Back To Ed Studies Site Reviews
We
went to this site with many negative expectations regarding portrayal of women.
Usually Barbie has been associated with the perfect or ideal female form,
complete with high fashion, low intellect, and a focus on the blonde, white
woman. While the online games and
fashion centres for kids tend to gravitate towards this ideal, the parent
portion of the site is surprisingly open-minded and encourages the overall
health and well being of children. One
positive aspect of the kids section is that the site outlines sports and other
“non-female” past times, which has us wondering if Mattel (the company that
produces Barbie) is aware of the negative effects Barbie has had and is trying
to rectify those effects.
Even
though Mattel is making an effort to downplay the negative effects of Barbie,
the company is still focused on the ideal female, emphasizing popular, pretty
and cute. There are other issues as
well. For example, “Ice Skater
Barbie”, who is modeled after Michelle Kwan, is Caucasian. Obviously gender issues are being addressed on the site to a
limited extent, and the company is aware of Barbie’s influence, but there are
still other issues that are ignored.
Overall,
the site is impressive with its colourful images and compelling to children for
its attractiveness. The parents’
section is definitely the most worthwhile portion of the site, but kids won’t
go there. This site bombards
children with selective images, which may prove harmful to their understanding
of what is “female” as well as to their self-concept and self-esteem.