just a toy? :)

Lissa - posted on 02/10/2011

It's just a doll that goes the same way as every other doll, naked and coloured in with felt tips :)

Stifler's - posted on 02/10/2011

I agree with Joanna, Barbie is an inspirational woman. What have Bratz ever done, other than be skanks?

Firebird - posted on 02/09/2011

Hahaha! Barbie is a Doctor, a Dentist, a Veterinarian, a teacher, a runway model, a daycare provider, and an accomplished musician. Just to name a few. She would have had to receive some really BAD financial advice in order to lose her house! And the Barbie clothes that I had for my dolls when I was a kid, don't fit my daughter's dolls properly in a few places (yes I kept some), so I'm thinking Barbie even had a breast reduction a few years ago. Most of her makeup is fairly modest too. Bettie's right, we are our kid's primary influences and too much of anything is bad for us. But kids tend to like what they see, if they own any doll in next to nothing clothes, they could want to imitate that sense of fashion as they get older. But quite frankly, I'd rather my girl play with Barbie. She's not the enemy. At least she's a doll who's promoted achievement among women.

Bettie - posted on 02/09/2011

My older sister had a Barbie, I had Skipper, but that was about all my parents could afford at the time. Later we got other toys, some dolls some educational. This was almost 40 years ago and I suppose times have changed, but if you use toys to influence your children or to do your job of being there parent/babysitter, then yes they can be bad for kids. If you overwhelm them with the same theme, then possibly they may have issues in the future. But just as a toy to play with, I don't see any problems with Barbie or any other type toy. It is the parents influence which trains a child, not a toys.

Diana - posted on 03/11/2009

I know there's a lot of talk about Barbie's looks being unrealistic...But honestly, I never considered it as a child.  I think that someitmes we as adults take our adult perspectives and put them right onto children's things-and it's difficult not to.  But the thing that I always loved about Barbie (I had the Dream Home, bunches of dolls, horses, and all sorts of clothes..) was that she could be anything, do anything, wear anything, and I got to make it all up.  I got to change what I was, who I was, by acting out an entire fantasy world of women who hung out, had husbands, had wonderful careers (a different one every day, sometimes several a day), were glamorous...And got to have things I didn't have, like ponies and the ability to drive.  Maybe that doesn't make sense to anyone else-but I was imaginative as a kid, and loved to use them to make up stories.  I've never quite understand all the backlash over Barbie.

Dianne - posted on 03/11/2009

I collected Barbie and Skipper and Ken alnog with the motorhome but not the dreamhouse, I always wanted the dreamhouse. I remember playing and renacting my concept of the world around me at the time, dad (Ken) went to work, mom (Barbie) stayed home with Skipper who helped her with the kids like going to the park, baking cookies, etc. Now I've shown my age ; ) As I became a mother I bought Barbies for my girls, they played with them and their brothers played with their GI Joes and Ken too. After a year or so I started noticing that they didn't have as many as they used to, the kids by then were 8,7&6 and we were moving, I found the dolls, they were buried in the garden. Oh well. Now they are in their 20's, wonderful adults.

Oh-h, when they were all in high school, one year for Halloween they dressed up as Ken, Barbie & Skipper. And our eldest daughter(she was Barbie) joined the Army right out of high school as a combat medic, one day she was in line at the commissary(grocery store) and a little girl looked at her and then told her mom, "Look mommy there's Army Barbie"!!

Amie - posted on 03/11/2009

My girl doesn't like barbie, she has a few bratz dolls she's gotten as gifts but even those she doesn't like all that much. Just the big head one where she can do it's hair. lol. She really likes her polly pocket dolls though.
I'm kind of glad that mine don't like her. Over priced!! It's a freaking doll, I spend the same amount on her polly pockets and get heaps more for her to play with in those sets than she would with barbie.
I can't remember where it was now but in the last month I was reading an article on "If barbie was real".. she'd be like 7'1" or something and have some serious health issues from keeping her form in shape. lol.

April - posted on 03/11/2009

I'm not that big on barbie, loved her as a kid, never starved myself to look like her, now I think she looks like a whore most of the time! my girls like barbie, but arent into collecting her or anything. I got a few with normal outfits, and found a bunch of more appropriate clothing at yardsales. most of them are bald and naked now, and in a bag somewhere!