Chapter 18 – “An Apology for the Life of Ms. Barbie D. Doll”
Rita Isakson takes issue with the experts who harangue about the Barbie Doll as a poor toy for young girls. These experts blame the doll for all things evil which apparently includes “leisure activity, personal appearance, popularity …”.
I appreciate the importance of such key questions. This line of thinking leads to other soul searching issues. Should one enjoy their leisure activities? Should we prefer unattractive over attractive people? Do most people would prefer to be liked as opposed to being disliked?
Rita Isakson continues keeping the experts on the spit. She points out those little girls have played with dolls for thousands of years without any discernable negative self image issues. She points out that she loved to comb Barbie’s hair, but not, at age seven, her own. Her friends agree.
We, as adults, have serious issues to discuss in the national dialogue. To paraphrase Newt in Aliens, “Ripley, it’s just a doll.”
