Sunday, July 11, 2010

EMBRACING MY INNER BARBIE

You might have guessed by the fact that I wrote a book about a girl who wears a sack dress and no shoes that fashion is not quite my thing.

In fact, I don't think I owned a Barbie doll ever. I was a baby-doll kind of girl and never really understood my friends' fascination with Barbie. I was too busy pretending to nurse my babies and rocking them and pretending with my sister that we ran a daycare and one day none of the parents came back, so the babies were ALL OURS. And that was a good thing!

If I knew one thing about myself as a young girl, it was that someday I wanted to be a mother. And I really do love being a mom.

But back to Barbie. I've seen TOY STORY 3 twice now, and Barbie is a new edition to the cast of toys. She's the stereotypical "dumb blonde" in a lot of ways. She's silly at times and dramatic at others. And she vacillates between being all about fashion to being all about Ken.

Only she isn't just that. Wait a while, and her good heart and independence and loyalty shine through. She's cool and gorgeous and makes a difference at Sunnyside Daycare. She's a 21st century woman. And she delivers the best line in the whole movie.

All this to say I don't feel so heated anymore in my argument against Barbie. I will ALWAYS love baby dolls, and given the choice, will cuddle one in my arms over dressing Barbie in legwarmers any day.

But I celebrate Barbie's independence and image-sense.

Watch out Lindsey Leavitt and Rachel Hawkins: I might start reading SEVENTEEN magazine next. :)

4 comments:

  1. I never did the Barbie thingy either, mine doll of choice was Jane West a Cowgirl that had a sister and a brother and a boyfriend all of which I can't remember their names but I will as soon as I google them hehehe watch for a post on my blog about these dolls. I have them in the attic, might fight the heat and get them down to take pictures

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  2. I loved my Barbies. I made a whole village out of cardboard boxes for them including a church and a stable for horse racing. Lotta good hours spent playing with those dolls!

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  3. I loved this Irene, as I am a Barbie girl to the core and a self-confessed ditzy blone. Thanks for writing such relatable stories!

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  4. Seriously, I don't know how you dealt with period travails without tips from 17.
    Also, I now have future b-day present ideas. Author Barbie, anyone?

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