tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post905074279270353990..comments2024-03-09T03:20:20.004-05:00Comments on Tenured Radical: Gender, Schmender: Buying Miss BarbieTenured Radicalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05703980598547163290noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-9546274852817902132007-12-02T20:15:00.000-05:002007-12-02T20:15:00.000-05:00I agree with a couple of other commenters -- it's ...I agree with a couple of other commenters -- it's not that a child is playing with Barbies; it's how the child is playing with Barbies. My daughter acts out plays and stories with her dolls, and then writes it down. Her Barbies serve as first draft to her imagination. They have also added to the humor around the family, and act as insight into her thoughts. Once, after watching a particularly talky art movie (think Checkhov in Chinese), she gave as her review that she "would never act that out with my Barbies." Now as she continues her Jane Austen phase (thank you Keira!) she writes elaborate sequels. And to her mother's amusement, only GI Joe will do for Mr Darcy.<BR/><BR/>Imagination si'; fashion no.<BR/><BR/>But I am a bit troubled that some would decide that any toy is okay for one gender and not another. Isn't that exactly the attitude that modern parents hope to avoid?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-70934847570058651242007-11-25T13:43:00.000-05:002007-11-25T13:43:00.000-05:00The year we decided, after much discussion, to giv...The year we decided, after much discussion, to give our daughter a Barbie, was the same year she got a gorgeous set of wooden blocks. Daughter spent the better part of the day using the blocks to build "Barbie Dungeons" (her term) which were designed to collapse (amid loud shrieks) on the Barbie within.<BR/><BR/>Worked for me. <BR/><BR/>Second daughter is now in the "putrid pink plastic" stage (love that phrase!). My impression is that this is just something little girls have to work through. If the feminist parent doesn't make a big deal about it, it can pass fairly painlessly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-57898792281603389862007-11-25T11:11:00.000-05:002007-11-25T11:11:00.000-05:00As a lesbian who used to play with Barbies and had...As a lesbian who used to play with Barbies and had a blast doing so, I wonder if it is really so damaging to children. I almost never thought about how pretty Barbie was and I wasn't - instead my friends and I made Barbie one powerful woman: she ruled over Ken with an iron fist, eventually divorced him and drove off with Skipper in the Malibu car. Barbie was more of an extension of our psyches - she was the strong, powerful woman we all wanted to be.Gorgonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02601300515937719329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-24756590066607821702007-11-24T16:05:00.000-05:002007-11-24T16:05:00.000-05:00Oh.My.God. This is my favorite entry of yours ever...Oh.My.God. This is my favorite entry of yours ever, ever.<BR/><BR/>Possibly my favorite sentence: <I>Whereas at our age, the cake would be the object of extensive critique, and probably a special issue of Social Text.</I><BR/><BR/>The whole thing worked, though, from top to bottom.<BR/><BR/>I agree with Zen, Jr., however. Barbie is out now. It's all about the Bratz. Apparently Barbie just didn't lead enough of a consumer lifestyle for the modern generation.GayProfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11289510184782252498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-73854121478062169312007-11-21T18:15:00.000-05:002007-11-21T18:15:00.000-05:00Ho ho ho. I'm afraid Barbie's too uncool for the l...Ho ho ho. I'm afraid Barbie's too uncool for the little girls these days. I have little nieces, 5 and 7 years old, and they absolutely love "Bratz." The princess image is now for girls 3 years old and under. Now, they mimic these Bratz dolls who love clothes, make up, shopping and boys. I've had to sit through 3D movies and video games... it's unbelievable. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Zenith juniorAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-47220511155222262812007-11-21T14:37:00.000-05:002007-11-21T14:37:00.000-05:00Butch lesbian mom trying to talk her 6 year old ou...Butch lesbian mom trying to talk her 6 year old out of Barbie purchase...<BR/>Daughter: I know her feet are too small, and her breasts are too big, but she is just a DOLL, Mama!!<BR/><BR/>True story from the wilds of San FranciscoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-33585598607793589742007-11-21T13:05:00.000-05:002007-11-21T13:05:00.000-05:00The NYT article morganleigh linked to was just out...The NYT article morganleigh linked to was just outstanding. What strikes me about Barbie now is that she's losing ground to the generalized "princess" phenomenon and so seems to be trying to make herself over in their image.drhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14066284952944731702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-77134087923112153042007-11-21T13:00:00.000-05:002007-11-21T13:00:00.000-05:00I am fairly ambivalent about Barbie, because of he...I am fairly ambivalent about Barbie, because of her role in my own childhood, but if you didn't catch this when it was originally written, this NYT article was brought to mind by your entry:<BR/><BR/>http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/magazine/24princess.t.html?_r=2&ref=magazine&oref=slogin&oref=sloginMorganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03146712908783996112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36212542.post-16176111292732363142007-11-21T11:09:00.000-05:002007-11-21T11:09:00.000-05:00What's really sad is when you think Barbie might h...What's really sad is when you think Barbie might have some class. My goddaughter had a Christmas where all she wanted was what her mother called putrid pink plastic. It was gross.<BR/><BR/>But I'm glad to hear that your nephew's Barbie & co. escaped to Florida. She's definitely a bit more assertive than she was in my day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com