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| At the Louvre: Isn't she magnificent? |
What struck me most is: the actual female form is so much more beautiful, more interesting, more sensual than the idealized Barbie!
We need to love and appreciate our bodies, and stop trash-talking our parts. And maybe we should be giving our little girls Venus de Milo's (with arms) to play with?
Oh, that is disturbing. Going through the series shows how deformed Barbie's body really is, and how insipid the expression on her poor little face. How awesome it would be if Grivaud's comparisons were taught in an art class. As you say, the real form is so much more beautiful, and this is an incredibly effective way of showing that.
ReplyDeleteI think it's lovely. Anyone who thinks dolls without arms are disturbing are disturbed in their own right.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't begin to speak for Katrina, but I *assumed* her comment meant that Barbie's proportions are disturbing, as compared to a real person's proportions. I didn't pick up that she thought the armless-ness was disturbing. Thank you, however, for your thoughtful comment, Madison.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, this brought home to me just how "rigid" the Barbie shape is! Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
ReplyDeleteSome of the images freaked me out. The one I actually enjoyed was the Picasso Barbie. Too funny.
ReplyDeleteThere is a Huff Post about Barbie's measurements if she were a real girl. It is very interesting. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/galia-slayen/the-scary-reality-of-a-re_b_845239.html
The would be 39-18-33 and close to 6ft tall. Check out the article. A woman created a life size doll.
thanks for the reminder! it's important to love our bodies and not have unrealistic expectations.
ReplyDeleteClaire
thanks for sharing these images, i think they project a very strong and powerful message. I always think barbies are not suitable for children. I read somewhere that if you blow Barbie up to human proportions, her body is anorexic. I definitely prefer the real normal womanly curves.
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Great comparison.To be real has always been my motto.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this, Patti. It's a timely (and very visceral!) reminder of what we all know about Barbie, on some level, but tend to forget.
ReplyDeleteThe Barbie comparison to Venus de Milo is striking. It seems like Hollywood also celebrates the disproportionate look of people who might look like Barbie.
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever, funny idea, which makes me think exactly the same as you - how much more beautiful and interesting images are of real women with a variety of shapes and features. I think Manet's Olympia throws it into the sharpest relief for me. I like this idea of playing with familiar images to make a point.
ReplyDeleteThis is really eye-opening; I fully expected to find the Barbies more immediately attractive, socially conditioned as I am. But I certainly didn't.
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic. Love the contrast. And you are right the proportions of the human body are so much cooler to look at than the weirdo barbie with her fake smile.
ReplyDeleteI rarely ever played with Barbies growing up (or dolls for that matter). I do think more realistic toys should be available for kids to play with, but more importantly, less stigma on nakedness/real bodies should be a part of raising a kid. I don't think many kids know what real bodies look like, and how much they vary.
ReplyDeleteWell, Barbie really isn't meant to be real, she's meant to be a little doll. Her body is meant to be clothed, but seams and closures become very bulky at that scale. Her super small waist and body make it possible for the outfits to look like they're actually sort of proportionate.
ReplyDeleteI actually think that dolls look the cutest when they're very stylized, like Bratz and Monster High. They aren't meant to be representative of reality at all and without clothes they look even stranger than Barbie.
Personally I think the whole idea of comparing any tiny doll to a real human being is funny. I mean they're 12" tall! Clearly they aren't "real". Also, little girls use their imaginations when they play with them. I'd much rather my daughter play with dolls than spend hours in front of the TV or computer.
That Barbie statue is hilarious. I've seen the second Venus lady at the Louvre, love her. Growing up I loved Barbie and remember all of my mother's friends trying to look like her. I think things have gotten a little better, but I still feel the pressure to be tall and thin.
ReplyDeleteWhen I originally commented I clicked the "Notify me when new comments are added" checkbox
ReplyDeleteand now each time a comment is added I get three emails with the
same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service?
Thank you!
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