...In A Barbie World! A culture that is saturated by consumerism can be referred to as a consumer culture. Barbie can be used as a tool for consumer culture because she is perceived to be the perfect woman, an unattainable achievement. Barbie has the perfect man, Ken; she has her dream house, and car, and even a dream closet. There are life size Barbies bouncing around in T.V. and print media ads that personify this image. Barbie produces a systematic reproduction of consistency; she doesn't evolve but rather promotes change around her. Barbie’s face or body structure hasn’t significantly changed since her creation. The different nationalities that Barbie is produced in are careful not to lend themselves to stereotypes too heavily. Most importantly, the concept of Barbie hasn’t changed throughout the years. Ultimately, she is still a toy. Barbie promotes change by attaching herself to current trends and issues, such as Presidential Barbie, Olympic Barbie, and Sponge Bob Barbie. By presenting current trends in Barbie form, Mattel successfully promotes these trends to parents and children. The perception of perfection that surrounds Barbie is unattainable; however, consumers consistently find satisfaction or happiness in reaching for these goals. We have a car that works perfectly fine, but we want a new one. Our house has more then enough space, but we want a bigger one. Those shoes match absolutely nothing in my closet, but they're new and in style, so I just have to have them...
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...Are you a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, unlike the song I doubt you and everything around you is perfect. In my opinion girls today are trying too hard to be a life size Barbie. Sometimes girls might think everyone will like them if they are super skinny, tall, and blonde. Believe me you wouldn’t want to be a Barbie in real life; you’re fixing to find out why. Some say it shouldn’t matter, “she’s just a toy”, or “she’s so pretty who cares if she doesn’t look real.” But to me it does matter. If Barbie were real she’d tower a near 7 foot. She’d have a bra size of 39 FF, her tiny legs and feet couldn’t even support her top half so she’d be forced to crawl. You may laugh but, can you imagine walking, no wait, having to crawl through the mall getting stared at by every human there? It doesn’t sound to fun. Her arms are so tiny that she wouldn’t have room for the bones essential for her arms to work. Her neck would be twice the size of the average woman’s and would only have room for the trachea or esophagus so she’d have to choose between eating or breathing! There are 248 organs in the human body but Barbie would only have room for one and a half in her flat stomach. This encourages eating disorders that can lead to death! Doesn’t sound too fun does it? In my mind, a perfect girl is more realistic. She'd be a nice 5 foot 5 inches and have a bra size of 34C. Contrary to Barbie, she'd have normal sized feet and legs that didn't appear sickly thin. All her organs would fit inside...
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...Are you a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, unlike the song I doubt you and everything around you is perfect. In my opinion girls today are trying too hard to be a life size Barbie. Sometimes girls might think everyone will like them if they are super skinny, tall, and blonde. Believe me you wouldn’t want to be a Barbie in real life; you’re fixing to find out why. Some say it shouldn’t matter, “she’s just a toy”, or “she’s so pretty who cares if she doesn’t look real.” But to me it does matter. If Barbie were real she’d tower a near 7 foot. She’d have a bra size of 39 FF, her tiny legs and feet couldn’t even support her top half so she’d be forced to crawl. You may laugh but, can you imagine walking, no wait, having to crawl through the mall getting stared at by every human there? It doesn’t sound to fun. Her arms are so tiny that she wouldn’t have room for the bones essential for her arms to work. Her neck would be twice the size of the average woman’s and would only have room for the trachea or esophagus so she’d have to choose between eating or breathing! There are 248 organs in the human body but Barbie would only have room for one and a half in her flat stomach. This encourages eating disorders that can lead to death! Doesn’t sound too fun does it? In my mind, a perfect girl is more realistic. She'd be a nice 5 foot 5 inches and have a bra size of 34 C. Contrary to Barbie, she'd have normal sized feet and legs that didn't appear sickly thin. All her organs would fit inside...
