Is Barbie to blame for America's obsession with fake/unrealistic beauty?

I remember when the arguements against Barbie began. Personally, I do not feel that Barbie should be blamed for the unrealistic and unhealthy body image/ideas girls (and women) have.





I feel that Hollywood is FAR more to blame than a doll.





What do you think?





side not...And if someone is going to pick on a doll- how about the unbelievably, ridiculously, disgusting display of over-the-top materialistic and sex appeal offered by the BRATZ collection. Now come on- those dolls are horrible!Is Barbie to blame for America's obsession with fake/unrealistic beauty?
I think Barbies are another reason why little girls think it's normal to be a hypersexual airhead, but they're not the main reason. Kids know a doll is just a toy, they know not everyone can or wants to look like Barbie. However, growing up and watching all these ';I'll be a virgin until I marry my true love'; popstars on TV who gyrate and pant and walk around half naked can screw you up pretty bad. When I was a kid I was too busy reading books and getting dirty to care about stuff like that, but it starts so early now that i see 12 year olds in ridiculous outfits talking about all kinds of banal Paris Hilton crap.





Yes, Hollywood is to blame. Today's pop culture is about being thin, blonde and orange and if you don't look like that you can never be cool. I think it's disgusting, and I'm at the higher end of the age group this crap is aimed at- don't forget that it's women in their late teens and early twenties that are perpetuating this by allowing themselves to fall for it, and the fashion/music/everything industry is encouraging us to be stupid as well as fake.Is Barbie to blame for America's obsession with fake/unrealistic beauty?
To say that Barbie is the sole cause of people's ';unrealistic and unhealthy body image/ideas,'; is oversimplifying.





Yes, the media probably plays a part, but we cannot place complete blame on the media and Hollywood. People constantly want to talk about the media's negative impact, but what about parents? Friends? Yourself? Self-esteem and body image are issues that can develop within people of all cultures, and there is far more to it than simply Barbie and the media.
I'm so tired of adults not taking responsibility for their treatment of their children.


A doll, in this case Barbie, isn't going to negatively affect a child.





In terms of body issues, it's mostly female guardians(ie- mothers, older sisters/cousins/friends/etc) projecting their own dissatisfaction with themselves and their bodies onto their daughters that give way to such issues.
Honestly, I don't think so. I greatly prefer Barbie over BRATZ, not only because of the way the BRATZ dolls (oh, I'm sorry -- dollz) look, but because of the personalities that they say should be the ideal.





Honestly, every culture emphasizes desirable traits in children's media; we just complain about Barbie because she's popular and blond, and because it was considered stupid to play with her past a certain age. And I don't know a single kid who grew up saying ';I want to look like my dolly,'; instead you hear them talk about looking like Hannah Montana or those people from High School Musical.
No Barbie is not to blame it's just a doll and plus it's the parents responsible to tell their daughter they don't have to look like that so Hollywood is to blame and the parents need to talk to their daughters about what they put out there,
No I have never thought Barbie was to blame....Hollywood is the main reason why girls try to go on all these crash diets. People like Lindsey Lohan and Mary-Kate Olsen who are eating lettuce are influencing these girls to do the same!!





They should just make plus size Barbie dolls to stop all this madness...
i think it is hollywood, the fashion world, all models and the airbrush artists and playboy bunnies and playmates of the year .
No i think barbie has no blame. if the parents or government thinks so then they should control the age limit of barbies. i mean little kids wont know what obesity and anorexia is yet.
No, don't blame Barbie, she just turned 50 years old!! Are you gonna blame an old lady?!