Blog Option #3
It is very common for young girls to
grow up playing with Barbie dolls and admiring them while brushing their hair
and dressing them up. These Barbie’s embody what a perfect women looks like,
thin, tall, great skin with hundreds of clothing options and the perfect
boyfriend, Ken who also embodies the perfect man. Because of this perfect
stereotype it is only natural to want to be just like Barbie. Although a black
Barbie was finally manufactured and seemed to have helped move society forward
things were not progressive enough.
My First Black Barbie: Transforming the image,
relates to the this News article about a mother petitioning for her daughter so
she can simply have a Black Barbie party. Both articles addressed the issues
about the image of Black dolls and how they can change the standard of beauty
for young Black girls. The impact can potentially be huge and redefine a
child’s self-worth or identity. This story attracted national media attention
and this mothers petition got more than 4,500 signatures, with many parents
expressing similar sentiments. According to the article, “the first black
Barbie doll, Christie, came on the scene in 1968, and in 2009, Barbie's
"So In Style" line of black Barbie’s debuted, featuring Barbie’s
Grace, Kara and Trichelle with varying skin tones and hair textures. Today,
Barbie’s represent more than 45 different nationalities.” Why did it take
nearly 40 years to create these new Barbie’s, it is hard to imagine society is
progressing quicker then a toy factory can create a new product. Due to this
lack of development if a child wants to have a Barbie themed party there is
only one option, a white Barbie party, and it is currently 2013. So how does a
child transform her imagine when society has already decided for her that the
consumer prefers a white Barbie? Raynor talks about the negative impact of
color caste systems, felt by most children and explains how young Black girls
are taught to hate dark skin. Although this petition was created the
manufacturers are still working on a solution… How difficult can it be to print
a “Black Barbie” on a napkin and paper plates?!
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