Are you for or against this "Normal Barbie"?

JMM-uc

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 8:10 am

greenfire wrote:

she's not too bad as barbies go ...

but pretty soon they're going to start making bi-polar barbie, adhd barbie, tatoo barbie, suicide barbie along with track marks and red eyes ...

this is so far my favorite barbie

Omg!

abaker

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:07 am

I like the new doll way better than Barbie. Barbie is unrealistic...this new doll comes in average proportions of a 19 year old and has flaws...scars and pimple stickers etc. we do not allow Barbies in our house, although we're not at the Barbie stage of life yet. I however would allow this doll, or other baby dolls...but certainly not the skin tight clothing, stilettos, and mini skirt wearing Barbie types...it's just not the influence/role model we want in our home. Kudos to the doll maker who had this brilliant idea!

shabbatiscoming

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:10 am

abaker wrote:

but what is reality to a little, lets say 4 year old, who is playing with the dolls? They dont know from acne or scars on the stomach.

Personally my daughter has been given princess dolls (same build as barbies) by grandparents, but I wont buy "regular" stam barbie dolls. But if she gets them as gifts, Im not going to throw them away.

I think these new dolls are just as unrealistic for little girls. They are more for teenagers and / or adult females. I find them strange.

m in Israel

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:14 am

Just to be clear -- the doll itself doesn't come with the acne, stretch marks, etc. The main point of the doll is the body proportions are normal (hight compared to waist and hips, etc.), and her features are supposed to look "normal". The acne, etc. are stickers you can buy separately if you want to add them to your doll.

Lady Godiva

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:17 am

Seriously? A doll with stretch marks, acne and tattoos? I think it's stupid and quite possibly will even make children more aware of imperfections in themselves and in others.
I'll stick with Barbie. My kids know Barbie is just that... a doll.

shabbatiscoming

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:17 am

right. but really, what is so wrong with the barbie dolls? Yes, I know that in real life her proportions would never fly. She would fall down from her chest size, shed never get a period, all of those weird things, but most girls really dont get weird body images from playing with such dolls.

So whats the problems? And those stickers are weird for a little girl who is really just figuring out which dresses to put on the dolls. My daughter can spend a loooong time on changing the clothing and thats all.

Why do we need to educate our daughters about acne and that stuff with little girl toys? I think it is completely unneseccary.

Scrabble123

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:22 am

I think that Barbie is a great educational toy as well as a way for children to "act out" their fantasies. While children don't fantasize about having acne, stretch marks, and tattoos, it is still great to use this doll an additional educational toy. It's even useful for explaining how "not everyone looks like Barbie." Barbie has "around the world dolls" which are wonderful for teaching about and exploring cultures, and Barbies in all different skin/hair/eye color combinations with many different interests so I think that this is just another Barbie with potential to educate children. I understand why some people do not "go" for Barbie, but I see a lot of positives in it. Now, if you are the type to just give your child dolls to play with and not delve into details surrounding the doll (that's fine if you are) then this doll may not be for you.

Sanguine

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:24 am

What is wrong with people? Who plays with Barbie? Eighteen year olds who may relate to "The stickers, which include tattoos, cellulite, and stretch marks,". What pre-teen (which I assume is the oldest Barbie player's are) know anything about cellulite, and stretch marks? Kids play with Barbie. Barbie is grown-up. No one looks at Barbie as their "model" of what they want to be. No 10 year old is going to diet to have a Barbie figure (they can try starving themselves but it won't grow them Barbie's bust). What kid would pick an ugly overweight doll over a Barbie model just cause it reminds her of her mother? I'd be very surprised if these dolls sell

(and good luck to that Barbie in getting a date with Ken)

abaker

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:26 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

I think these new dolls are just as unrealistic for little girls. They are more for teenagers and / or adult females. I find them strange.

