Search This Blog

Monday, 18 June 2012

Adorkable heroines - an occasional series, part 1




 
BARBIE

Yeah, you heard me! Barbie! Not just an adorkable heroine but a feminist icon. For realz. Now, you might not think that Barbie has had any impact on women’s lives.. But she has. It's just not in a good way.

Thanks to our placcy princess with the 39-19-33 vital statistics, many generations of little girls have grown up thinking that a vapid expression, a dull boyfriend called Ken and the right kind of cruisewear (not to mention some hideous blue eyeliner) are what it takes to be a real woman. That Barbie you got on your fifth birthday was your real introduction to the harsh realities of womanhood before you could even pronounce body fascism, yet alone know what it meant. After that it was downhill all the way. Thanks Barbie for giving us something to rebel against.

(Photo of Bad Barbie is the awesome work of Mariel Clayton. You can find more here.)

No comments:

Post a Comment