Barbie: The Ultimate Feminist Symbol

What if I told you that Barbie is the best role model a little girl could possibly have? That she has stood as a beacon for feminism for decades? That we actually have a lot that we can learn from her, especially in today's society?

You'd probably say I'm crazy. And then maybe you'd punch me in the face. You might think I'm joking. I'm joking right?

Absolutely not.

For 55 years, Barbie has been one of the most popular and best selling toys to ever hit a store shelf. And you wouldn't BELIEVE how busy she's been all these years. Barbie is recorded to have had more than 130 careers! And she's appeared in over 6,000 different styles. Plus, she looks GREAT for her age.

Despite these accomplishments, modern society has viewed Barbie with a negative connotation. But why exactly? Is it because of the way she looks or her love for fashion? Maybe it's her overly happy and bubbly personality or her obsession for pink. Probably all of the above.

Barbie has been criticized for YEARS about her looks. After all, she's skinny, blonde, blue eyed, and basically stereotypically perfect. For skinny girls with blonde hair and blue eyes (like me), this was terrific! But for other people who couldn't relate to Barbie's looks, this could probably be seen as annoying. I mean come on! Nobody should be that skinny. She's obviously fake looking; nobody could look like that even if they tried.

Guys. She's a doll. It honestly shouldn't matter what she looks like.

And actually Mattel is bringing out a whole new line of Barbie dolls with different figures, heights, and looks. You happy now?

As for Barbie's love for fashion and all things pink, we all have our hobbies. And Barbie's not exactly limited to just fashion and pink. She plays sports, she has different careers, and her resume is chock full of different things. She just so happens to do it with fashion...and a lot of pink. There's nothing wrong with that. To each his (or her) own, right?

If you've read any Barbie books, or seen any Barbie movies, or really pay attention to anything Barbie ever, you probably know that she can be a bit over the top bubbly sometimes. You do have to remember that Barbie is geared more for younger girls. She's no more over the top than say Dora, or Minnie Mouse, or any other children's television character. And the messages in her movies and books are always great for young kids. Lessons about being kind to others, to not judge people on appearances, and to always be yourself are just one of the many inspiring themes Barbie offers to children. Friendship also plays a very important role in all her movies and books. It may come off a little corny sometimes, but hey! Kids understand it and that's the important thing.

In media today, people try to over-sexualize Barbie, and make her seem more ditzy and looks-oriented than she actually is. It's become an obsession in society. Girls have even gone so far as plastic surgery to achieve the "ultimate Barbie look." Valeria Lukyanova is an extreme example of this. She's so "barbie-like" it's almost not like Barbie at all. (You can see what I mean and check out her Instagram here). People are spending millions of dollars on plastic surgery to become these sexualized human Barbie dolls. It's an obsession.

Again....SHE'S A DOLL.

And that's not what she stands for anyway. Barbie was originally a sign of female empowerment. WE are the ones that have degraded her and WE are the ones that have turned her into a sex symbol and a no brain airhead. Literally, the 1984 Barbie tagline was "We girls can do anything." How in the world does something so empowering turn into something so venereal and demeaning? It's because of our society. And our society won't change unless we change our point of view and the actions that follow. In the words of Barbie "Be anything, do everything." Come one guys, let's make Barbie proud.