Barbie Doll's Influence On Young Girls

The past few years there has been quite a controversy involving Barbie Dolls and the influence they have on young girls in today’s society. Some people claim that Barbie promotes anorexia, citing her impossible body measurements and the Baby-Sitter Barbie weight loss book that simply says “Don’t Eat!” Other’s claim that Barbie supports racism due to the fact that “Colored Francie”, the first African-American doll released in 1967, was simply the original Barbie made from different colored plastic therefore lacking all other African characteristics. While these are relative and justified criticisms, they completely ignore what Barbie actually represents. Barbie teaches girls that they have the opportunity to be anything they want to be, whether