Barbie: Normal or Deviant?

I took an Intro to Women Studies class where we talked a lot about the media and companies who place certain ideals and standards on young girls. I was reminded of what I learned then when I read Urla and Terry's section on womens' deviance being related to the Barbie figure. In that section, Urla and Terry say that women can't live up to the Barbie figure. That it is unattainable and oppressive.

The look of Barbie has a role in showing young girls what the "norm" is in our society. They see the way Barbie looks and think that is how they are supposed to look when the get older, what they should strive for. But is that what we want young girls to think? I looked up what Barbie's proportions would be if she was real. If she was she would be 5'9" tall, have a 39" bust, 18" waist, 33" hips, weigh 110 lbs, and have size 3 shoes. For those of you who would like an example to match those measurements, Galia Slayen a student at Hamilton College, has made such an example.

I don't know about the rest of you but that is not what I would want young girls to strive for. With those proportions and weight, Barbie would be considered anorexic, be unable to menstruate, and would have to move around on all fours. What has happened to our society that the "norm" has become this? The company, The Body Shop, created their own "anti Barbie" named Ruby in 1998. Her body is more realistic to what a woman's body can be like and what more than likely is healthier. Ruby was created to "challenge stereotypes of beauty and encounter the pervasive influence of the cosmetic industry". Here is a poster of Ruby that went along with The Body Shop's campaign. She is nude but I have decided not to black out her areas. I chose not to because I believe her to be beautiful and to do so would only inhibit that beauty as well as her purpose as the "anti Barbie".

 I feel that if Ruby was available on the market that maybe what was considered deviant would no longer be considered so. Young girls would understand that not everyone has the same body type. That everyone's bodies are beautiful no matter what their shape. But I suppose that is another matter in itself. What are your views on the Barbie industry's influence on young girls? Do you think that Ruby should have her place in the doll industry?

Jillian Stephenson 


For more information on Galia Slayin's project click here 

For  more information on Ruby click here