Klaus Barbie, and other dolls I’d like to see, Susan Jane Gilman
Gilman expresses her hatred towards Barbie dolls. She fell in love with Dawn dolls which were diverse and each had their own individual look. I say “were” because unlike Barbie’s which are still very popular and played among kids today; Dawn dolls were pulled off the market in the mid 70s. Why did Gilman hate Barbie’s so much? Before I read this article, I believed that Barbie’s were just dolls that kids play with. However, from reading Gilman’s interpretation of the effect that Barbie’s have in the society, I realized that Barbie’s have played a much bigger impact than simply entertaining children. “Barbie is not just a children’s doll; it’s an adult cult and an aesthetic obsession.” (71) There is only one factor that determines whether you have made the cut in a group, or a school, or a company - looks. Looks define your worth and Barbie’s portray this message.
The reason Gilman hated Barbie’s so much was because she stopped believing that she was beautiful, she stopped believing that she was valuable to society. Every being is beautiful. Barbie’s constrict the “every being is beautiful” thought and diminishes people who do not look plastic, stupid, blond haired and blue eyed. Barbie’s manipulate children’s mind into believing that being a Barbie is being accepted. Lindsay Lohan dyed her hair from a red-head (like Gloria, Dawn doll) to blond (like a Barbie doll). Why? She could have just wanted to explore. This thought could have been driven by an installed image in one’s mind of a Barbie doll that many believe to be beautiful and accepted. In today’s media, there are many chick flicks that demonstrate how an unattractive girl leads a sad and lonely life and then she becomes popular when she obtains a makeover. Some examples are “She’s All That”, “Princess Diaries” and “The House Bunny”.
Manipulation is also used in A Handmaid’s Tale where the government manipulates women by erasing any feelings including “love”. This is done by separating family and many women become mistresses. “Making love” is considered as “doing a duty”. When Janice becomes pregnant, she is thrilled not because she has created a baby that is hers but because she gets a reward and gets treated much better than some other mistresses. She carries a smile of triumph on her face the entire time. She simply cares about herself. The government has manipulated women into having no feelings for anyone or anything. This is similar to our world where children are manipulated into competing with other girls over beauty.
Teen Mags: How to Get a Guy, Drop 20 Pounds, and Lose Your Self-Esteem
Like Gilman’s article above, constrictions and beauty are also mentioned here. Magazines have self-constrictions and are very hypocritical. Roshanda Betts from Dallas no longer reads teen magazines because it contains racist definitions of beauty and they say “You should love yourself for who you are, and then they have the seven-day diet.” (98) Every cover for a magazine has a slim, white model and girls become paranoid and insecure with their looks. Magazines are a source of manipulation that manipulate teens into looking the right way and looking beautiful. What is the reward for being beautiful? Boys. Impressing the opposite sex is a key part of the lives of teens. Girls would do anything including sacrificing their health for the attention of a boy. Magazines promote this idea!
Furthermore, magazines include articles about depressing, tragic stories of young girls. This could consist of tales like “A girl who was raped, shot, and left for dead,” and “One girl’s battle with depression.” (98) No analysis is given regarding these articles, they are simply articles that teens are supposed to speculate on and sympathize over.
Magazines in a particular way do impose constrictions to young girls. They create insecurity, fear and sadness in teens that do not have the perfect body they display in magazines. It is disappointing how beauty seems to be constricted in yet another way. Beauty is diverse and visible in every being and magazines should start recognizing by changing the way they organize their magazine.
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