So I know if you're anything like me, you've probably seen/heard most of these stats before, but this was posted on my friends Facebook wall today, and I was so stunned by the LAST BULLET that I HAD to share:
Eating Disorder Awareness Month, Day 26. Barbie Has an Eating Disorder!
• If Barbie were an actual women, she would be 5’9” tall, have a 39” bust, an 18” waist, 33” hips and a size 3 shoe.
• Barbie calls this a “full figure” and likes her weight at 110 lbs.
• At 5’9” tall and weighing 110 lbs, Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24 and fit the weight criteria for anorexia. She likely would not menstruate.
• If Barbie was a real woman, she’d have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.
• Slumber Party Barbie was introduced in 1965 and came with a bathroom scale permanently set at 110 lbs with a book entitled “How to Lose Weight” with directions inside stating simply “Don’t eat.”
Read that last bullet again... I think that's incredibly messed up. That message reached millions of little kids who could have gotten the impression that Barbie's secret of not eating is the key to being beautiful, since she is the symbol of beauty to little kids.
Yeah. I was so stunned. Okay, yes I have an ED, but NEVER would I wish it upon anyone EVER. Especially not little kids, pulling shit like that is exactly why we're so fucked up. (Okay, I speak for myself but still). Mind you the sleepover Barbie came out in 1965 but still, stunned. As for the rest of the information given here, I think people get too worked up over it... I don't think that a doll's proportions could be the sole reason that kids get low self esteem, and personally, I loved Barbies as a kid, but I never felt fat compared to her because I never compared myself to her... but messages like "Don't Eat" is a little bit concerning.
Sorry for the rant, I'm such a mom, always concerned about innocent young minds (no, I'm not literally a mom)
GAH anyways lovve you guys!
Speaking of not eating btw, I'm still fasting and doing well (I know, I'm such a fucked up hypocrite), but I'd never TELL someone to not eat!
AHHH gotta go! I'm so late for work! But I just HAD to post this real quick!
Dude..that is so fucked up. I can't stop thinking about the fuckedupness...
ReplyDeletei did a presentation about this for my Theory of Knowledge class & got a B for it. in IB, a B is like...no words. if you get an A & a B in IB, it's nothing to be ignored. it's an indication of how smart you are - so i was stoked. i mentioned issues regarding how different cultures will view it. see.
ReplyDeletefor example, in France, the man prefers the more 'natural' woman, so whilst the Barbie dolls still have a high rate of being sold in France, children are being indoctrinated to believe that the woman should be natural, & Barbie's measurements of 42-18-33 can only be obtained through plastic surgery. however, there are some side-effects. there was this study where girls were made to read stories with pictures of Barbie and normal stories, and i think around 80% of those kids wanted to be thinner due to her! /:
and then there's the fact that eating disorders in kids rose significantly. but then again, i debated on causation and collaboration. you know? when two things happen at the same time (rise of Barbie sales/rise of children ED) that may seem related but aren't really related. it's also the media. it's fucking insane. it effects the younger kids too.
my baby sis once told one of my friends, "Sammy doesn't eat" and now, my friend won't leave me alone about it. i deny it as much as possible but so far, i've denied every single food offering that friend has made. i've eaten only once in my life in front of them & it's a cup of soup, so she thinks i barely eat - but what killed me is that i seem like i don't eat when i'm around my sis. i keep on pushing the vegetarian excuse and that's why i don't have lunch with them, but kids DO notice.
-Sam Lupin
yeah man I totally understand! its insaneee!
Deletebut I've decided
I'm moving to France. <3 Thanks for the suggestion
wow..our world is seriously messed up...thanx for sharing hun!
ReplyDeleteBarbie would look SO odd as a real person o_O I've heard those facts before, but I've never seen how she'd actually look. Odd, odd. xx
ReplyDelete