Barbie shapes youth

Jessica Pickens

Arts and Entertainment editor

Jessica Pickens She was a fashion icon; everyone wanted to be her and all the guys loved her.

No, I’m not talking about Heidi Klum,  Lady Gaga or Marilyn Monroe.

Barbie is the young lady I’m referring to.

From 1959 until the late 1990s, Barbie ruled the realm of girl’s toys. The commercials were fun, colorful and had catchy little ditties to describe the doll and her abilities.

From Rappin’ Rockin’ Barbie to Talking Barbie, Mattel covered the bases of talents and careers.

Between my two older sisters and I, my family easily owns over 200 Barbies. 

Pink heaven

My reminiscing of childhood toys began last week when, on a whim, I started to watch 1980s and 1990s Barbie commercials.  

I had a good chuckle over most and smiled as I remembered the ones I owned.

Every birthday or Christmas, my family would travel to that toy castle known as Toys ‘R Us and walk down the magical pink aisle.  

During the 1980s and 1990s, Toys ‘R Us had two or three aisles dedicated to Barbies, with a special glass case for the collectors Barbies like “Titanic” Barbie or Eliza Doolittle Barbie from “My Fair Lady.”

Now you are lucky if you can find half an aisle at Wal-Mart or Toys ‘R Us with whatever they are passing off as Barbies.

From the time I was three years old until fifth grade, I played Barbies.  When I was younger, my sisters Erin and Andrea and I made up elaborate story lines such as a flood or tornado that ravaged our Barbie town. 

 Once our Barbies even had a costume contest and mine won, wrapped in toilet paper to be a mummy.

Sun Sensation fun

All three of us had Sun Sensation Barbie (introduced in 1992) and we pretended they were triplets.  Our names were Penny, Jenny and Minnie; I of course got stuck with the dumb name Minnie since I was the youngest.

I remember those magical days of playing Barbies with my sisters in Dothan, AL like they were yesterday.  

Being jealous of Erin’s Peaches and Cream Barbie and Andrea’s California Dreams Barbie and making up silly romance stories.

Now I look at the Barbies in the stores and on TV and wonder what happened.

I remember in the late 1990s , Mattel wanted to change Barbie’s look to be more realistic and more like a real woman.  But the Barbies I see today aren’t realistic or attractive. 

Bad makeover 

They look anorexic, flat-chested and have big heads.  Kate Moss isn’t what I call a real woman and she seems to be the guide for today’s Barbie doll.

I remember the last few Barbies I asked for as gifts. I know part of my disinterest was that I was getting older but part of it was that Barbie was becoming ugly and unimaginative.

The Barbies of the 1980s and 1990s had cool features, such as Hollywood Hair Barbie where you sprayed a clear substance on her hair and it turned pink. Or Bath Time Fun Barbie where you sprayed brightly colored foams on her bathing suit in the shape of different outfits.

Now the Barbies I see all wear little black dresses or other trendy fashions of today and are just supposed to be Paris models.  

Maybe little girls of today have changed, but the ones I babysit still enjoy watching mermaid fins change color in water and cutting and styling hair.

I hope one day the little girls of today can experience the same joy I had growing up with my beloved dolls.  

I only wish I could go back to being six years old when my biggest problem was what Barbie should wear on her dream date.