When Mattel announced last Thursday that it was giving the Barbie doll a new look, the news generated front page coverage in LA Times, USA Today, Time Magazine and was featured on news outlets around the country.
Barbie, Mattel’s best-selling blonde bombshell was having some “plastic’ surgery to give her a more realistic look or should I say ‘looks’.
Why all the attention to a doll’s new look? Because this doll is no ordinary plaything, but an American icon with die-hard devotees and vocal opponents. All this controversy boils down to sensitivity about how women’s body images are presented culturally.
It is no surprise that body image is a preoccupation for many women. According to one American study, approximately 80-90% of women dislike their bodies. Some people think these numbers are this high due to unrealistic models of beauty that dolls like Barbie perpetuate...