by Stayaway from Bnei Baruch

Created on: May 30, 2009   Last Updated: June 03, 2009

Not many people would want to admit how influenced they are by this iconic doll. Barbie is based on a cartoon character named Bild Lilli, which was first published in the German newspaper Bild-Zeitung in 1952. The character Bild Lilli was a young, single secretary who is quoted as saying, "I could do without balding old men, but my budget couldn't!" This is an example of the new desire that emerged after WWII: appetites of all kinds increased following the deprivations of the war years. The Lilli doll was created as a gag gift for bachelors and was sold in bars, tobacco shops and adult stores. Eventually this "fashion doll" became popular with little girls and the manufactures quickly capitalized on this popularity.

The first American Barbie doll was launched in 1959 and looks very similar to Lilli. She was one of the first toys to be marketed almost exclusively on television. Barbie has gone through many incarnations as a single working girl. She has been a princess, president, ballerina, cowgirl, and doctor. One of Barbie's most recent incarnations is an American Idol contestant. Barbie sings, "Oops, I did it again, I played with your heart. Got lost in the game. Oh, baby, baby, you think I'm in love, that I'm sent from above, I'm not that innocent." Barbie is still singing Lilli's song.

Barbie has been through a great deal of controversy in her fifty years. Mothers tell their daughters that she is a bad influence, but Barbie is only a symptom of a greater social trend. Our culture has become obsessed with fashion, beauty and possessions. The way a woman values herself has shifted from pride in sustaining a home into a maze of self-indulgent pleasures.

Even the most educated, self-aware, independent women have definite expectations of the men they might marry or spend time with: they expect fine dinners, excellent grooming, jewels, lavish weddings, and vast quantities of flowers. A woman feels cheated and unwise if she accepts less than the very best from a man. In the U.S., the average cost of a wedding in 2008 is $30,000, not including the honeymoon or engagement ring. Modern women believe that the amount of money a man is willing to spend on them is an expression of his love. But love is a perception of union and cannot be realized through material things.

Kabbalah can help us understand why women are now demanding so much from men. It explains that people are born with an inherent desire for pleasure. As societies evolve, their desires

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>