by Denica Samuels

Created on: April 30, 2008

Barbie Dolls have more than passed the test of time. Since 1959, when the first Barbie doll was invented by Ruth Handler, there of course were controversies about the doll's physical attributes. More of the controversy gravitated toward the measurements of the chest, waist and hips, which were respectfully 36 inches(chest), 18 inches(waist), and 33 inches(hips). The University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, took it to another level when they did research to show, that the Barbie doll lacked 17 to 22 percent of body fat needed for a woman to menstruate. That can be true on a technical level, but people, we are talking about Barbie dolls, a toy, nothing more than mere plastic.

If we are now asking," Are Barbie dolls appropriate for young girls?", we might as well turn off the televisions, the Internets, and stay inside of our houses. There are so many other outside influences , especially on television, that create the same "self-image danger" that the Barbie supposedly creates towards young girls. Just the other day I was watching Zoey 101, the popular hit show on Nickelodeon,with my little sister and the outfits they were wearing on that show were short skirts, tight tang tops, and make up galore. That show doesn't make my little sister want to go out and wear what the girls on that show are wearing, because she is her own person and has such a strong mind.

When I was younger and I got my Barbie dolls, they were just something to play with, to dress up, and make her look how i wanted. I created an image of how i wanted the doll to look, I combed her hair the way i wanted to,and I switched the clothing of the doll, whether the article of clothing were mismatched or not. Her physical attributes were the least of my concerns. Of course there was the occasional curiosity about what was under her skirt and if it looked like what i had , but other than that, I paid attention to nothing else. When showing off my dolls to my friends, and them doing the same, it was never, " well my doll is skinnier than yours", or " mine has bigger boobies", but we played house with those dolls.

Barbie Dolls are a great way to find out what your daughter is like and what she likes. There are so many different types of themed Barbie dolls these days, water themed dolls, flying dolls, career oriented dolls, that if you let your daughter choose what doll she wants, it'll give you a little insight as to who your daughter is and what she likes. On the plus side, it will also make it alot easier to choose that next Christmas gift or birthday gift. Barbie dolls are a chance for recreation, playing house, and discovery.A little girl and a Barbie doll is that chance for that little girl to say "hey, i want to dress you this way", or " i want your hair that way." At that young age , some form of choice is an important aspect to that child's growth, and maturity. What more could you want for your little girl?

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