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...It’s a Barbie World Abstract Barbie dolls have been around for many years and many young girls have gotten a Barbie as a gift at some time in their lives. Barbie is made out of plastic and has unrealistic features to her. Her body proportions are not possible and her look only relates to less than half of the human population. Barbie has the perfect, dream world where she has her dream car, house, an impeccable wardrobe, and of course the man of her dreams. Many girls grow up and admire Barbie for her looks and all the materialistic things she has and will probably grow up wanting to be just like her. This can lead to them wanting to dress in mini skirts and short-shorts at a young age and can lead to prostitution in the future. One simple doll can change the lives of young girls and parents may not even realize it. Keywords: Barbie, unrealistic features, young girls “I’m a blond bimbo girl, in a fantasy world, dress me up, make it tight.” Those are some of the lyrics of Barbie Girl by Aqua who sung a song about a Barbie doll and how she lives this perfect, materialistic world with her true love Ken. Looking back into my child hood. I was never the little girl who played with Barbie’s or had an obsession with having every addition. In other cases though, many girls are influenced by the doll and can have negative effects in their lives. Parents do not realize the effects that a Barbie doll can have on a little girl. Parents may think they are buying the perfect toy for...
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...She is a successful independent woman, who lives in a world of pink, where she owns a dream house in Malibu. Every day, she wears high-heels to work, and even runs a fashion chain under her name. For many, she was the influential icon of American culture in the late 20th century. Until now, I dare say that her image is still very potent worldwide. Who is she? Never before has she ever starred in a Hollywood movie or performed at a famous fashion show. Surprisingly, she never exists in real life and she is literally a toy. Yes, it can hardly be any other toy but Barbie. Nowadays, girls can be seen wearing Barbie clothing, using Barbie perfume, carrying Barbie backpacks, and sleeping in Barbie pajamas, not to mention cosmetics, sneakers etc. (Morgenson 1991, 66). Mattel, Inc., the mother company of Barbie, should feel proud of her. Because on average, an American girl has ten Barbie dolls, a British or Italian girl may own seven, while five is the number of Barbie that a German or French girl has. It was Mattel’s purpose and will when introducing Barbie that she would become a lifestyle, a fashion statement, a way of life, something sacred more than just a doll. And in fact, she did! This plastic doll is worth being considered a legend, which can represent many statuses in the society regardless of gender, skin colour or classes, thus remaining attractive to different girls’ generations since its year of birth. Barbie...
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...Barbie has recently had her 40th birthday. It all started in the 1950s when Ruth Handler saw her daughter, Barbara, and her friends playing with paper dolls. They liked to imagin the dolls beeing different persons who were working, swiming, playing with friends etc. Ruth, who owned the company Mattel with her husband, understood that pretending how the future would be was part of growing up for kids. She did some research and found that there was room on the market for a doll like Barbie. Mattel had been making lots of toys before Barbie but when Ruth said that she wanted them to make a small doll for kids all the men in the staff had their doubts. Many different designs were done before the first Barbie was introduced on the 9th of march 1959. Barbie was named after Ruths daughter. Barbie was then a teen-age fashion model who was very different to the dolls the kids played with at that time. The buyers were at first skeptical to the doll but when Mattel started to make tv-commercials to reach out to the buyers it was an instant hit. Barbie is still the most popular fashion doll ever created. That is because she is always changing when the fashion and trends change. She wears everything from the Paris fashion to the more youthful look. For example the creaters changed her when the Beatles were popular and they made a copy of Jackie Kennedy when she was popular. In the 1970s Barbie wore very different clothes just to be trendy. She for example wore glittery disco outfits and...
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...Failure of the Barbie Doll in the Indian Market Priti Nemani* INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 97 I. GLOBALIZATION AND THE MULTINATIONAL ........................................ 99 A. Globalization Defined ................................................................ 99 1. The Key to the Kingdom: The Globalized Brand ............. 100 B. Barbie in the Global Economy ................................................. 102 1. Barbie‘s History................................................................. 102 2. Corporate Philosophy and Marketing Strategies behind Barbie ................................................................................ 105 II. MATTEL‘S BUSINESS VENTURES IN INDIA ......................................... 107 A. The Late 1980s: Barbie’s Tango with the License Raj ............. 107 1. The Licensing System ....................................................... 109 2. Limits on Foreign Direct Investment .................................110 3. Mattel‘s Joint Venture ......................................................... 111 B. India’s Economic Liberalization and Mattel’s Second Chance at Success...................................................................................113 1. India, the IMF, and the World Bank ...................................113 2. Mattel in India from 1993-2010 .........................................115 III. UNDERSTANDING WHY BARBIE FAILED IN INDIA...
