The Evolution of Barbie

I was pretty happy to stumble upon this video. It shows little girls playing with Barbie dolls that look like normal people. I guess Matel is making Barbie's in different shapes now, so kids can choose whether they want a more normal looking doll, or the stereotypical shaped Barbie doll. I like the idea of letting kids choose, but I don't think it's a good idea to get rid of the unproportional Barbie we all know and love. 

There is a fine line between wanting a doll that looks different, unlike yourself and idealizing that doll while bringing yourself down at the same time. I could want a Malibu Barbie because I'm a kid from the midwest, who has never been to a beach. It's fun to pretend. But when I start comparing myself to the doll, and feeling sad about it, that's when it becomes unhealthy. I'm hoping Barbie fans are either a) too young to compare themselves to their doll or b) old enough to realize that it's just a doll. 

That being said, as an overweight child who played with Barbies, I cannot say that they've attributed to my self esteem problems. Those came later in life. No toys that I interacted with caused me to doubt myself. And it wasn't until 7th grade that I even noticed I was different and overweight. I was lucky enough to not be bullied. I had friends all throughout elementary school, and it wasn't until I hit  puberty that I noticed any imperfections. Barbie did nothing. 

So while, yes, having different shaped Barbies is great, I think it satisfies the needs of parents and adults more so than the children.