Saturday, February 5, 2011

Barbie Vs. Real Woman

True or False: The Media is selling unattainable beauty; the perception of the perfect woman seen in the current media is impossible for most women to achieve.

TRUE

In a culture that obsesses over being thin, that desired body size and shape is impossible for most women. Women often look to popular celebrities who keep themselves microscopic as body role models, and unfortunately they are most often left unhappy and unhealthy when they try to mimic their role models "look." The media's influence doesn't only reach to women, but it also reaches young girls through toys and movies.

Meet Barbie. It is estimated that 99% of all girls between the ages 3 and 10 own at least 1 barbie doll.



Barbie - a popular doll which has been around for a little over fifty years - is a perfect example of the media selling body image to young children. On every kid's TV channel you'll find a commercial for the newest Barbie product. Many commend Mattel, the maker's of Barbie, for having made Barbie dolls for many careers that weren't originally women-oriented. And although this is very good for feminist groups, Barbie's anatomy only hinders the fight against the "beauty myth."

"Dietitians Association of Australia spokeswoman Tania Ferraretto said the 'unrealistic' body shapes had a 'huge impact' on women, but more so on children. 'If you speak to adults, everyone will say we know it's not realistic... but it has a subliminal impact,' she said." http://www.eatingdisordershelpguide.com/blog/2008/10/bratz-barbie-dolls-built-to-impossible.html

Q: How is Barbie's body unrealistic?

A: Recently Barbie's anatomy was studied. Researchers generated a computer model of a woman with Barbie's proportions. Researchers found that Barbie's back would be too weak to support her upper body weight, and that her body would be so narrow that she'd only have room for about half a liver and a few centimeters of bowel. A real woman with Barbie's proportions would be in such poor health that she would suffer from constant diarrhea, and eventually perish from a lack of nutrition.



Barbie isn't the only toy who sells a bad body image. Bratz dolls, for example, have even worse proportions than barbie. Her head is so large that with her tiny waist and tiny neck, she wouldn't have the strength to hold herself upright, therefore resulting in her on all fours possibly dragging her head on the ground all the while. G.I.Joe's are unrealistic as well. Did you know that if G.I.Joe was a real person, he would have the larger biceps than any body builder in history.

 

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