>What’s So Bad About Barbie?

>One topic that seems to come up over and over again among moms is whether the more physically, ahem, developed dolls out there are appropriate playthings for our daughters.

Dora recently stirred debate as her developers created a more mature version of the character for those of her fans who can no longer be satisfied with short, squat Dora and her irritatingly chipper pet monkey, Boots. Here’s a picture of the new doll that created all the fuss. She hooks up to a computer for online adventures. I have absolutely no problem with her, other than the fact that she is not Mac compatible, so my daughter will probably have a hissy fit when she doesn’t get this doll for Christmas.

Woe.

Then, this morning, the Today show posted this story, about the controversy surrounding Mattel’s new line of black Barbie dolls. Some ask: Why do they all have long hair? the headline reads.

Do we really even need to ask that question? I can tell you exactly why- because little girls like to play with long hair. Yes, it really is that simple. I think Lauryn Hill’s signature afro is fantastic, but I wouldn’t have wanted a doll with an afro (or a short, fashionable bob, for that matter) when I was a kid, simply because I wouldn’t be able to do anything with it, and that was half the fun.

Still, it’s easy to get caught up in the debate. I’ve been there myself. Barbie dolls are genetically unrealistic. Not only do they still have the proportions of an anorexic with a boob job, but their heads and torsos both swivel 360 degrees. Come on, Mattel. You’re going to make little girls think they can do that, too. Shame on you.

But then I imagine a world where all dolls have been deemed “appropriately realistic.” And it scares me. Our daughter’s dolls would have unruly hair with tangles and split ends. Their teeth would be a little crooked. They’d have crusts in their eyes and plastic boogers in their nostrils. Instead of Barbie Beach Party and Barbie Fashion Fever, we’d have Bedhead Barbie and McDonalds Manager Midge. Because we want our daughters to play with representations of real life, not believe in some crazy made-up world where every little girl grows up to be a ballerina or a neurosurgeon or President of the United States! Let’s keep it real, toymakers! Or the moms will be after you!

Considering that blissful alternative, I’ve decided to let my daughter keep her Barbies and her fantasy life, which is filled with impossibly blonde fairy princesses and sword-wielding Musketeerettes with perfectly curled and styled hair. We’ve even got a basket of Bratz dolls somewhere around here that belonged to my stepdaughters, but Punky hasn’t taken much of an interest in them- something about the way their feet come off creeps her out. If she does want to play with them, though, I’ll let her. And I might just use them to teach her the meaning of the word, hoochie.

I asked Punky not long ago if she wanted to look like her Barbie dolls when she grew up. She wrinkled her nose.

“No, Mommy!” She laughed.

“Why not?” I asked her.

“Because no one looks like that when they grow up!” she said dismissively.

Yep. Our kids are smarter than we think.

*Pssst! Hubs is going to be on NBC Dateline tonight at 8pm CST! Be sure and watch!

**Also, you still have a few more hours to enter the Snow White DVD/Dolls giveaway. And there are more giveaways at my review blog, too- two great kids DVDs and two very popular Hasbro games. Think Christmas, people!!