Over Half Of Mommyish Readers Would Buy The New President Barbie
A small percentage of readers polled did find President Barbie’s proportions irksome, but a little more than half would still shell out money for the doll.
We need to talk to them regularly and from an early age about how to engage with various types of media without being taken in by the images it attempts to sell. For example, right now my daughter is going through a huge princess stage. This is alarming to me…because princess culture is at least as rife with problematic portrayals of females as Barbie…Instead I ask her questions about this obsession. Why does she like princesses so much? Why does she want to be a princess. What does it mean to be a princess? When you actually ask kids (even young ones, my daughter is only four) to engage in these sort of thought activities it changes the way they approach things and it can also help us sort through potential issues so that we can address those most relevant to our child.
That way, the next time My Little Pony starts chatting about how gorgeous her hair is, your little boy or girl will be more likely to connect the sexist dots.
(photo: styleite.com)