The creation of a worldwide icon is bound to be a controversial issue. Ruth Handler created the Barbie Doll in 1959 for her daughter, Barbara, to play with, and it spun into huge proportions. Handler's action of creating Barbie has influenced the way girl's play and children's perceptions of womanhood and femininity. However, some groups believe that these perceptions have been altered for the worse, and have retaliated. There have been consequences such as gender role stereotyping, "Barbie Backlash", and economic consequences.
Before Barbie, little girls were given baby dolls to play with, which socialized them for their future roles as mothers and housekeepers. Theses baby dolls had only one occupation; being a baby. Barbie was a breath of fresh air, as she was beautiful, slim, and had interesting jobs. Girls began to enjoy playing independent adult roles rather than motherhood roles, and they began to realize they could have a wider spectrum of jobs available to them. Barbie......
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Approximate Word Count: 774
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |