Barbie – A Natural Beauty?

Barbara Millicent Roberts, a.k.a. Barbie, is the quintessential icon of glamour and femininity. With her beachy blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and waify waist, Barbie has represented a standard of beauty that has both been reveled and reproved.

Personally, I cannot attribute any of my own insecurities to the dainty dolly. I believe that there are so many other factors in this world bigger than Barbie that contribute to young girls’ battles with their self esteem and confidence. My childhood was only enriched by hours of living in the fantasy land that was Barbie’s world – my twin sister and I spent hours concocting sets and plots to film Barbie movies with our dad’s camcorder (although young Steven Spielbergs we were not). Our dolls fueled our imaginations, and we ended up hacking off half of their perfectly coifed hair and giving them new makeup with markers anyway!

So a recent article I happened upon that revealed a “new natural Barbie” intrigued me. I clicked on the link excited and open-minded, but I was not prepared for what I saw…

…this puffy-eyed, yellow-toothed, pockmarked, E.T.-esque nightmare. Hey, at least her hair is still rockin’! I admire society’s efforts to embrace and encourage natural beauty, but this takes it to the other side of the spectrum. Yes, Barbie is not without her faults. But nothing and no one is perfect, and at some point I think we should just appreciate things for what they are. And Barbie is one beauteous b*tch!

Check out the gallery below for some Barbie inpso – both the fierce and fugalicious!

What are your thoughts on Barbie as a role model???

xxxKATxxx