http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2126292/Now-stand-feet-IN-HEELS-New-I-Want-To-Be-President-Barbie-step-forward-iconic-doll.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
I saw this news story on the television in the airport this weekend while waiting for my flight and thought it tied in with some of the topics discussed in our class last Wednesday. The original story I saw was not covered by the Daily Mail, but I thought that this particular coverage nicely illustrates some of the problematic issues affecting women in power and their representation in the media and popular culture more generally. According to the article, a presidential barbie has been released during every presidential election year since 1992. The 1992 version appears with a red, white and blue ball gown complete with tulle while the 2012 version dons a pink "power suit" with red white and blue trim and pink heels (as the title of the article points out). But, is updating her look from a ball gown to a power suit really empowering? I would argue, no... not really. While the intent is there, several obvious characteristics of the doll (and the media's representation of its symbolism) remain counter-productive. In a sense, the "out of the box" powerful position of this women becomes overwhelmed with very "inside the box" qualities. For example, the barbie running for election this year promises to "paint the white house pink" when she launches her "glam"paign (as some news sources have termed it). As this particular headline also suggests, "Now she can stand on her own two feet in heels," which to me means two things: that she couldn't "stand on her own two feet" before and adds the element of association of femininity with the color pink, high heels, glamour, etc which has become so normative when discussing gender representation in popular cultural texts/items.
Another interesting aspect of Mattel's marketing is the choice of races in which the doll is being manufactured. In 1992, the doll only came in "Caucasian" but now, it also comes in "African-American," "Hispanic," and "Asian (all of which, i think, look pretty much identical and still fit in the 'normative' ideals of beauty established in American society). But, what about those girls in America of other races that do not see a barbie like them running for the United States?
How do you see these problematic issues relating to the topics presented in Miss Representation? In what other ways might this barbie be representative of some of the inside/outside the box characteristics discussed in class? Do you think Barbie's progression from 1992-2012 represents a movement towards women empowerment and is a step in the right direction, or, do you think Mattel is still missing the mark? How might the media also be exacerbating the 'image' of this barbie and implicating certain messages about women in power?
I realized these dolls are representing some other values that are taught to both men and women in our society: being kempt, good hygiene, being well dressed. Perhaps there should be a variety of outfits for this power woman? Why can’t she be wearing dress pants and a blazer? Even though these dolls are meant to represent a move forward in society’s representation of women, they are still very much confined by the same standards the female “box” was set in decades ago—tight clothes, high heels, make-up, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso, reporting on the new Barbie doll as if it is the step towards liberating women is demeaning and objectifying. A Barbie doll is not the first step to making those changes, women themselves are. Just like in Miss Representation, most of the people who were concerned about the mayor who elected two women as the chief of police and chief of the fire-house, were women! Both men and women should have more confidence in, and respect for, women’s abilities.
I think that Mattel has definitely become more conscious about the issues surrounding the Barbie dolls and their representation to young women, but only through the mistakes the company has made. For example, I remember in the late 90's they had a college student Barbie that said "math is hard". The company received a lot criticism for this doll because it perpetuated the idea to young women that women are not good at STEM fields. Eventually though, they took the doll off shelves and replaced her with a new doll that was able to study anything.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Mattel attempted to sue Danish Pop group, AQUA (the ones who sang the famous 1997 hit "Barbie Girl") because they claimed that the band turned Barbie into a sex symbol and referred to her as a "Blonde Bimbo". But around the same time they created this doll that proclaimed she wasn't good at math. The suit was dropped however in 2002 (most likely to contradictions in their argument). Because of this, I think that Mattel may be a little disillusioned on how society views Barbie and should (if they haven't done so already) pursue research in individual's interpretations of the doll.
In one of my blog posts, I talked about "Fulla", a doll that has been said to be the Muslim version of a Barbie doll, and this article addressed many of the same issues. This doll has become really popular among Muslim girls, and replaced Barbie completely for many. Fulla represents the values of Muslim culture in her dress and behavior and, unlike Barbie, is regarded as an extremely positive role model for young girls.
ReplyDeleteIn American culture, Barbie also stands as an extremely influential role model for young girls. Even though most people would agree that her image is anything but positive. It bothers me that we praise Mattel for things like dressing Barbie in a pink "power suit" and consider this to be progressive. Sure, Mattel has come a long way from things like "Sleepover Barbie" (she came with a book called "How to Loose Weight") or "Teen Talk Barbie" ("Will we ever have enough clothes?") but they still have a long way to go.
The Fulla doll serves as an example of how much more Mattel could be doing. They have the power to create a more positive role model for young girls that girls still love and admire (and parents will still buy..), but for better reasons.