I know that the area of traditional ‘girlie’ things, such as princesses, Barbie, and make-up, is very controversial for a lot of women. There is the thought that playing with barbies and make-up teaches our daughters that they need to look a certain way to be valued. That it undermines the importance of all of the good stuff on the inside, like kindness and intelligence. There is also the thought that the princess concept teaches girls that they need to be rescued by a man. That they cannot save themselves.
I do realize that Mattel and Disney are making progress in this area by giving Barbie a career, and making princesses that are empowered and bold and can save the world on their own. But let’s face it. Barbie still has an impossible body type. And princesses still seem to have quite a nice wardrobe and long flowing hair.
