Straight to the point.
So last week there was a massive Ho Ha about Amy Schumer playing the Iconic “Barbie” doll. Although I think she isn’t playing actual Barbie, just a Barbie in a Barbie world.
Once again though it’s brought up a lot of “real body” issues. I HATE that term and I hate that people will bring it up because of their own insecurities. I don’t actually like Amy Schumer (she just isn’t my kind of funny) but some of the comments about her were really gross. They honestly proved her points as well. There are both tall and skinny, chubby and short, REAL bodies, that are perfectly healthy bodies. They DO exist. The guys in my family, for example, are all tall and skinny, and are perfectly healthy. Yet people think it’s appropriate to send me messages to ask if they’re alright, they don’t look like they’ve been eating. Stop with the “Real Body” shame. if there are people who are living, breathing, human body shapes, they are, in fact real.
The other issue that I have is blaming Barbie for body issues. I feel like saying “Duh, she’s unrealistic” she’s a 20cm doll, she is actually not real. I want to say if you are basing your body appearance on a non-living plastic thing, maybe you should be looking deeper? Maybe question the people you are allowing around your life instead. Barbie’s not putting a gun to anyone’s head. There were aspects of my Barbies “life” that I wish were mine. That was more to do with they were Rock-stars, and one of them was only allowed to eat junk food, if she ate vegetables she would die! How many parents are actually telling their children “You should look like Barbie?” If they are, don’t blame the doll, blame your parents. Barbie, for me, was able to live a life I wasn’t able too.
There is not a single doll out there that is realistic! Even the new Barbies they have been made to be more “realistic”. They are dolls, to help you create an imagination with, not for you to base your appearance on. How about we teach children to use their imagination rather than their image? What if you buy a child a short chubby doll and they grow up tall and skinny and they feel bad about themselves because they didn’t turn out short and chubby, who do you blame then?
As adults we need to stop pushing our issues onto our children. It’s time for the adults to stop focusing on image, because that’s where the children are getting it from.
Uploaded by: AquaVEVO
Music video by Aqua performing Barbie Girl. (C) 1997 Universal Music (Denmark) A/S
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