Is Barbie good for you? Barbie teaches us to play fearlessly, imagine endlessly, grow with new experiences, and embrace change. She has the ability to spark imagination, allowing children to explore countless possibilities. But does that mean Barbie is good for you?
Surely a doll created to give girls a different option to dream of beyond baby dolls would be good for you, for all of us. But Barbie comes with nuance, just like the rest of us. Explore with us the enduring allure of Barbie and how she empowers us to be the best version of ourselves, and if that benefit outweighs the cost.
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Did you know that Barbie was almost Barbara? Barbara. So you can see why it’s just Barbie. Barbie sounds fun. So fun that she could go to any country in the world and everybody would know.
And what makes her fun? She can do anything. She’s won gold at the Olympics. She’s been a secret agent, a superhero, a fashionista, a world-class chef, and even a mermaid. But it’s not just what she can do. It’s that she has it all. She has a hot boyfriend, a mansion, cars, helicopters, and even a pet d olfin. Where did you get Dolphins? And who installed the aquarium? By just being Bobby, she’s really saying, This could be you. You could be me. Not that it matters, she’s going to be Barbie no matter what we do. Which is like saying, She doesn’t need us, we need her. After all, she is Barbie. But what is the point of Barbie? Barbie has become a mirror of our society, which is reflected in her ability to match our desires. Yes, I want a convertible. Yes, I want a mansion. And 100 % yes, I want a pet Dolphin. But Barbie also continues to expand and reinvent across the majority, across race, culture, profession, and even religion. Christian barbie, Muslim barbie, Hindu barbie, yoga pose barbie, close enough. When you account for barbie’s ability to mimic society, the toy lives beyond a trend, beyond a single generation, and acts as a vehicle for kids to play out different versions of life.
But what does Barbie actually do for me? The barbie you knew as a child was likely not the one your grandma knew or even your mom knew. This barbie was no longer about dinner and diapers. She was about anything and everything. White collar, blue collar, no collar. Bobby was anything you imagined her and yourself to be. Bobby had the most way because she had the most to offer. Outfits, accessories, shoes, getaways, friends, shoes, companions, shoes, cars, and more shoes. Isn’t this just materialism or escapism? Yeah, and it’s a blast. All the imagined trips, events, and fun, all while you share that play with your friends. Imagination and dreams need that room to be excessive, overindulgent, and most of all, fun. That was the value B arbie could bring. She provided a starting point for however you imagined fun. Us boring adults are so fast to forget how infinite possibly possible the world feels to a kid. I can be an astronaut, I can be a figure skater, I can even be a supernatural detective. We needed the space and the imagination to start to figure ourselves out and exercise creativity. B arbie is that big what if for so many of us?
Compare this to another multi iterative toyline, Batman. He’s big, small, fearsome, and pintsize, but is defined by his ability to beat the bad guys.
I mean, what guy has dolphins for pets? Someone who’s crazy wealthy, stupid, good looking, but it’s also just a down to Earth rad dude, am I right?
The costumes change, the bat cave comes and goes, even his fighting companions are on rotation. And I love the guy, but he has one purpose, to fight crime. Does Batman go on a fun day hike and then that night attend a black tie event for fun? No, he’s going to set the place on fire and fight crime. Can Batman just enjoy a day at the beach with his friends and roast some mushrooms? Trick question. He has no friends and he hates anything soft. But Bobby, she can be an explorer while doing her nails, become a mermaid, fight crime, and then give a news report about the whole ordeal. But yeah, not every Bobby idea is a banger. I’m looking at you, George Washington Bobby. But like they say, that’s so Bobby. So the point of Bobby is to have fun, right? Except I want to add a caveat. It’s fun for kids. Look at what I’ve accomplished. Do you see him? Do you think a depressed person could make this? Bobby provides inspiration for kids. Bobby serves as play for kids because Bobby is a toy. When you’re a kid, things are simple because you don’t understand so many things.
Now the thing is, you’re not a kid anymore and things may feel out of control. But does Bobby still help you with your problems? So you’re breaking up with me because I’m too blonde?
You can go to school, go to the beach, go to outer space, but you’re still Bobby. I mean, you. No matter how many different hats you wear or outfits you own, you are you. I’m just.
Like you. I think that’s true. You’re just like me. Yes, I can see. We take responsibility.
Over the course of time and what you surround yourself with, you will change. You’ll take on new responsibilities. You will be you, but with an imagination made into reality. So maybe a barbie isn’t just for kids, but some of you are still too weird about it. This imagination means that you are not limited to only being hairdresser barbie or race car Bobby, or tattoo barbie. You are not the role and not the accessories. Fun as they might be, you can change your look, you can change your style, you can change your relationships, you can change your careers. You can change and still be you. That’s the barbie movie, right? Life feels perfect. You’re in your own little world and so is everything you know. But that understanding is childish. And it’s that childish understanding of life that is quickly stopped by the harshness of reality. And the reality is, growing up, sucks. Not having at all, sucks. Not having a pet Dolphin, really sucks. What’s the point of barbing now? The point is your imagination can now become a reality. And that’s fun. You can be a doctor. You can be a hairdresser. You can be a lifeguard.
But that’s also the catch. You can be so many things, and sometimes those things are not fun, which is true. Being a lifeguard is not fun. Bobby, I mean you, can’t fit that many hats on your head at the same time without them falling off. And you want to know the worst part? Sometimes that means you’ll be wash and wait, B arbie. Stuck up the DMV, B arbie. You will have awkward days like growing up skipper or really bad fashion sense like rap and rockin’ Bobby. But at least you’ll never hit rock bottom like shave and play, B arbie. So what is the point of B arbie? I mean, you. That’s way too big of a question for one good answer. But here’s an idea. The point is to play, imagine, grow up and change. Play with new friends. Imagine new shoes, grow up to new ideas, change your view, play with your accessories, imagine a new career, grow up a family, change your car, play with a stuffed pet d olfin. Imagine finding love, grow up out of some old way, change everything you are, and still be you. And that is so barbie.
Okay, bye bye now. Bye bye. Bye. Okay. Are they all gone? Is there everybody gone? Huh?
Guest Author
dyejo
