Comments on Adventures of an Orthodox Mom: Meet the new Barbie...

I know this is an old post, but I wanted to chime ...

2012-01-20T14:11:12.086-05:00

I know this is an old post, but I wanted to chime in here and echo what so many have said so far, which is that I don't like Barbie, and I don't allow my daughter to have them. She was given two, and they "mysteriously disappeared" during our recent cross country move. She has not asked about them at all, so I'm in the clear. :)

What I'm about to say may come as a shock to all the American Girl doll fans, but we don't love American Girl dolls at our house, either. They are a lot more wholesome, to be sure, but I take issue with a couple of things. First, they are incredibly pricey, and I find I can get similar dolls for a lot less that can still be dressed and played with in the same way. Second, we are a transracial adoptive family, and I place great importance on finding dolls that will encourage my daughter to love how she has been created, and American Girl has yet to figure out how to put curly hair on their brown-skinned dolls. I know this probably never appears on the radar of a lot of mothers, but in the same manner that many reject Barbie because of her unrealistic body shape (myself included), I reject dolls that would send a messgae to my daughter (or her friends of all skin shades and hair types) that her hair isn't good enough as it is. Hair is a HUGE deal in African American culture, and we are working hard to make sure that our daughter knows that God made her lovely, and she does not need to alter her hair to look more like Caucasian hair in order to be beautiful. We did get one American Girl doll as a gift, but luckily it is the Bitty Baby, who does not have hair yet! :)

My current favorite pick for dolls are the Hearts For Hearts dolls that are available on Amazon and at Target; they are culturally diverse (Rahel, the Ethiopian, is naturally our favorite) and some of the proceeds go to charities that help children. There are so many beautiful choices that would encourage our children of all skin shades to recognize and appreciate one another, and we are blessed to live in a time when such things are at our typing, web-browsing fingertips.

Anyway, as a fairly new Orthodox Christian (we were Protestant before), I really enjoy reading your blog. Keep up the great work!

I've never let my children have Barbie dolls, ...

2011-12-01T07:53:37.120-05:00

I've never let my children have Barbie dolls, and this just proves that people will do and make things in a pagan way, and sell them, just for the money. American Girl Dolls are wonderful, and lots of ladies are now creating homemade doll clothes online and at craft shows.

I meant to comment on this ages ago, but forgot--t...

2011-11-26T10:21:42.839-05:00

I meant to comment on this ages ago, but forgot--this Barbie isn't aimed towards little girls; it's for adult doll collectors, isn't sold in stores and is something like $400. (From someone who definitely isn't a Barbie fan anyways :) )

Eeeeewwwww...... The only Barbies Man of House is ...

2011-11-25T13:05:48.077-05:00

Eeeeewwwww......
The only Barbies Man of House is planning to get for E are the Collectible Holliday ones.....one per year....and those stay in their boxes!

Joanna, it is people like you that encourage this ...

2011-11-22T18:15:05.112-05:00

Joanna, it is people like you that encourage this acceptance fad why this world will soon come to an end. We have neglected God's word to accept every rotten Apple in this world. My orthodox religion teaches me to follow Gods word and stay far away from the unclean.

I owned and played with Barbies growing up. Althou...

2011-11-17T13:27:55.821-05:00

I owned and played with Barbies growing up. Although we went to Church I wouldn't consider us religious (e.g. my mother thought it was unhealthy to fast and would try to talk me out of it!) but I have grown up to be conservative and modest. So I don't really think the Barbies are changing the way girls will think of themselves as women. Celebrities and models and airbrushed magazines and bad television are doing a great job on their own.

That said, I would not in a million years buy this doll for my child (and I don't think she'd want it at this point anyway). Kids will play with toys in whatever way they have learned, whether they have Barbies or Tonka trucks/cars (my kids have both and play with them in a relatively similar fashion - there are always pretend moms and dads and kids).

I wholeheartedly agree with Joanna: kids' mora...

2011-10-29T18:39:35.554-04:00

I wholeheartedly agree with Joanna: kids' morals and how they treat others depend on us, not some toy. Even if it weren't a collector's item.

As for the cactus/bulldog: kids have really vivid imaginations, and if they can fit flying carpets and dragons in there, well, cactus-dogs aren't much different.

I think many little girls adore Barbie dolls because they look like (albeit disproportionate!) women rather than little girls (Madeline, etc.). The glitzy-girlie stuff that goes with it is fun, and generally harmless.

I find the idea of not having certain Barbies on display because they look 'repulsive' very strange. As they grow up, most kids will meet different kinds of people: tattooed, not tattooed, bimbos etc. I don't see the problem.

