Have you heard about Barbie’s milestone birthday? I came across this photo and had to share it with you:
Obviously, the photo’s a fake — I haven’t heard of any plans to release a Barbie who looks her age. And usually the controversy surrounding Barbie isn’t related to her everlasting youth; it’s about how her unreal body affects the self esteem of the girls who grow up with her.
Our body columnist Anne O’Hagan has an interesting take about Barbie’s 50th birthday, which she wrote about in the health section of our March issue:
I actually find Barbie’s steadfast presence through the decades reassuring: As things get weirder in the world, Barbie is still there, invoking mothers’ disapproval, defying political correctness, keeping Mattel in a solid profit position. And here’s why: Barbie may look like a malevolent cultural icon to some adults, but it’s her prepubescent mistresses who are in charge. She is powerless in their tiny clutches, spending most of her time naked, hair reworked, face tattooed with Magic Marker, forever forced into compromising positions.
To read more, check out Anne’s column in our March issue, and I’d love to hear what you think, in the comments!
(Photo from the website Design Boom)
