Cultural Icons: The Barbie and G.I.Joe

By,

Joanna Fisher

History of Barbie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzqCSyRtryc

The Barbie Issues

• Barbie’s “perfect” features have led to vast amounts of criticism.

• Alters young girls’ self-esteem and makes girls have a desire to be “perfect”.

• “The Body Project” by Bradley University, describes the problems of Barbie Dolls by saying the doll:

1)The “perfect” body for a woman is one with big breasts and very thin.

2) The natural body of a woman is seen as unattractive in comparison to the ideal body.

3) In order to be well- liked and seen as attractive, a young girl must be: thin, incredibly well groomed, wear make-up, and have a designer wardrobe.

4) Presents the main statement that what is on the outside is better than what is on the inside of a girl. The outside world is only going to judge a girl on what she looks like instead of taking into account her personality.

The Barbie Facts

• At 5’9” tall and 110 pounds, Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24. She would be considered anorexic.

• Slumber Party Barbie- 1965, came with a bathroom scale that read “110 lbs.” with a book entitled, “How to Lose Weight” with directions inside that said, “Don’t Eat.”

Raising Awareness– Galia Slayen- suffered from an eating disorder herself due to pressures of

looking and acting a certain way– Wanted to raise awareness for National Eating Disorder Awareness Week– Built a real life Barbie doll- six feet tall, 39” bust, 18”waist, and 33”hip– Shows that perfection is not natural and unattainable- Barbie is NOT Real

A Real Life Barbie• Valeria Lukyanova- Russian Barbie Doll• “Her doll-like features, long blonde hair and

‘perfect’ body make her look like a real life Barbie”(Herald Sun)

History of G.I. Joe

• Created by Hasbro- 1963• 1970- Redistributed as “Adventures of G.I. Joe”-

could hold objects and looked more life-like• 1976- G.I. Joe becomes “Super Joe” the astronaut• 1978- Retires

History of G. I. Joe Cont’d

• 1982- Due to the box office hit, “Star Wars,” young boys became interested in action figures again

• No longer one G. I. Joe but, an army of them with different techniques and weapons

• Creation of G. I. Joe cartoon- “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero”• Became a comic book series- 1982-1994• Early 1990s- larger version of G. I. Joe created • 2004- Original 1964 action figure released

The G.I. Joe Issues

• Bradley University created a study called “The Body Project”, not only to show effects of Barbie Dolls on young girls but, the effects of G.I. Joe action figures on young boys.

• This study established these harmful effects:

1) Boys of all ages should have a muscular build and look powerful

2) Boys of all ages should be willing to use their tough bodies “to commit morally justified acts of violence.”

3) True men=

Tough men

“Wars may be fought with weapons but, they are won by men.”—George Patton

4) Boys of all age have began to have a negative body image especially those who are overweight since they are considered “weak.” As well as the use of unhealthy ways to deal with the feelings of shame and frustration.

5) Establishment of using steroids to improve muscle mass which can be life-threatening.

6) An assimilation between boys of all ages and violence and dominance.

The G. I. Joe Facts• If G. I. Joe were real- he would be taller than the average man and

would have more muscle than any body builder

• The Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness- 2.4 – 3.6 million men suffer from eating disorders today

• Young boys who play with G. I. Joe action figures are more likely to suffer from low body confidence

CitationsFletcher, Dan. "G.I.Joe." Time U.S.. Time U.S., 7 August 2009. Web. 27 Apr 2012. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1915120,00.html.none , none. "Body Image Men." . Mirror Mirror, n.d. Web. 27 Apr 2012. <http://www.mirror-mirror.org/body-

image-men.htm>.none, none. "The Body Project." Bradley University. Bradley University, n.d. Web. 27 Apr 2012. http://thebodyproject.bradley.edu/joe_barbie/index.shtmlnone, none. "Real-Life Barbie doll Valeria Lukyanova has become an internet sensation ." Herald Sun. Herald

Sun, 23 April 2012. Web. 27 Apr 2012. <http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/the-other-side/real-life-barbie-doll-valeria-lukyanova-has-become-and-internet-sensation/story-e6frfhk6-

1226336152052>.Slayen, Galia. "The Scary Reality of a Real-Life Barbie Doll." my Body, my Image. my Body, my Image, 12 April

2012. Web. 27 Apr 2012. <http://www.mybodymyimage.com/the-scary-reality-of-a-real-life-barbie-doll>.