Is Barbie a Negative Model for Girls and a Bad Toy for Christmas?

She's shapely, smart, fashionable, and the star of numerous movies. She has a kid sister, lots of friends, cousins, an on-again, off-again boyfriend, and she seems to have tried every career imaginable. Her feet were made for heels, her hair made for styling, and she celebrates holidays with the best of them. She's Barbie.

My daughter has lots of Barbies. She has some with blond hair, some with red hair and some with brunette hair. She has light-skinned Barbies and dark-skinned Barbies. To her, they are all Barbie. Their only monikers are "Mom," "sister," "cousin," "honey," and "friend." These names are inter-changeable, depending on who is needed at the time. One thing they all have in common? They can all fly off the top of her bunk bed.

Barbie first appeared in 1959, as ageless as we find her today. (Her counterpart, Ken, was introduced in 1961 as her "handsome steady.") She has more shoes than Imelda Marcos, more clothes than Paris Hilton, more houses than Donald Trump, and more cars than Jay Leno. She has friends of various ethnicities and more celebrities want to be part of her entourage than any other figure in history. Lovable as some find her, Barbie is not without controversy.

Barbie is criticized most widely for her figure. According to the book Forever Barbie by M.G. Lord, if Barbie were human-sized, she would stand 5 feet 6 inches tall, weigh 110 pounds, and have a 39-inch bust line, an 18-inch waist and 33-inch hips. Other estimates put her height around seven feet tall, and her weight closer to 130 pounds, but the measurements stay roughly the same. Either way, her figure is not a realistic goal for over 99% of women. That unattainability has made her the target of feminists, health-care workers, psychologists and moms, all of whom have expressed concern that girls playing with Barbies is tantamount to telling them that they too, should have those ridiculous proportions.

A recent study by two British universities concluded that Barbie does indeed have an effect on the way little girls perceive body image. Perhaps the most startling result of the study - when girls ages six and seven were shown pictures of Barbie they were more apt to want to be extremely thin, more so than after seeing other pictures.

Barbie's shape is not her only problem. She also comes under fire for her materialism. Let's face it - there isn't an altruistic Barbie. She has lots of clothes, cars, houses, and even her own credit cards. She obviously spends every penny she makes.

In that same light, however, is a positive aspect of Barbie. She is an independent woman. She doesn't rely on Ken to support her. She has an education and can be successful at any career. There is no telling Barbie that "girls" can't do that. She has broken glass ceilings and climbed the corporate ladder. She has been a doctor, lawyer, accountant, entertainer, astronaut, teacher, veterinarian, business woman, mom, sister, and friend.

Another of Barbie's problems is how she is perceived by certain religious and ethnic groups. Back in 2003, Saudi Arabia announced that Barbie was a "Jewish" doll, and that she promoted immorality. ("Jewish" Barbie Denounced in Saudi Arabia) It was suggested that Barbie was modeled after a Jewish woman, and that her revealing clothes were offensive to Islam. According to Lord, however, Barbie was actually modeled after a German WWII pin-up girl, who herself was probably modeled after a German prostitute.

While her original roots may have a questionable morality, she is a doll, and her morality comes now from her owner. Some of the actions which have been taken, such as outlawing Barbies or banning her from girls' doll collections, seem extreme. Barbie is a piece of plastic. Underneath the clothes, she is no different than the Razanne or Fulla dolls, which are sanctioned by Islamic society. Both Razanne and Fulla are your basic dolls, with clothing which is more representative of Middle Eastern culture.

I have no problem with dolls which are representative of different cultures, ethnicities, races, shapes and sizes. I do have a problem assuming that the toy is the problem. I obviously do not approve of the skimpy outfits which are popular within Barbie culture. However, I use those outfits as a learning opportunity with my daughters. I point out the problems I have with Barbie's clothes, and how they can be improved. (For more about my issues with clothing and my daughters, read here.) The same thing with Barbie's figure. I have pointed out many times to my daughter that Barbie is just a toy. Just as no dog looks like Clifford, so no woman looks like Barbie.

I like to hear my youngest daughter use her Barbies to develop her social interaction skills. I often hear myself when I listen to her. One Barbie will be "Mommy" and another will be the "honey." The Mommy will sing to the honey, and put her to bed. My daughter uses my words, almost exactly at times. Her Barbies also have pets, and they care for them. I see nothing but positive implications from these interactions.

So, while Barbie's image can be harmful, I believe that a parental influence is stronger. Anything negative about Barbie can be countered by a positive from a caring, involved mother. Yes, Barbie can be useful, and you can't help but admire a woman who really knows how to get the most out of life.