Our Barbies Ourselves
Nathan Paris
Period 5
1/28/15
Our Barbies, Ourselves In Emily Prager’s “Our Barbies, Ourselves,” first published in Interview Magazine in 1991, the author discusses the extent to which sexism was utilized in the design and production of Barbie dolls, poses a question of Barbie being used as a weapon, and states that there are millions of women who are subliminally sure that a thirty-nine-inch bust and a twenty-three-inch waist are the epitome of lovability. Prager breaks down the design, noting that a man designed the doll, and that explains why her “breasts are so out of proportion to the rest of her body that if she were a human woman, she’d fall flat on her face” (2). She then sarcastically says that she secretly believes that Barbie’s neon pink and turquoise blue taste in décor is impeccable. Prager then makes an accusation of sorts, questioning if Mr. Ryan designed the Barbie doll as a weapon; Barbie appeared about the same time “in my consciousness as the feminist movement…” (5). She then looks at the issue from an optimistic feminist’s point of view: “…Barbie, in feminist terms, is definitely her own woman” (6). Wrapping up, the author brings up the issue of Ken, who “had no genitals” while there was Barbie “with these humongous breasts” (7). She finalizes her argument with a reiteration: It’s as if we’re all trapped in Barbie’s world and can never escape.
Tone
Sardonic; Critical
Discourse
Analysis; Cause and Effect; Compare and Contrast
Rhetorical Terms
Rhetorical Question- “What’s wrong with this picture?” (2).
Juxtaposition- “… if she were a human woman, she’d fall flat on her face” (2).
Idiom- “I don’t mean to step on anyone’s toes here” (4).
Reference- “…and her dollies looked like Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet” (6).
Anaphora- “…figments of the imagination, figments with large portfolios…” (6).
Hyperbole- “I mean, here was Barbie with these humongous breasts…” (7).
Impact Statement- “It’s as if we’re all trapped in Barbie’s world and can never
Period 5
1/28/15
Our Barbies, Ourselves In Emily Prager’s “Our Barbies, Ourselves,” first published in Interview Magazine in 1991, the author discusses the extent to which sexism was utilized in the design and production of Barbie dolls, poses a question of Barbie being used as a weapon, and states that there are millions of women who are subliminally sure that a thirty-nine-inch bust and a twenty-three-inch waist are the epitome of lovability. Prager breaks down the design, noting that a man designed the doll, and that explains why her “breasts are so out of proportion to the rest of her body that if she were a human woman, she’d fall flat on her face” (2). She then sarcastically says that she secretly believes that Barbie’s neon pink and turquoise blue taste in décor is impeccable. Prager then makes an accusation of sorts, questioning if Mr. Ryan designed the Barbie doll as a weapon; Barbie appeared about the same time “in my consciousness as the feminist movement…” (5). She then looks at the issue from an optimistic feminist’s point of view: “…Barbie, in feminist terms, is definitely her own woman” (6). Wrapping up, the author brings up the issue of Ken, who “had no genitals” while there was Barbie “with these humongous breasts” (7). She finalizes her argument with a reiteration: It’s as if we’re all trapped in Barbie’s world and can never escape.
Tone
Sardonic; Critical
Discourse
Analysis; Cause and Effect; Compare and Contrast
Rhetorical Terms
Rhetorical Question- “What’s wrong with this picture?” (2).
Juxtaposition- “… if she were a human woman, she’d fall flat on her face” (2).
Idiom- “I don’t mean to step on anyone’s toes here” (4).
Reference- “…and her dollies looked like Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet” (6).
Anaphora- “…figments of the imagination, figments with large portfolios…” (6).
Hyperbole- “I mean, here was Barbie with these humongous breasts…” (7).
Impact Statement- “It’s as if we’re all trapped in Barbie’s world and can never