Download Commentary-looking at structure Since her debut in 1959, Barbie

Commentary-looking at structure
Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has been, and continues to be today, ‘the most potent icon
of American popular culture in the late twentieth century’ (Lord, 1995: 6). During this time she
has also been subject to criticism and many studies that mainly focus on the image she
portrays and her physical features. Published work written specifically about Barbie
emphasise that she represents the ideal woman, as she embodies what all women want
from life, by exemplifying ‘the new, liberated woman’ (Varaste, 1999: 4).
What is the main point in this paragraph? Summary: Barbie is an iconic figure in popular
American culture and represents the ideal woman, embodying what all women want from life,
exemplifying ‘the new, liberated woman’. However, she is subject to criticism because of the
image she portrays through her physical features.
This restructuring of the paragraph creates the beginnings of an argument - from the writer’s
perspective, structure is driven by argument.
However, does she encourage women to replicate her looks? To some extent this is true;
Sarah Burge and Cindy Jackson have undergone extensive surgeries to be the doll’s human
replicas. The increasing popularity of plastic surgery, along with the personal accounts of these
two women, suggests that there are societal pressures placed upon women to constantly look
good. On the subject of plastic surgery, Bordo (Toffoletti, 2007: 76) does not see it as
empowering for women, rather ‘as control mechanisms that produce passive and idealised
bodies’.
I think the writer could avoid this rhetorical question by OMITTING the first rhetorical question
and saying ‘However, despite [the claim about empowerment, ] increasing popularity of plastic
surgery suggests that there are societal pressures placed upon women to constantly look
good. Indeed, Sarah Burge and Cindy Jackson have GONE SO FAR AS TO UNDERGO extensive
surgeries to BECOME the doll’s human replicas (source). And then link to Bordo (but who is
(s)he?
Sandra Lee Bartky (1990: 80) argues, by using Foucault’s notion of disciplinary power and
surveillance that ‘the woman who checks her makeup half a dozen times a day… who worries
that the wind or rain may spoil her hairdo’ has become subject to self-surveillance. In
agreement with Bartky’s adaption of Foucault’s theory to feminism, Naomi Wolf (1991: 59)
furthers this idea, by stating in her book The Beauty Myth that ‘ideal imagery has become
obsessively important’ upon women to look perfect at all times.
The writer could sum up here where we have got to, in terms of empowerment... and that
links nicely on to this counter-argument about the male gaze.
Over the course of investigating literature surrounding Barbie, the phrase ‘male gaze’ has
frequently appeared, suggesting that women use their beauty to attract the male gaze,
implying that they use their looks to get what they want (Weissman, 1999: 23) Refer back to
the point above. Contrary to her belief that ‘the beauty myth is not about women, it is about
men’s institutions and institutional power’ and the male gaze, beauty can be used by women
as a tool for confidence, not just because of male dominance. Conclusion for this point?
Now you try...
In keeping with the importance of appearances, many studies have been carried out
researching the influence Barbie’s image has on young children. Starting with the most dated
research from 1999, performed by Kristin Weissman, which investigated how women relate
themselves to Barbie and how adults perceive the doll. Interestingly she focused on Barbie’s
impact upon adults even though Barbie is a children’s toy. Many of the participants may
have played with Barbie in their youth, but the research that would be more useful to Mattel
(the creators of Barbie) and to the public is Barbie’s influence upon children, during
their persuasive years.
Following Weissman’s research, parallels can be drawn between Mary Rogers’ study (1999)
and that of Tara Kuther and Erin McDonald (2004), as both studies investigated children’s
experiences with Barbie dolls. The methodologies differed, but the results were quite
similar. Rogers analysed written samples from girls and boys in junior high school as well
as university students and adults, whereas the latter research specifically looked at the views
of children. During the course of the research, the authors mention how the girls
participated in imaginative play as well as taking part in torture play, ‘damaging their
dolls by cutting off the hair, painting them, or even removing appendages’ (Kuther &
McDonald, 2004: 42). As many critics have expressed their views on Barbie’s looks, for girls
torture play can be perceived as a rebellion against these ideals “because she is the
only one that looks perfect” (ibid: 43). Although there was evidence of torture play, Rogers
found that overall the girls had positive experiences of their time with Barbie, while the
findings from the second research mentioned discovered that ‘perfection was the major
theme that emerged from each of the focus groups’ with girls (ibid). This second result is
in keeping with Wolf and Bartky’s theories mentioned above. Citing research that looked at
Barbie from a marketing perspective, Narin, Griffin and Gaya Wicks (2008: 635) concluded
that girls between the ages of 7 and 11 disfigured their dolls because for their age
“they’re not cool”. On the other hand, the torture play carried out by boys could be
interpreted two ways: firstly, through a dislike for the doll from watching their sisters
play with her, or secondly, as a result of not being allowed to play with her, since Barbie
is socially recognised as a girl’s toy. The stereotyping of toys creates gender debates that
have been prevalent in multiple works published about Barbie, with critics drawing direct
similarities in gender construction between Barbie (a girl’s toy) and Action Man
(designed for boys). Susan Willis (1991: 27) claims that these figures ‘define the rigid
separation of the sexes; and what is more, a narrow conceptualisation of gender’. The gender
issues surrounding Barbie were not mentioned in Kuther and McDonald’s research.
Controversially, questioning all research performed about Barbie that pay particular attention
to her stereotypical female influence upon young girls, Rogers mentions that physically
Barbie does not represent a woman as she has no nipples and other specifics of the female
form. She argues that there is a possibility ‘that Barbie many not be heterosexual.
Indeed, she may not even be a woman. Barbie may be a drag queen’ (Anon, 2002: 21).
Summary so far?
More recently, Dittmar, Halliwell and Ive (2006) investigated the effects of Barbie’s thin image
upon children. Barbie is known for having a feminine yet impossible to obtain figure since,
according to critical research, in reality Barbie would be ’33 – 18 – 31.5 and stand five feet
nine inches tall’ with her legs accounting for half her height (Rodgers, 1999: 23). Dittmar and
Halliwell (2008: 175), in their book Consumer Culture, Identity and Wellbeing (published after
their research on Barbie) suggest that ‘children as young as 3 years already hold weight
stereotypes that “fat is bad”’ as a result of ‘sociocultural beauty ideals’. Dittmar,
Halliwell and Ive look at this problem, but instead of just asking young girls about their views
of Barbie, they used another doll, Emme, so the children could compare them. The Emme doll
is also plastic doll, but has a fuller figure; she is the equivalent of a US size 16 (Dittmar et al,
2006: 283). They found that the images of Barbie ‘lowered young girls’ body esteem but also
decreased their satisfaction with their actual body size, making them desire a thinner body’
(ibid: 290). Although they desire a thinner body, do they take action in order to achieve their
ideas? This research does not mention the actions of the participants, however as Louis
Collins (2001: 159) states, ‘many girls play with Barbie dolls and grow up as happy,
healthy adults’.
As shown above, there have been several studies that looked at Barbie’s physique, others
observing play with Barbie and finally the views and opinions of children. There are multiple
angles in analysing Barbie, of course the most obvious being Barbie’s link to young girls with
eating disorders. By distancing myself from this particular angle, it has become evident that
many women dislike the doll, however there are not many other reasons given apart from the
size issue. This dissertation will investigate why feminists, in particular post
feminists, have developed hatred towards Barbie, as well as questioning whether or not
Barbie represents the ideals of post feminism. This research would give the topic more
depth by investigating the portrayal of Barbie in the media, allowing the reader to understand
the reasons behind the negative press by establishing the links between Barbie and post
feminism.