Barbie®, one dad’s viewBarbie®, one dad’s view

Posted By:  nockelsgirls   |   October 13th, 2007 

I love this post…I am very picky about what I let my 2 girls watch. I want them to be encouraged to be better people. And caring, strong people. Beautiful women. I have a 1yr. old (obviously too young, but soon) and a 5 yr. old, who is obsessed with barbie. I am thankful that these videos do send positive messages to girls. We need TONS more of that in the world and less…”Look this way, dress this way, act this way etc.” most of the time that stuff is not what I want for my girls…thank you for being a good influence for young girls!

Posted By:  Pamela   |   October 15th, 2007 

Hi there. My almost 4 year old daughter has been watching ALL of the Barbie movies for over a year now. She loves them, and as an ardent feminist, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the movies\\\’ content. I enjoy that Barbie is empowered, strong and smart.

The criticism I have is one that I feel can be very easily remedied by people like you Chuck who are involved in the production of these movies. It is bothersome to me that there is no representation of any race other than Nordic white in the movies. Yes, in the Island Princess Antonio seems to be Spanish, but his skin is of the whitest white and there is no sign of any inidgenous person on the island where Ro is stranded.

I know this is a prickly one, but why does there ALWAYS have to be a marriage or the promise of such at the end of every movie? Why can\\\’t there be an example of a woman just being independent? I realize we are nowhere near an age where an alternative love relationship can be represented in a popular media directed toward children, but why bring hetersexual love expectations into things so early and so often?

Just curious!

Posted By:  Heidi Gable   |   October 16th, 2007 

I agree with Pamela.

I really like the movies and my kids love them!

I think that you have opportunity to add diversity into the characters without losing the audience.

As I mentioned in response to your previous post, see my thoughts: http://www.iwasthinking.ca/2007/10/15/our-beautiful-daughters/
My comments apply to both posts.

Take care,
Heidi

Posted By:  Jamie   |   December 28th, 2007 

My 3 year old daughter, Hannah, absolutely loves the Barbie movies!! She loves all princess toys, movies, etc and tells EVERYONE that she is a princess too. I am writing to let you know that as many times as I have \

Posted By:  Angie   |   December 29th, 2007 

I thoroughly enjoyed Barbie Island and Princess/Pauper. I despised Barbies growing up–mainly because I knew I was nowhere near that beautiful. I also did not want to be materialistic or vain. Unable to pinpoint the problem exactly, but realizing there\’s something…feminine about Barbie, I slowly have allowed my daughter to watch the videos. (Actually it started w/the dress up costumes when she was 6, and discovering it seemed she was the ONLY girl never owning dress up stuff.) I am extremely strict on media. We have no TV in our home. Although the fairytopia has too much magic in it for me–especially Magic/Rainbow (sorry, too close to witchcraft/magic for me)–I have enjoyed the two previous mentioned the most. I appreciated in Princess/Pauper that they respected their parents wishes/lot in life and though they had dreams, they weren\’t discontent and complaining they remained responsible and hopeful. The plot/scripts are great, and the music is wonderful. I also liked that in Island the couple didn\’t fall in love \

Posted By:  Cherie   |   January 5th, 2008 

I\’m like the other moms here where I never thought I\’d be a fan of Barbie for my 2 daughters, ages 3 and 6. My parents bought “The 12 Dancing Princesses” and we’ve been hooked since.

Two quick comments on movies: The characters in Raindow Barbie were too rude for my taste, but I took the opportunity to explain to my girls how not to act. I think kindness to others is important. And I didn’t care for the Barbie Nutcraker movie. It seemed to go for the dramatic feel Disney goes for, and the King Rat and gentlemen w/ the long nose were downright unpleasant to look at.

I love this website and the issues it tackles! Also, hope the ice show returns. We missed it last time.

Thank you for the website, Cherie

Posted By:  Kaylan   |   January 10th, 2008 

I disagree with Pamela regarding alternate lifestyles, if she means homosexual relations. I would be appalled if they did that to the Barbie films and I would boycott all Barbie movies and toys if such were to happen. I DO however think the idea of introducing other races to the Barbie movies would be great. An Asian Barbie story, an African Barbie story. There are SO many possibilities when you explore different nationalities. But I strongly disagree with different sexual orientations. That is not needed in any children\’s movie or toy!

