I used to play with Barbie and Bratz dolls as a child. I always had a view of Barbie and Bratz dolls as “beautiful” and “pretty.” I never realized how “problematic” Barbie’s could be as a young child. As I grew up, I realized that these dolls were created to appear “attractive” according to a specific set of media standards. In class on Monday, we discussed how women have power when they are tall and thin. Another beauty standard that is common in media and in the portrayal of dolls is having long, straight hair. Looking back on my childhood dolls, all of them were thin, had long legs, and had long straight hair.
These standards of beauty can have detrimental effects on children’s mental and physical health. Depression, self-esteem issues, and eating disorders do occur in children who do not feel they fit the standards of beauty. I have witnessed students being bullied and being named “big backs”, which is a common slang used by children today to call others fat. Nobody should be ashamed of how they look, even if it goes against the mainstream “beauty standards”, especially young children.
I always had self-esteem issues, and always wanted to look a specific way. I realize now that maybe I drew my ideas of beauty from these media standards of beauty. In the textbook Rethinking Popular Culture and Media by Marshall and Sensoy, students noted that Barbie does not look like the women they know in real life. The Barbie dolls they saw were white, thin, had long legs, and the Barbie’s that were depicted as being of color had pin-straight hair. This textbook further validates my views that the media has portrayed Barbie in a way that focuses on specific beauty standards. While dolls today have become more diverse (skin color, size), more needs to be done to address the issues surrounding beauty standards.
hank you for your honest and heartfelt reflection. You really highlighted something that so many of us can relate to—the way childhood playthings like Barbie and Bratz shaped our early ideas of what it meant to be “beautiful,” without us even realizing it. I completely agree with you: it’s only when we grow older and start to view these things critically that we begin to understand how much power media and toys had in forming our self-image.
ReplyDeleteYour example about the term “big backs” really struck me. It’s such a sad reminder of how early beauty standards turn into real-world cruelty. The emotional and psychological harm caused by these unrealistic ideals—especially to children—is deep and lasting. And like you said, no child should ever feel ashamed of how they look, especially when that shame is tied to standards that were never meant to be inclusive in the first place.
The point you brought up from Rethinking Popular Culture and Media really supports what so many of us have felt—that Barbie, even when trying to be “diverse,” still often reinforces Eurocentric standards (like pin-straight hair or extremely thin bodies). Representation needs to go beyond surface-level inclusion. It should reflect the real diversity of our communities, in appearance, identity, and culture.
I also appreciate your vulnerability in naming your own struggles with self-esteem. That level of honesty matters because it shows how deeply media messages can get under our skin. I agree with you—there has been progress, but we’re not done yet. Until all children can see themselves reflected in their toys, shows, and books without feeling less than, there’s still work to be done.
Thank you again for sharing your voice—it's powerful and necessary.