International Barbie

Avatar for shandc
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
International Barbie
14
Tue, 11-25-2003 - 9:31am
Hi everyone:

I wanted to ask, if you've lived in another country, were raised with a culture outside the mainstream, studied something interesting about it, feel like spouting off, whatever:

How do you think the American Barbie idea compares with what the rest of the world views as beauty? Do we as a country really have unhealthy standards for ourselves, and does that contribute to people "giving up" once they realize they'll never achieve that ideal?

When I was studying for my undergrad degree, I came across a news article that said that Barbie was banned from most of the Arab countries for two reasons. The first was that some of the outfits she's marketed with are considered indecent and inappropriate by many Muslim leaders, but the second was because she promotes an unhealthy body image for young girls. As much as I dislike censorship, I think it's interesting that governments would take a stand on body image like that.

So, any other thoughts?

Shan

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-08-2003
Tue, 11-25-2003 - 11:10am

Hi Shan, good discussion!

Maggie  

"Success is a journey, not a destination"

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 11-25-2003 - 3:07pm
Interesting thoughts ----- American Barbie --- I forget, but if she was a real person aren't her measurements supposed to be like 38, 18, 34, something like that? I don't know that Barbie poses such a problem --- she has been around almost as long as me :) and

I think we figure out she is "just a doll". I think it is more everything else around us --- women who are alive and have the unrealistic bodies (such as 90% of the moviestars, models and such) that cause more disheartenment.

Maybe our government should step in to fatten up the entertainment industry :)!!!!

It is interesting to think about the government and censorship like that -- but once you give an inch on censorship, then where do you stop drawing the line?

Just my own little opinion :)

Ellen

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-25-2003
Tue, 11-25-2003 - 4:48pm
Hi, I've been lurking for a few days but I had to answer this post. Yes I do think that we here in the USA do place an unhealthy emphasis on the "barbie body." I have a young sister who is now 21. Throughout her adolesence she was borderline anorexic. She spent last year studying abroad and gained alot of weight. She just felt so much less pressure to look a certain way. Now she looks beautiful. She still has weird eating habits. But hey, so do I. Hope this helps.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-08-2003
Tue, 11-25-2003 - 6:42pm
I read somewhere that Cindy Crawford fit Barbie's dimensions. I don't know about the "Barbie Complex" but I so agree about the media playing a big role in what we think is beautiful. And our "western" culture beliefs are spilling in other cultures across the world. I'm a pacific islander and some pacific cultures have women on the heavier side like Samoa, Tonga, etc where in our culture it was okay to be a little bigger. But since T.V. there are higher rates of anorexia and other eating disorders in order to fit the media image. And it's also not just about weight...

I live in Japan. Here people are generally thin! Imagine being fat and living in a skinny country. Japan is also a small country with many people so everything is SMALL. The seats are smaller on the train or bus and even at the table at the restaurants. I feel huge. But also one of the most honorable positions in Japanese culture is that of the Sumo Wrestler.. and their huge! So here they do other extremes to look more western. Some girls dye their hair blonde and wear contacts, some get breast augmentation, and others have even gone as far to get surgery so they can have "double eye-lids".

NO matter what culture we live in it is influenced highly by the media and that portrayal of beauty and acceptance. What ever happen to all those old greek or italian paintings? You know all the ones with the naked women who had smaller breast but bigger hips and maybe even a belly pouch? Who knew that we'd evolve from people who wanted to be fat (fat was a sign of wealth) to people who valued absolute thin. I also heard about some places in Africa where they take young women and fatten them up before their weddings. Just my thoughts... hehehe

Angel

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 11-25-2003 - 7:57pm
I've seen 38-18-34 and 39-23-33 both listed as being what Barbie's measurements would be if she were life size. There's no way Cindy Crawford has those measurements. She comes from an era when models were much curvier and healthier (i.e. Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Teague, Kathy Ireland, etc.). Probably the closest thing you'd see to a

       ~~Rhonda~~


<

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-01-2003
Wed, 11-26-2003 - 2:15am
Well the ideas brought up were not exactly whether the government should ban Barbie, but whether or not Barbie is harmful to body image. I have to agree that Barbie is somewhat harmful. When I was younger, I was very thin, but had different proportions than Barbie (as do most women in the world), and was flat chested (easily disguised with the right bra), but at my height(5'10"), I had the body of a model (hippy, but thin enough that it didn't matter). I was naturally thin, so I did not starve myself ever, but I would have definitely done some serious dieting to stay that way if I had to, because that is what I saw in all the magazines as beautiful. If they put a size 10 model, she usually models clothes for 'plus' size women of 16 and up...which is ridiculous. A woman who is a 10 cannot see a size 4 model and think she will look like that in those clothes. A size 16 woman cannot relate to what she sees on a size 10...and I have to admit, 2 years ago, if I saw a woman who is 10 or 12 in a magazine, I saw her as 'overweight', especially compared to the stick figures next to her.

Now, I am married to a man raised outside of America. He met me at my thin point (120 pounds), and married me when I was around an 8, 18 months ago, and is thrilled to pieces that I have 'filled out'(160lb). I do have boobs now. My butt has always been round, but now I give JLO a run for her money. He looks at my thighs, and just gazes, saying 'I love those'. He sometimes tries to sabotage my diet because he does not want me to be skinny again, then he tells me that I have to know that if I want to lose A LITTLE weight to feel healthier I should, but if I think that I have to do it because I look bad, I should not and definitely should not lose so much that I look very different than I do now.. I have to admit, I feel sexier now at a size 12 (by no means huge, but much bigger than before) than I did at a size 5.

I am trying to just go back down to a 10, because that is when I felt healthiest,no way do I ever want to be a 5 again. Also, I was usually depressed, and lost weight when I was at a low point, and gained a little when I was better. For DH, this is proof positive that he is 'good for me'. And, I have to admit, I equate size 5 with sadness, and 10-12 with happiness or at least calmness.

I think I have lost my point somewhere along the way of this post. It was to be, yes this society (of which Barbie is a part, that put the image in the minds of very young girls), that long legs, long blonde hair, major cleavage, and a tiny waist, are the ideal. And this ideal is not attainable for most of us.

Lyan

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 11-26-2003 - 7:17am




















       ~~Rhonda~~


<

Avatar for shandc
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Wed, 11-26-2003 - 8:31am
Ladies,

Thanks for your thoughts on this! Rhonda, great article, thanks for posting that. I'm sorry I forget exactly who posted about unrealistic body expectations in general, but I agree with you :-)

Let me bring up another gripe...all these dating shows. Do you ever see a girl that's anything less than gorgeous on any of them, unless she's supposed to be the freak or the comic relief? Yeah, they have a show now with average guys, but will we ever see average women on one? It totally ticks me off every time I see some size 2 model type sniping about how another size 4 model type needs to hit the gym before she tries another one of these shows.

I think when I get to my goal I'm going to apply for one of those shows just so I can tell the producers off to their faces :-)

Shan

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 11-26-2003 - 8:57am
One bright spot about those shows is I saw an ad that they're going to have the girl on "The Average Joe" put on a fat suit and dark wig and show up as her cousin to see how the guys react. Now, that would be worth watching (If they fall for it).

Rhonda


Time invested in improving ourselves cuts down on time disapproving of others.

       ~~Rhonda~~


<

Avatar for shandc
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Wed, 11-26-2003 - 10:15pm
That WILL be fun to watch! You know, I've noticed among my guy friends that the most average ones tend to be the pickiest about how their girlfriends look. I wonder if that's the equivalent of "the bigger the car, the smaller the package?"

Happy Thanksgiving!

Shan

Pages