Hi there! I have been meaning
to write this since quite some time now. It is quite a controversial topic.
Just recently, when I was gift searching for my cute little neighbour's
birthday gift and visited Hamleys, I was sure enough, as I walked down the toy
aisle, I didn't want to buy her a doll;
but what made my resolution stronger was the collection of Barbie dolls I saw.
There were various doll sets,
many with kitchen sets, utensils, and what not. Because why not, 'it's a girls
thing', isn't it? I was quite surprised to even notice Barbie's dressed as
brides, and also Barbie couple sets, (I couldn't resist clicking :/) because it
annoyed me, naturally the makers try to tell you girls, how important getting
married is, and to find that suitable man for you.
While you want your child to
have diverse toys and a rich imaginative play session, I fail to find reasons
to brainwash your daughter right from a tender age to know that household
chores are only her responsibility, that a marriage is only when you deck up
and put on a red lehenga and adorn dozens of gold on yourself, that while
playing "ghar-ghar", kitchen is always her arena and the boy always
goes to office.
Barbie has possibly been the
most famous doll in the world after her debut in 1959. She has represented
fifty nationalities (she is a racist too : see below!) and has held over one hundred
careers. Girls from age’s three to ten own at least one Barbie doll if not
more. When people think of Barbie they think of a tall skinny supermodel woman
with a perfect waist, perfect hair, perfect clothes, and a perfect life.
But are Barbie dolls a good
influence on our girls? I don't think they are. Many might disagree!
A role model shouldn’t be
someone we imitate; instead they should be someone who opens up possibilities
and choices of who we can be; someone whose qualities and characteristics should
serve as the underpinning of our future selves.
But Barbie's come adorned with
chunky high heels and hot-pink purse that according to them defines beauty and smartness.
Barbie's are unrealistic perfection.
I don’t hate the princesses as
people—they’re all really kind girls. But Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow
White are the same person in different bodies. They have no personality
whatsoever, just superficial standards. Barbie life becomes #LifeGoals to young
girls. Nothing in life, is ever so perfect. We need to teach our girls that.
We have definitely been a part
of their journey that promised happy endings where the unfortunate
princess-in-distress is rescued by a very handsome prince. We need to un-teach the
unfeasible, sugar coated ideal of womanhood and instead, teach your daughters
to save themselves from anything that affects their wellbeing, and put up a
brave fight, despite a prince being there for her or not.
Some skeptics may argue that
Barbie is just a toy and has nothing to do with reality. However, every child
is influenced by the toys they play with. That’s why society is constantly
giving children toys that are designed to prepare them for their adult life.
Toys such as doctor’s kits, plastic kitchens, shopping carts, and baby dolls
are all components to steering a child into typical and stereotypcial adult
lives, sometimes, fairy tales and happy endings.
The only reason that any of the
princesses get a happy ending is because they’re gorgeous. I have seen, heard,
and read more Cinderella renditions than I can possibly count, and every
Cinderella character seems to have one trait in common: She’s pretty.
Cinderellas can also be active or passive, bold or shy, rebellious or
submissive, outspoken and strong, or worn out and broken down. None of these
qualities really matter because the only attribute she actually needs to get
the prince is beauty. Imagine if the princesses were of average attractiveness.
Cinderella is never noticed by her prince, Snow White’s prince never has the
absurd urge to kiss a dead girl, and Sleeping Beauty isn't followed by Phillip
in the woods. Aladdin would never become smitten with Jasmine, and so on. We’re
telling little girls that physical beauty is their most important trait.
Princess stories repeatedly
advertise love at first sight. Princesses marry a prince after only interacting
with him once! Plus, these movies make marriage look like the end of the story
(really, it’s just the beginning: you have the whole rest of your life ahead of
you!).
I would instead teach my
daughter to idolize someone who is independent, to look up to men who don't
just find you 'hot' like you are a temperature and see only your outer beauty, but
chase you for what you are from within and see you as a whole being.
There are real life princesses
who are bold, individualistic, independent and contribute tremendously to social
and economic development in their countries and internationally. Time for a
paradigm shift – next time you want to gift a Barbie to a five year old you
might want to reconsider. Perhaps a set of boxing gloves or an enrolment in
Karate classes would be a better idea. :)
