Barbie World

There has been a lot of controversy over the years about the impossible standards the Barbie doll has set for young girls. She is disproportionate and plastically, I mean...practically perfect. But I think young girls know that Barbie is a glamorous doll, and that is what makes her so great. Playing with a "normal" doll is simply not the same sort of play-date.

Jonathan Adler, a famous designer, triggered my thought about this topic. We carry a lot of his products in a boutique I work at, and I recently learned that he designed the 50th Anniversary Barbie Dream House, located in Malibu, California. I have only seen pictures, but I think the concept is fabulous. It is a life-size house designed especially for Barbie. It isn't normal, and that is what I love about it. Should we start worrying that the abnormality of this dream house is setting impossible standards for homeowners everywhere? I don't think so!

I love the mod feel you get from this room.

If there were no eccentricity in the world, it would be quite a different place - for the worse I'm sure. Artistic expression is often an exaggeration of the norm. Creativity is harmless if we see it for what it is, and embrace it. Can't we just accept Barbie for who she is, and not worry about her being too unreal or spectacular? No one has ever worried about the affect super hero toys have on little boys - double standard, perhaps?

I believe that we have the greatest imagination when we are children, and having an extraordinary toy just adds to the fun. Trying to dull down these precious dolls to make them more realistic would alter their identity. Maybe we should allow ourselves to channel more of that creative energy we were so full of when we were young children. Then we might all be living in our dream home!

I know this post is a bit different than the others I have written thus far, but I felt that it is something I should share. I am no Barbie fanatic, but I do appreciate the legacy that she is. My view on this sensitive subject is not meant to push buttons or ruffle feathers. I simply wanted to address the need to see and acknowledge things for what they are, and give credit where credit is due. (Pictures provided by: thinksprout.com.)