Brazen Barbie Persists After 50 years

When I was ten years old I gave all my Barbie dolls away to a young girl, maybe 8, who was on a visit from Europe. I had about a dozen of them in various states: broken off toes, unevenly cut hair, face make-up with magic marker. For some reason I felt sorry for the girl. The family was not poor; she had dolls. It was something else that was a bit off about her - an utterly shy demeanor, an unnatural awkwardness.

Years later the girl was diagnosed with a sever mental illness.The interesting thing about that episode was my mother'€™s reaction after the family had left. She was furious at me for giving away all my Barbies and the plastic pink suitcase containing all the gowns and accessories. "These will be worth something someday!"

I was shocked. I thought I had done something kind. But my mother was on to something. Barbie turns 50 this year (see pictures and timeline). The plastic doll has endured over the years in spite of the controversy Barbie elicits among feminists and eating disorder professionals. NPR (On Point with Tom Ashbrook) had a program about a book on the inventor of Barbie, Ruth Handler (the doll was modeled after a German sex toy) and covered the debate over whether the dolls are a positive or negative influence on girls. Barbie has been, after all, an astronaut, doctor, a business woman and a presidential candidate; she'€™s been black, Hispanic, blond and brunette. The fashion queen and runway model is but only one aspect of the doll'€™s remarkable capabilities and talents. Amy Poehler hosted a self- esteem program, Smart Girls at the Party, for girls sponsored by Mattel, the maker of Barbie, as part of the ongoing anniversary celebration.

I can'€™t say that I'€™m sorry I gave away my Barbie dolls. I just lost interest. I avoided giving my daughters a Barbie doll for all the reasons the feminists hate the doll (my girls received Barbies as gifts anyway), but it turns out my girls were more interested in American Girl dolls. But they out grew those flat chested, normal looking dolls around - age 10 as well.

As for the thin beauty ideal for women in the US? The images abound on TV, bill boards, music labels and just about every type of magazine cover whether it is fashion, fitness, sports or cooking. Teaching girls about normal weight, natural body shape, to dress for your body type, and how to be media literate is the best prevention against body image disturbance. But it still doesn'€™t stop today'€™s teen girls from wearing belly shirts and navel rings.

As for my long lost Barbies, I tried to find out how much they would be worth about 30 years later. I think the personal damage I created on them would render them worthless today. But if you have coveted and saved your dollies over the years, there is a website that helps you to determine how much your Barbie is worth.