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...LITR 301 February 18, 2014 Girl Compared to a Barbie Doll Women were considered the subordinate gender that was expected to have this stay at home homemaker attitude. They were supposed to powder their noses and look pretty. Women are discriminated against in society. Women have stereotypical gender roles they are supposed to uphold. As suggested in the poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy the Barbie doll is the idealized image of a woman and is considered to have long legs, perfect skin, small waist and a slender figure. The Barbie doll speaks for itself. It says that women should be domestic workers and maintain a feminine outer appearance. These type of values affect young girls because they are taught early that this is what a woman should look and act like. The Barbie doll has a lot of appeal and popularity for the past several years so it is difficult to alter the ideas of womanhood suggested by this doll. These ideas to be like and do as a Barbie doll cannot be overthrown because it has already been deeply planted in our society. In contrast, the short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid suggests that women are condemned to patriarchy because of socially constructed gender stereotypes. She criticizes the idealized patriarchal norms and pressures which overshadows the lives of women. Young girls are exposed to the pressures and expectations of how they should live. They are also brainwashed in believing that their role as a women is to become a domestic homemaker and that...
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...Mattel produces and sells various toys around the world and among these Barbie fashion doll is the flagship. This product was criticized from more aspects from other cultures of Aisa where the lifestyle Barbie represents is not commonly accepted. On the other hand privacy issues were raised by parents regarding the digital marketing activity of Mattel, as rights of children are related in this market. Mattel needs to consider whether these challenges are related specifically to the lifestyle Barbie represents, whether the lifecycle of Barbie can be expanded in a changing global environment. Or the issues are the signs of a general change regarding toys marketed internationally and also digitally. I came to the conclusion that Mattel needs to introduce a new doll which fits the new expectations. II. Problem/Issue Statement Mattel is the No 1. toy producer in the world, in terms of Sale. Their products with the strongest market presence are based on the concept of dolls / collectibles, where these characters are supported with background story, additional gadgets, additional releases of attached tools. The flagship brand of the company is the fashion Barbie doll, which was 50 years old in 2009. Barbie represents an independent, young American girl and as a fashion doll it acted in different professions and situations during the years. Thanks to this concept the lifecycle of the brand could been expanded on its maturity level, changes in customer preferences and interests could been introduced in the lifestyle of Barbie also...
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...Multicultural Barbie and the Merchandizing of Difference” In the article “Dyes and Dolls” by Ann duCille she discusses how many, “manufactures have taken on a global perspective of a nearsightedness that constructs this whole new world as small and cultural difference as consumable (Ann duCille, p267). When Barbie turned the age of thirty Newsweek reported that there were 500 million Barbie dolls sold, on Barbie’s thirty fifth birthday Boston Globe reported that nearly two Barbie dolls are sold every second somewhere in the world; and fifty percent of these dolls are sold in the U.S (Ann duCille, p267). 1990 Mattel Inc discovered a new marketing strategy to make more money by going “ethnic” launching a campaign for Black and Hispanic versions ( A. duCille, p267). According to Deborah Mitchell, say Ann, Deborah ( African American woman) says, “Barbie allows little girls to dream”. “When little girls fantasize themselves into the conspicuous consumption, glamour, perfection, and, and some have argued anorexia of Barbie’s world, it is rarely, if ever, “in their own image that they dream” Regardless of what color dyes the dolls are dipped in or what costumes they are adorned with, the image they present is of the same mythically thin, long-legged, luxurious haired, buxom beauty (A. duCille, p268). But profit still continues to be the driving factor merchandizing of difference (A. duCille, p267). “As feminist have protested almost from the moment she hit the market, Barbie is not...
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...Image: Cultures Idolizing the Female Form A Comparison and Contrast of the Barbie Doll and Venus de Willendorf Image: Cultures Idolizing the Female Form A Comparison and Contrast of the Barbie Doll and Venus de Willendorf The fact that cultures have idolized the female form in our modern era is not a new concept. Beauty in modern times has been held to the highest standard, but where and why did we get our ideal of beauty? Culture plays a large in role in how beauty is defined, and this is very clear when it pertains to the culture behind both the Venus de Willendorf and the more modern Barbie doll. Clearly, idolizing the female form is an ideal that has existed since the very first centuries that humans walked the earth. Taking a look at the two different cultures that idolize the female form may give us a little bit of insight into the similarities and differences there were between two different society’s composed of very similar beings. The statuette Venus de Willendorf was first discovered in Austria in 1908 by the archaeologist Josef Szombathy. This is the earliest image of a human being known to exist, thought to have been created during the Paleolithic era some 25,000 years ago (Witcombe)! The climate in the region that the statuette was discovered was probably an ice covered land, and therefore, her voluptuous image probably portrays a desire for food and to survive. Humans will always have one thing in common: survival. Whether it is a work of art portraying...
