Now that the new “Barbie” movie is out, model Paulina Porizkova has one question on her mind: What would Barbie look like if she were designed by a woman?
The author of “No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful” took to Instagram to share a little more about Barbie’s history and raise questions about what she would look like if she were designed by a woman.
Paulina Porizkova Delves into ‘Barbie’ History: ‘What would Barbie look like if she was DESIGNED by a woman?’
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On Thursday evening, the “Anna” actress took to Instagram to ask her followers, “What would Barbie look like if she was DESIGNED by a woman?” She went on to say, “This is a question that has bothered me in the emergence of all the Barbie bracelets.”
Although Ruth Handler is credited with inventing Barbie in 1959 and co-founding Mattel with her husband Elliot, Paulina says, “No, she was not designed by Ruth Handler, she was copied, cleansed of her shame – or is it shamelessness – of the past, and brought to America by Ruth Handler.”
Paulina delves into the past of the iconic doll, writing, “In the beginning, she was Bild Lilli, a cartoon character from post-war Germany, who was so popular in the comics in Bild magazine, that she was made into an adult novelty toy marketed mostly to men. She is a seducer, a whore.”
“Her crazy b**b-hips and long legs seem to me like a man’s idea of painting a sexy, seductive woman, a vixen,” he explained. “But the proportions also look good in fashionable clothes, and that may be its appeal to women. Exaggerated feminine curves were all the rage in fashion in the 1950s – Christian Dior pioneered the silhouette.”
“What Ruth Handler was thinking or why, I cannot presume to know. But you only have to look at Bild Lilly and the original Barbie to see that Bild Lilly is more than an inspiration,” he continued. “This is not a slight about Barbie or the woman who brought her to us – just a question I can’t answer. I loved my Barbie with a passion I have never felt for any toy since. (Yes, ONE Barbie. Money was tight when I was a kid.)”
“But it makes me wonder. What kind of body would a WOMAN design as a female doll?” she concluded, closing her post with the hashtags #whatwouldawomando and #barbie.
Fans Share Their Own Thoughts About Their Barbie Looks
Instagram | Paulina Porizkova
Fans are quick to voice their opinions on what their Barbie looks like and share their own experiences with the doll. While some have a specific idea of what their own doll should look like, many of her followers think that “Barbie” should be designed to suit all different body types.
“Yes, there was a stage as a girl when I was obsessed with having a Barbie. Never had one, we couldn’t afford the real thing. I had a cheap loss and I spent a lot of time trying to achieve that silhouette only to recognize (thankfully at a young age) that it was unattainable,” wrote one fan. “I would design a version of myself, a little bustier, a little curvy, good proportions but something more reflective of a woman whose body is real and aged.”
Instagram | Paulina Porizkova
One follower speculated, “Depending on the woman… if designed by a popular influencer, she’d be skinny, tanned, wearing $800.00 dollar shoes and carrying a $12,000 Hermes bag.” Another fan shared, “That’s a tough question but from my perspective, I hope Barbie will be designed in different formats: all body types, with piercings and tattoos (and without), different skin tones, lots of fashion choices, a functional Barbie , intellectual. Barbie, transgender and gay Barbie etc etc.
“I’ve always wondered why some Barbies don’t speak up because they could bring some great messages if they did ie mental health, body shaming, slut shaming, eating disorders, bullying – the list goes on – It’s almost like Barbie is seen but not heard and it’s one of the many things that creates (mostly) a body shape that many young women and girls can’t achieve but hey, I have a Barbie too so it’s obviously well marketed,” they added.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
