Cheers to you Ms. Barbie. Bitch. Time to grow old or at least grow up. You’re never completely ready, it just becomes your turn.

You represent the past 50 years of women in society and evoke stong feelings of ambivalence in me. I was born in the same year as you and I both love you and hate you, I want to both protect you and throw you under the bus. And back up over you again and again.

As females we receive mixed messages from day one. First, “You are an object, you cute little thing.” As little girls getting our first Barbie doll, we longed to look like you someday. To have your boobs, your tiny waist, your ever so cute blue eyes and sweet smile. And to wear high heels. The fascination with dressing you and undressing you to check your private parts, and redressing you again. Slipping on and off your lovely princess slippers and pearls. Fantasizing about the romantic boy-girl society. Stepford Wife Barbie.

Then, “You can be anything you want to be. Lawyer, doctor, rocket scientist.” As we got a little bit older and we idolized you a little bit less, we started to concentrate on how to make your clothes, how to take you apart and put you back together. We played with you and your friends, emulated relationships with you and Ken. We watched you go off to work and make your way in the world, with your convertibles and your houses. We engulfed you in a society in which women and men were free to relate to each other as human beings of dignity and worth. Free Love Barbie.

We’ve gone through waves of liberalism, waves of conservative thinking, busting out and repressing. And I envy you Barbie - you were able to live each moment in your prime, playing the part with plastic dignity. Not even changing your expression when our brothers ripped off your head.

And I feel sorry for you Barbie. You will never get to age, to learn and to grow. You’ll never get to integrate the different parts of yourself into a comfortable center. You will forever be Malibu Barbie, or Executive Barbie, School Girl Barbie or Pinup Barbie all in separate instances. Never pulling yourself together and learning to accept your wrinkles and age gracefully.

Cheers to you Ms. Barbie.

Tags: Barbie, high heels, linkedin, pearls

This entry was posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 at 8:35 pm and is filed under Fashion & Style, Perspectives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.