The Power of Pop Culture and Barbie

    As a child, I absolutely LOVED Disney movies and Barbie dolls.  We often frequented the local Benny’s store, ( click the link to learn more) where I would browse the newest dolls with so much desire to own a new one.  I spent many hours hiding away in my room creating a world that was all mine.  I would play out your traditional female roles: mom taking care of the house hold, teaching students, grocery shopping, cleaning, or conversing with neighbors.  My play acting was based on my lived experiences.

            Growing up, I quickly became aware that the Barbie doll did not represent what I physically looked like.  Her incredibly lean waist, long legs, and endowed bosom was not what I saw when I looked in the mirror.  Nor did any of the princesses that I watched in the movies.  My two favorite Disney movies, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid both had leading ladies who made me, at a very young age, begin to question my own body image.   As a “chunky” and “big boned” child, I often found myself feeling embarrassed by my curves, hiding them in baggy t-shirts and tights.  I became self conscious in anything that resembled a bathing suit or dance costume for an upcoming dance recital. I distinctly remember reading Bop magazine, desperate to be following the latest trends so that I could feel comfortable in my own skin.  This often led me to compare my body to that of  other T.V personalities. My self-esteem and perception of my “beauty” was continuously impacted by the popular culture of that time.  I have to wonder......if I had not had those female representations at such a young age, would my self-image have been quite so important to me so early on in my life?  Would I have been so self-conscious in my own skin? 

    Prior to this class, I never critically thought about the impact Barbie, Disney, or pop culture had on my self-image, confidence, and role as a white woman.  However, after reading Linda Christensen's article, I found myself reflecting on just that.  She stated that, "our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teachers them how to act, live, and dream"(Christensen, 2016,p.175).  

I spent some time reflecting on my favorite shows growing up and through adulthood.  What I realized is that Christensen is onto something when she says, "often that world depicts the domination of one sex, one race, one class, or one country over a weaker counterpart" ( Christensen, 2016, p. 175).  The current industry does in fact instruct young people to accept the world as it is portrayed within the context of what is being played out.  When you look closely and critique media, you can see stereotypes, gender roles, marginalization of groups, and inequity's in the representation of particular groups.  

This learning makes me wonder what it would be like to live in a world where the media didn't have a hidden cultural agenda.  Because I am starting to believe that the media and pop culture that I consumed and continue to consume is at the root of many of my insecurities.  I am truly becoming a more critical consumer of what I choose to read and watch.