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...What makes a great song? Well, depending on the genre, audiences usually listen to the beat of the song and the voice of the singer, however the meaning behind the song is the most important. Barbie Girl is a song by a band called Aqua and it meritoriously demonstrates human foolishness within society through the use of textual elements such as tone, diction, repetition, as well as visual features. This song is a feminist satire cunningly disguised in a childish, friendly pop hit targeted to young adults and teenagers as it mocks the way a majority of them may think and act as she ridicules how they are desperately trying to resemble Barbie. Aqua uses a sarcastic tone to help send across the purpose of the text. Moreover, the tone throughout the song is understood through Aqua’s use of diction, repetition and visual features. The purpose of the song is to reveal messages of sex and the roles that men and women play in a sexual relationship. Since most listeners of this song do not cautiously pay attention to the lyrics, the sarcastic tone, mixed with the childish, high pitched voice of the lead singer would give the impression that this is fun and cheerful record, exposing the mood. The fake cheeriness and high-pitched voice is used to support audiences understand the mockery that links to the message which is human recklessness within society. The strong use of wording throughout the text demonstrates the superiority of men over women and develops the tone of the song...
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...they see the world around them; and often the adult in their lives don’t worry about how much their child’s favorite can affect them, now and in their futures. With Barbie being a popular child’s toy for decades, and with her in a world that has become increasingly filled with ways the media can reach children, one can wonder, how much of an impact does a seemingly docile doll have on children? Barbie caused quite a stir when she was first introduced in 1959. Many adults were outraged claiming she had too much of an adult figure to be a toy for children. Soon after Barbie’s introduction to toy shelves though, women realized that Barbie could be used as a teaching tool...
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...Barbie Assignment I remember having trunks full of Barbies and playing with them when I was a little girl. My Barbies had all different careers and were of different races. My mom even convinced my older cousin to give me her MC Hammer doll. Being of mixed race, my mother wanted me to understand diversity through my dolls. The different skin tones that Barbie had, reflected the diversity I saw in my friends growing up. So for that I think Barbie had a pretty good influence on me. When I five years old, I was rewarded for being good at the doctor’s with a new Barbie. I was so excited because all of my friends had one already. I loved playing with my new found friend, but soon wanted more. After two more successful visits to the doctor’s, Ken and several others helped me to start quite a collection. These dolls were not only toys to me, but an extended family. I spent countless hours with them every day for years. They had a permanent home against my bedroom wall that stretched 5ft long. The monstrous house consisted of four beds, complete with linens and pillows that my mother had made. The kitchen was furnished of dishes, pots, pans, and an array of “food”. The living room had a TV that I made from an old cardboard jewelry box that I drew on and mini magazines. When I was seven, for Christmas my grandma bought me a baby blue Barbie Corvette and it still sits up on a shelf in my parent’s garage. One reason why I want them to keep it is because I think it...
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...“Barbie, Spring Break” – A Reflective Report Throughout this semester the analytical exploration of discourse, genre and multimodality has enabled us to engage with various academic works, which ultimately enhanced the overall understanding of this course. With this knowledge, we were given the task of creating our own radio projects, exemplifying through a specific radio genre, a particular discourse. This project was very fulfilling, specifically after the conclusion of our group’s experimental radio piece, “Barbie: Spring Break.” Within this essay, I will aim to reflect and judge the process, as well as the overall finished production of this podcast. It becomes evident that through the analysis of how our piece engages with different discourses, ultimately constructs the way we understand our world in a socially driven frame (Leeuwen, 2005, p. 94). Through this the audience will hopefully gain a greater understanding of the importance of radio in our world. Further, the piece makes use of different genres, as well as appropriating our chosen platform to a specific audience. This script dealt with one main discourse, Barbie, and how she ultimately is a contradiction of what girls want, compared to what they should be. However, our podcast aims to satirize this meaning through humor, as well as experimenting with talk back radio to enhance the overall significance of this podcast. Discourse: “Barbie: Spring Break” dealt with the discourse of Barbie, the doll, epitomizing...
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