It’s been a point of contention ever since the Mattel doll was released upon the world in 1959, created by businesswoman Ruth Handler.
The argument being, is this doll realistically proportionate to an actual human? The reason it caused such debate is that throughout the decades when body image and the media have collided in a furious way, the Barbie body structure has been a reference point for many women trying to attain body perfection.
Just google the Human Barbie Valeria Lukyanova if you don’t believe us! Well it seems the thought pattern of Barbie being unrealistic might finally have some real legs (no pun intended) thanks to author and illustrator Nickolay Lamm. He is a Russian native who is obsessed with trends in the tech and business world, and loves to create thought provoking illustrations and demonstrations.
He posted a feature on his blog titled ‘What would Barbie Look like in Real Life?’ and set about comparing a real human body to those of a Barbie doll.
“Yes, Barbie is just a toy. At the same time, it’s a toy which young girls play with and want to be like. If we assume that Barbie is 19 years old, shouldn’t girls have access to toys which resemble realistic proportions?” explains Nickolay.
To illustrate the point, he created computer generated images of a scaled up Barbie and compared them with a model that reflected the proportions of an average 19-year-old woman.
91.44 cm bust
45.72 cm waist
83.82 cm hips
55.88 cm head circumference
22.86 neck circumferenceIt’s great to know that both women and men see the flaws in having the Barbie doll as a beauty standard for young girls. While it is not wrong to have dolls and play dress ups, toy manufacturers and parents need to be aware of the wider impact an item like this can have, especially the way it is has been marketing since it’s creation. The lifestyle associated with barbie, “having it all” , the popularity, the ideal boyfriend, the never ending array of houses and possessions, her long list of skinny pretty friends subconsciously grows a culture of anxiety and desperation for young girls who have looked at Barbie as their ideal since infancy.But thankfully there are other alternatives available now, such as the Lottie Doll. The awareness being created by certain media groups and parenting organizations are working towards the end of over-sexualizing our youth before they have a chance to think for themselves and learn how to accept their own bodies as they are.Are you shocked by Nickolay’s comparison study or just glad that someone had the balls to put some science behind how ridiculous Barbie’s body is?
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