Influential Role Models

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Barbie and Bratz: Just Dolls or Influential Role Models? Dolls traditionally have been a playing toy, mainly for young girls. Often children practice roles they want to take as adults through the dolls. Dolls are usually perceived as a symbol of innocence as naïve young children play with them. However, ever since the fashion dolls came into the scene, parents and related professionals are concerned that fashion dolls are not exactly the perfect playing material for toddlers and pre-teens. The most popular brands of fashion dolls include Barbie and Bratz. Julia Griffin of Miller-McCune Center for Research revealed that ninety percent of U.S. girls between the ages of three and ten own at least one Barbie doll with those between three and six…show more content…
James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture introduces Barbie as a plastic fashion doll representing a conventionally attractive young woman. Barbie, the eleven and half inch, full-figured plastic doll is among the most popular toys ever invented (Pendergast). M.G. Lord, contributor of Jewish Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia, documented Barbie’s birth very descriptively. Barbie is manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel Inc. Ruth Handler is one of the founders of the company (Lord, par. 1). Barbie is named after her daughter, Barbara. Barbie made its debut on March 9, 1959 at the American International Toy Fair in New York City (Lord, par. 1). Barbie was originally considered to be a seventeen year old teenager. Margo Maine, author of the book Body Wars: Making Peace with Women's Bodies, informed that according to the official Barbie website, the target market for Barbie dolls sales is young children, age three to twelve (par. 1). Mattel Inc. constantly updates Barbie so that it is in sync with the latest fashion and style along with other demands of the time. As a matter of fact, a few times Barbie herself has been the…show more content…
National Eating Disorder Organization defines body image as a person’s belief, feelings, perceptions, thoughts and actions about their appearance and body (par. 1). There are two types of body images; positive body image and negative body image and every person has one or the other. National Eating Disorders Collaboration wrote on their website, “Positive body image occurs when a person is able to accept, appreciate, and respect their body. It is important because it is one of the protective factors which can make a person resilient to eating disorders” (par. 2). According to Medical News Today, people with negative body image have a feeling of inadequacy when they compare themselves to others around them. National Eating Disorder Organization reported that, constantly comparing one’s body with the conventional standard is the root cause of development of negative body
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