For nostalgia's sake and ha-has my boyfriend and I ventured to a Toys R Us the other night. Expecting to be overcome with the nauseating cheesiness of stuffed animals and silly figurines, a trip down Barbie doll aisle shattered my presumption.
I came face to face with what appears to be a new brand of Barbie. Her new look - heavy applied black eyeliner, gigantic hoop earrings and cherry red puckered lips.
This Barbie looks like she belongs outside a sleazy bar, chain smoking, batting her eyes lashes to goo-goo eyed greasy men - not stacked on toy store shelves serving as a beauty icon to young girls. If it's not bad enough to see woman walking the streets in this makeup montage, I fear 12 year olds will soon sport the getup.
It's a drastic change from my Barbie doll collecting days, about 13 years ago. The dolls then had an angelic touch. Long, flowing locks, shiny pink gloss and sparkling eyes. The dresses so wide and fluffy they look like over sized flowers.
Sadly, even a Barbie is not exempt from the battle many women in the media face of trying not to fall into the two demeaning categories of the hooch or the angel.
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