Barbie the symbol for looks over brain stereotypes?
 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29508066/?GT1=43001

In West Virginia, a law maker is seeking to ban the 6 inch doll and others like it (PLEASE include Hannah Montana) from setting plastic foot into his state. His claim is that Barbie is the reason that young girls start early on trying to pamper and prim themselves to perfection, instead of focusing on their school grades or a happy lifestyle.

Even though he knows it's unlikely to pass, he still stands by it.


And this raised an idea: What would actually happen if this bill passed?



Personally, even if this bill does pass, I don't think it will change a whole lot. On t.v. you get shows about stars in music, film, t.v. You have America's Next Top Model. You have movies that perpetuate the idea of beaury over intellect (oddly enough a large number having been from Disney).

If you ban Barbie, you have to ban so much more as well. Girls really only play with dolls for so many years, and then you get into things with much stronger messages.

Assuming all this is banned, then what? In school, the beautiful students will still get more attention, more focus, and the message is there all over again, this time with insult.




So, where do you stand? What would happen should this bill pass? If more like it pass? Is Barbie really the icon that should be targeted?

Barbie was the big fashion icon maybe about 40 years ago but now? No way, Barbie is so old and dated. The bill obviously won't pass because of the vague and slightly dubious claims that Barbie is the cause of all the superficial bombardment we get today in this country.

No matter what we do, people will still be exposed to the media that blatantly purports attractiveness to the masses. It's just how things are. Sure, people will feel bad and try to become like their idols, it's the intention. Because there are people willing to spend money and effort attempting to emulate and follow the celebrities, they will keep coming forever. And right now humans (especially Americans) don't have the collective ability to realize that actually it is all a bunch of rubbish, so it goes on...

If it passes (doubtful, I must say) it would merely stand as a precedent for other things to be banned. If we're going to get into the hypothetical, that if girls had no media by which to associate identity then a lot of things would be gone from society. You'd have to eliminate everything from magazines, to advertising, to communications media content to perhaps even artwork. It's seems overly apparent that the identities and influences that are thrusted into their personal space are more damaging than those that are left to their discovery. However, the media to which they receive this over abundant influence isn't just isolated to a plastic doll with a flawless life and image. It goes far and beyond. This bill can at best be a raindrop in the ocean.

If they ban barbie... what else am I going to melt in the microwave? Or blow up with tannerite and a .22-250? Oh, the humanity!

Oh, wait... its not in my state...