Children mimic what they see. One of Disney's classic films, from 1953, Peter Pan was my inspiration. In one scene, Tinkerbell is seen standing on a mirror. Upon looking down, she notices her reflection and measures her hips with her hands. It's a fact that more women are having appearance issues with themselves at younger ages. There are so many things that in a way corrupt a young girl's mind into thinking: this is beautiful, this is what I need to be. One of them is the way women's bodies are being produced. Tinkerbell, as well as Barbie, the notorious doll girls play with, feature unattainable attributes. The doll featured in my picture is called a "Top Model" Barbie. I wanted to make her replicate in a way not only the scene from Peter Pan, but to show that this is what is being taught to young girls. She is posing in the mirror to show that, just like Tinkerbell, women are very concerned about self appearance. The outfit she is wearing is extremely provocative, she has lace stockings, one of the shortest miniskirts I have seen, and a low cut top. Her nails are also painted; a girl only alert. My picture is flipped upside down to force the viewer to view the body in the mirror. This is because I wanted the viewer to focus on the reflection. Barbie takes up most of the picture to emphasize her body. The background is a plain "girl" color for the same reason. A little girl who is playing with this Barbie, who thinks she is pretty, and who thinks this is fashionable because it's "Top Model" Barbie, would probably try to imitate her. Every Barbie has the same kind of body, with a small waist, big hips, and very long, thin legs. By buying girls these kinds of dolls to play with we are only reinforcing how media is setting the standard of what women look like.
1 comment:
I feel that this photo has a dual meaning, not only is Barbie a young female child icon but she’s portraying another young female icon that girls love as well. Tinkerbell. I feel that these two together make a deadly dose of gender socialization. Girls look at Barbie as a role model just as much as Tinker bell. I believe that the mirror is a symbol to show about how women are always looking in the mirror, why because we are always looking for approval. We always want to look our best that’s why we spend hour and hours getting ready because as a child we see these figures such as Barbie or Tinker bell; they are so beautiful and have it all, why wouldn’t you want that? I also think that the choice of the pink background was important because it is related to a girl more so then a boy because we have to put a gender on every person that walks this earth. The way that the Barbie is dressed is not only trashy but 100% needed because one this is the way that Barbie has always either been dressed or betrayed and because that’s how celebrities dress. Say this was Paris Hilton Barbie; she would be dressed the same way. I think that all the things that we learn as kids we pick up somewhere along the lines as a child between the media and what we play with. This Barbie was called “Top Model Barbie” well if she is supposed to be a top model why is she half naked? Why is it that a women has to be half naked to get anywhere in the world or to be beautiful? I think that this picture describes gender socialization very well. You can easily tie Barbie and Tinker bell to females first of all and second the way the Barbie is posed is just completely how girls feel. Is this how big my hips are consistently checking themselves and seeking approval, from everywhere…pictures…movies…magazines…. billboards…. you can’t get away from advertisements and commercials trying to sell you things that make you beautiful. Even in children’s toys in movies, the media likes to start young, so you can buy stuff you don’t need to seek approval you will ever find.
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