I think the real Barbie is less applicable.... No one in our family looks like a Barbie doll, but a 4 year old May have an older cousin with acne...a sister with a mole, a mommy with stretch marks...she may have a scar on her knee..you get the point. Even the stickers are relatable. (Although I would take the tattoo sticker out, I think the others would be fine)

Funny side note, the tummy stretch marks scream "teen mom" to me lol but I know you can get stretch marks from a teen growth spurt, not just a pregnancy Smile

Last edited by abaker on Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:28 am; edited 1 time in total

Lady Godiva

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:26 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

ITA
Body image issues don't stem from playing with Barbies. I don't think children who are Barbie-playing age even realize that the proportions are off.
And regarding the stickers, the doll will be "pretty" when the stickers are off, and "ugly" when the stickers are on? I don't understand the reasoning. If Mr. Lamm had made dolls with the imperfections already on the doll maybe it would be a little different. But to play with stickers to add and remove them? I don't get the point of that. It could cause the child to be obsessed with these issues and notice them, when previously she may have not knows these things exist! Which 8 year old girl knows about stretch marks? It's very weird.

Scrabble123

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:33 am

Lady Godiva wrote:

Maybe not in your insular world, but plenty of 8 year olds or younger know what stretch marks are. If they don't their mother can show them hers. It's not weird at all. I would love to use this Barbie together with an experiment of stretching out material and just showing kids that this can also happen to a person. I don't think there is a problem with Regular Barbie's proportions, but this doll just offers a chance to bring up the topic and introduce different concepts and ideas.

Lady Godiva

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:35 am

Scrabble123 wrote:

Not sure what you mean by my "insular" world, but not all moms have stretch marks.

Scrabble123

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:42 am

Lady Godiva wrote:

Not sure what you mean by my "insular" world, but not all moms have stretch marks.

I definitely know that. Not all moms have tattoos or stretch marks either. I meant that children exposed to the secular world (those children are their target audience) will come across people with lines on their legs and stomach. I see it at the mall, I'm sure children do too. Just like I would explain to my children what freckles are if they saw someone with freckles or psoriasis or vitiligo or anything visible, I would teach them about stretch marks if we were in the mall and someone passed by with stretch marks and they asked about it. My friend's daughter asked me about someone's stretch marks when I took her to a pool (Happens to be that the child is in a chassidishe school and the woman with the stretch marks was a chassidishe woman in a swimming pool so no secular exposure there). I told her what they are and how they come to being. She was 6 at the time. Why can't she also learn that through a doll? You don't have to introduce the concept through the doll, but you can definitely purchase it once the child has already inquired about it. If you wish can you purchase it prior as well. There are pregnant Barbies, Barbies with chicken pox, etc. etc. Not every doll has to agree with your hashkafas in order to be an appropriate addition to the collection. Just don't buy it if you have a problem with it.

Lady Godiva

Wed, Nov 26 2014, 9:51 am

Scrabble123 wrote:

I definitely know that. Not all moms have tattoos or stretch marks either. I meant that children exposed to the secular world (those children are their target audience) will come across people with lines on their legs and stomach. I see it at the mall, I'm sure children do too. Just like I would explain to my children what freckles are if they saw someone with freckles or psoriasis or vitiligo or anything visible, I would teach them about stretch marks if we were in the mall and someone passed by with stretch marks and they asked about it. My friend's daughter asked me about someone's stretch marks when I took her to a pool (Happens to be that the child is in a chassidishe school and the woman with the stretch marks was a chassidishe woman in a swimming pool so no secular exposure there). I told her what they are and how they can happen to a body. She was 6 at the time. Why can't she also learn that through a doll? There are pregnant Barbies, Barbies with chicken pox, etc. etc. Not every doll has to agree with your hashkafas in order to be an appropriate addition to the collection. Just don't buy it if you have a problem with it.

I take my children to the beach and they've never asked me about anybody's stretch marks. Maybe they're just not looking. Maybe they don't expect everybody's body to look the same. Or maybe they know not to talk about other people's scars or flaws. What