The Good, The Bad, And The Barbie

The Good, The Bad, And The Barbie

YA/adult nonfiction
I was in Mattell's prime demographic for Barbie when she first
came out and became popular. I was inundated with those dolls and
their outfits by concerned adults who wanted me to abandon my tomboy
(or, as the great aunts would have said, hoydenish) ways before I
became unable to date as a teen or snag a good husband as an adult. I
found those plastic playthings irrelevant. Why would I want to sit
around dressing and undressing them and comparing outfits when I had
adventures outdoors and crafts and hobbies to pursue, animals to tend
to, and books to read indoors? I was much more of a Nancy Drew
affecianado.
My daughters wanted Barbies and got them. It wasn't even a
forbidden fruit being sweeter thing. I didn't see fashion doll play
as all that harmful in the context of a wide range of leisure
activities. I even animated a doll or two whenever the girls and
their friends invited me to join in the dramas.
I probably wouldn't have read The Good, The Bad, And The Barbie
if not for two factors. It was written by Tanya Lee Stone, one of my
favorite writers in the juvenile nonfiction genre. It says
unauthorized which I read as not full of company bullshit.
The book weaves two strands seamlessly together. The first is
Barbie's biography from the day she was the idea Ruth Handler fought
tirelessly to bring to fruition. Each step in her evolution is
matched with societal changes in the larger world. Barbie
affecianados will love the treasure trove of pictures.
The second is an exploration of the issues that have dogged
Barbie throughout her rise from new toy in the store to cultural icon,
the reasons people tend to love or hate her. One I think we're all
familiar with is the linkage with girls' body image. A less talked
about one is Barbie as the embodiment of materialism. The doll
herself was reasonably priced. But her outfits proliferated like
ticks in the Maine forests. She also had to have her convertible, her
dream house, her boy toy, Ken, with his wardrobe and accoutrements...
In my childhood in my mostly working class neighborhood a lot of
Barbie smitten girls couldn't keep running downtown to buy each new
emsemble that appeared in the department store. Back then sewing and
knitting skills were commonplace. While some girls adored outfits
created by moms and grands, others felt ashamed that their dolls wore
home made unofficial attire.
"...Of course, that's what companies do--create a product that
is popular and continue to expand upon the things customers can buy
for it. But what does it say about materialism? Is having a lot of
things supposed to make us happy?"
The story I found the most eye opening was the earliest back
story one. As reactionary as Barbie has come to be, the motive behind
her creation was surprisingly radical. In the 1950s dolls were
babies, linking doll play to a mothering, nurturing script. Those
were the post WWII years when men ruled the workforce while women's
domain was considered to be the kitchen and nursery. Father Knows
Best epitomized the family ideal of the time. Handler simply wanted
to create a doll that would let girls imagine and dream about their
own upcoming teenage years. People including her husband tried to
dissuade her. Mothers weren't going to buy their daughters dolls with
breasts. Such a doll would be too expensive to mass produce. When
she was finally able to discover a doll like the one she imagined to
prove its mass production feasibility, it was a novelty sex toy
intended for adult males.
Barbie has been around a lot longer than most toys on the
shelves. Her sheer longevity and evolution give fascinating insights
into the society we live in.
On a personal note, it's been nearly a month since Joey's diagnosis.
My new normal is centered around my best little buddy, keeping him as
comfortable as possible and treasuring him in the time he still has in
the world. I have to go to work. But otherwise it takes something
pretty compelling (like Amber's birthday party) to get me out of the
house. And no long term plans. Except two events I'd planned on
doing loom on the horizon, making it so that I have to decide.
Artsapalooza is the 15th. I've committed myself to sharing 40 minutes
of my original poetry. Within days of that is the Bangor Pride Week
drag show. I decided yes on the first, no on the second.
Artsapalooza is early night with transportation. I can choose my
poems while cuddling with Joey. The drag show is really late with a
lot of uncertainties. I don't know if I'll have the energy to
perform, especially if Joey takes a turn for the worse. I may cut the
whole Pride thing including the parade I always march in.
A great big shout out goes out to the best little cat in the world.
jules hathaway


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