Posted By:  Jesse   |   January 23rd, 2008 

I know from growing up with Barbie that she has always been petite and beautiful, but isn\’t that potentially setting girls up for failure? Don\’t get me wrong, my 6 year old and I love the movies and the toys, but in todays day and age could a tiny Barbie not lead to eating disorders? I could be way off base though…Was just curious.

Posted By:  samantha   |   February 18th, 2008 

barbie is good . make a new film of barbie quickly.
understood.
good.
bye.

Posted By:  Shanda   |   March 3rd, 2008 

I agree with Pamela and disagree with Kaylan. I have many friends who have alternate lifestyles and my daughter is learning to love and accept people of all lifestyles. I would like to possibly see someone with a disability in a Barbie movie. I work with teens with disabilities and many of them love Barbie but it would be impowering to them to see someone like them in a Barbie movie.

Posted By:  Esther   |   April 24th, 2008 

Why are all the Barbie movie heroines blonde? I am in agreement with some of the comments. I am not even asking to bring in different races into the movies; it might be too far fetched(!) to the people at Mattel. But why couldn\’t Ro have been anything other than blonde?

My 4 year old daughter loved (yes, already moved on to other things and waiting for another Barbie movie) Island Princess and I was impressed with the storyline.

Chuck, my daughter is not blonde. You are not blonde and maybe your daugher is not blonde either. Why not make a fantastic Barbie heroine who is not blonde?

\

Posted By:  Marife   |   April 24th, 2008 

Hi Chuck

I am a 43 year old Puerto Rican mom, and a Barbie fan since I remember. Obviously, I introduced my 2 year old daughter to the Barbie world, and she loves it. I am enjoying with her a lot, because when I was a little girl, there were no Barbie movies.

What I am really stunned about is the interest my husband has developed through sharing the movies with her, and how the movies and playing together has strengthened the father-daughter relationship (She calls him Nalu, or Derek, depending on the movie she’s watching)

A few sundays ago, I was fixing lunch and called them to the table,they were watching the Island Princess (first time for dad). When I got there, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and told me in a real low voice “Wait, Rosella just found her mother”. Also, the 12 dancing princesses, the one that hooked up my daughter, presents a very close and sweet relationship between the girls and their dad.

About the ethnic issue, as Puerto Ricans we really value our hispanic, african and taino heritage and would really like to see more diversity in the movies. Besides, I can tell you as a resident of a tropical Island that it would be nearly impossible for Rosella to keep the white color of her skin after living 10 years as a castaway in that Island!

Keep up the good work, and thanks for the quality time we’ve had with our daughter.

Posted By:  Stephanie   |   May 15th, 2008 

I am a white mom to a Haitian daughter. She ADORES the barbie movies, and has barbies too, but mostly loves the movies. It\’s really appalling that there is NOT ONE dark skinned character in ANY of them. Except lord gaston in Mariposa, but he is kind of a bumbling doofus. With all the good Barbie does, why on earth haven\’t they gotten on board the diversity boat like Strawberry Shortcake has? I mean all the fairies and mermaids and characters with the different colored hair, that is nice, ok, but not ONE DIVERSE DARKSKINNED friend of Barbie in all those movies? Really quite unbelievable. As I watch my 5 yr old watch enraptured the movies, you can almost palpably FEEL the messages about her own skin color that are transmitting into her brain. Princesses are white and have long straight hair and she doesn\’t. Brandy\’s Cinderella is the ONLY thing out there I can show her that has a black princess. I find that pathetic. I hope to God Disney is going to really do it right with their upcoming movie.

I love Barbie movies, the classical music, what they teach (altho i do agree that it\’s getting old the whole palaces and castles and carriages age where princesses get promised to princes….i like the idea of independent barbie) but the only clincher for me is the GLARING absence of dark skinned characters. And PLEASE no Black Barbies iwth Straight Hair!!! Where is the kinky haired black barbie doll????

steph

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