I agree with you wholly on this matter. I saw thi...

2011-10-29T16:09:03.250-04:00

I agree with you wholly on this matter. I saw this printed in one of our local newspapers and I am shocked that people think it's okay for girls to have Barbies that look like this. Although I played with Barbies, I don't agree with them. If I am to be blessed with children, God willing, I would not have my daughter playing with Barbie.

PS, I just found your website through a search for a clear explanation of why we don't celebrate Halloween. I just had a discussion with my mother about how I am being castigated by my friends for not celebrating Halloween and how to explain this to others. I abhor how it has become the "norm" festivity for people to celebrate. Being a teacher on call for elementary schools, I find that Halloween has become way more acceptable to participate in than Christmas. We should not ever celebrate this socially accepted pagan celebration and I hope everyone reads those links carefully.

I never had Barbies when I was little. Even then,...

2011-10-28T01:57:04.792-04:00

I never had Barbies when I was little. Even then, they were too materialistic, fast-lane, and fashion-obsessed for my family. They were a reflection of high society in the 60's. This Barbie that you've featured today is, I think, the natural progression of that kind of thinking. Mattel wants their doll to be cutting edge,the height of current fashion and above all, attention-getting. Will consumers think for themselves and reject this extreme doll? I hope so, but I fear they will just follow her lead.

I'm 47 and in the UK in the 60s & 70s we h...

2011-10-26T10:44:36.942-04:00

I'm 47 and in the UK in the 60s & 70s we had our own competitor to Barbie. She was called Sindy and had a very pretty face and a normal figure and was preferred by my mother whom I once heard tell my Baba that Barbie was "a trollope"! I loved my Sindys and learned to sew because of them but sadly the later editions were brassy-blonde and overly-generous in the bra department just like Barbie. I think it is ridiculous little girls are given dolls that look like the most vacuous 'celebrities' after a trip to the plastic surgeon. No-one wants their child to grow up to be a bimbo so why let them act out their dreams about clothes and adventures and weddings and so on with dolls that look like bimbos?

This particular Barbie is meant for collectors. It...

2011-10-26T00:56:50.183-04:00

This particular Barbie is meant for collectors. It is designed by a Japanese-inspired Italian fashion designer named tokidoki - they were made in limited quantities and are already sold out. I don't see this as an issue for our kids to even be worried about. It's not on the shelves at your toy store - your kids won't see it unless you show it to them online.

Meanwhile - even if they could see it on the toy store shelves... wouldn't this be a great opportunity to talk to your kid about acceptance of others and learning not to judge as our faith teaches us to do?

I love playing with my little cousins and their Barbies - I love hearing their imaginations grow! I love seeing them with their American Girl dolls too. It's just a toy. We're the models for their morals and the way in which they grow up - not their toys.

Thanks for hearing my comment. Love your blog!

What a sad sign of the times. Nothing to add, beca...

2011-10-25T08:30:51.892-04:00

What a sad sign of the times. Nothing to add, because your reasoned and rational commentary hit all the points, Sylvia.

(another) Elizabeth

Thankfully, this Barbie is not targeted for childr...

2011-10-24T21:58:46.419-04:00

Thankfully, this Barbie is not targeted for children (website says she's "for the adult collector"). And the price is prohibitive enough for the average parent not to buy it. At least Mattel hasn't gone completely bonkers.

I just do not understand why anyone would think su...

2011-10-24T21:53:11.545-04:00

I just do not understand why anyone would think such a doll would be appropriate for a child to play with? What is wrong with our society?

At least she's wearing more clothes than 80% o...

2011-10-24T19:23:21.310-04:00

At least she's wearing more clothes than 80% of barbies out there. I have 2 girls and do not allow barbies in our home. It is incredibly hard to keep barbie out of their world as barbie has invaded every aspect of the american life. She's at bookstores which we frequent regularly. It's quite saddening.

Hate Barbie. Have most of my life. And this one ...

2011-10-24T17:35:17.138-04:00

Hate Barbie. Have most of my life. And this one is particuluarly repugnant. I'm planning on trying really hard to get my little girl interested in the American Girl dolls.
JNCL
The Beauty of Eclecticism

Ew...so glad I got rid of the Barbies others gave ...

2011-10-24T16:38:07.672-04:00

Ew...so glad I got rid of the Barbies others gave to my girls (I have never liked them, as they're are completely disproportionate, unhealthily skinny at the waist and too difficult for little fingers to dress, so naked, most of the time)! What were they thinking?