7-Year-Old Girl’s Honest Reactions to 10 Barbies Will Shock the Doll’s Critics

by Jeanne Sager August 16, 2012 at 11:49 AM

barbie I'm not sure if there's any toy as fraught with controversy as Barbie. The doll is blamed for everything from decimating girls' self esteem to encouraging them to dress like hookers.

The whole debate is enough to give any mother of a girl a serious case of agita before each and every birthday party, lest one of the little gift givers comes walking in with a doll box. But with a 7-year-old in my house who has played with the occasional Barbie (none of which I purchased) and still seems to have a pretty hearty self esteem, I was curious: how much is the Barbie debate in our heads? Do little girls really think what we think they think when we see a Barbie?

I decided to find out.

I went online and found 10 Barbie dolls that range from slutty and skanky to pretty run of the mill. I found the tattoo Barbie who started the whole debacle last year. I found some designed to encourage girls to aspire to big careers (even president), and some that are decidedly not for kids.

And then I placed the photos one by one in front of my 7-year-old daughter and asked her what she thought. I didn't coach her beside telling her that there were no wrong answers and she wouldn't be in any trouble ... and asking her a question or two (would you play with this doll? would you dress like this doll?).

What she said made me feel a lot better about letting her play with Barbies ... not to mention my parenting. Take a look ... it might surprise you.

What's your take on little girls and Barbie?

Image via Flavio (back for awhile)/Flickr

Barbie Through the Eyes of a Real 7-Year-Old

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I would play with her. I kind of like that skirt because it's pink and yellow. I think she would be a fashion model. I wouldn't want to look like her because she has skin showing, but if she didn't have that, I would want to really, really play with her.

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Comments 187

Facebook comment from Elizabeth Trosper

September 19, 2012 at 4:46 PM

I played with Barbies a lot as a child and I never got any ideas from them. Not all of them interested me either because I was not interested in pregnant Barbie or airplane Barbie or other Barbies. I was more into the clothes and accessaries. I had enough dolls so why would I need more? I only got more dolls if it was something I wanted like the one with Barbie and Kelly in her stroller or her shopping with Kelly or Teacher Barbie because it interested me.

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Facebook comment from Snow Horton

October 4, 2012 at 8:11 PM

My favorite is the one with the pink hair too! Maybe all of my friends should be 7-year-olds, then they wouldn't be needy and slutty. Sounds like you have a great kid!

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Nonmember comment from CM

October 7, 2012 at 1:44 PM

The comments were interesting. But I would be more interested in a compiled list of thirty 7 year old girls, 5 each from at least 6 different schools. Why? The daughter is clearly channeling her mother with "too much skin" and "too tight" and not wanting a blue collar job in her future. While it's possible, it is highly unlikely a given 7 year old analyzes the moral or social values and impact of clothing styles, or even tattoo's, without reflecting biased parental coaching. So, aside from being a completely invalid reflection of "7-Year-Old Girl’s Honest Reactions", it was entertaining and cute to read the reactions of the daughter and should be titles "MY 7-year-old girls reactions to Barbie", and not suggest it represents anything other than one individuals rearing.

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Nonmember comment from Sarah A.

October 11, 2012 at 11:07 AM

I loved this article and reading your daughter's responses, especially the one with the Chef Barbie...it's take your daughter to work day! LOL. My two sisters and I had about a million Barbies and outfits that gave us hours of creative fun and let's face it, so much more interactive than the video games and tv that most kids park themselves in front of, today. Barbies rule! I liked Tokidoki Barbie and Red Carpet Barbie best, btw.

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Facebook comment from Linda Levine

October 12, 2012 at 11:03 AM

I loved Barbie as a child and collect Barbie as an adult. I have never met anyone that felt Barbie made them feel bad about themselves. The only ones who complain are usually ones that never even played with Barbie or the media sensationalizes the dolls to get ratings. She is a toy and much less likely to cause harm to self-esteem than model and celebrities who are always promoting the latest diet and the people who feel it is their right to criticize anyone who is not thin enough for them.

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Facebook comment from Raechelle Barber

October 13, 2012 at 1:16 PM

i'm sorry, but this totally sounds like the writer may have either made up what this "little girl" said or is pressuring her with how she feels. it seems like the writer says, "this is appalling how nude the dolls are, and i refuse to buy my daughter one" and then all of the comments on the dolls fit what the writer says. when my 7-year-old step-daughter comes home, i will be asking her what she says. if she says anything like the other "girl" then i will be fine that it was really a little girl who said this.

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Facebook comment from Erika Davis

October 16, 2012 at 11:55 AM

Honestly, I have no problem with barbies. If my daughter got her self esteem from dolls, I'd be more worried about why. I also do not care how barbies are dressed. I don't want my daughter to grow up judging people on the way they are dressed. We also do not use words like slutty or skanky at my house as those words are specifically degrading to women. Women should be able to wear bathing suit or a short skirt without being labeled a "slut'.

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Destiny907

October 24, 2012 at 11:16 AM

I LOVED my barbies!!! My girls did and now so do the grand-girls... Nothing wrong with barbie dolls.

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MamaMoonlight

October 25, 2012 at 6:47 PM

We shouldn't be afraid of our own "skin". How does a 7 year old even tak about that stuff?

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Facebook comment from Jamie J Perkins

October 26, 2012 at 12:17 AM

My daughter is 6 and this sounds exactly like her. I don't think mine would think about the tight clothes or skin so much though i doubt she would notice it even. to me that sounds odd for a child to mention in the way she did, almost sounds coaxed some. Most little girls I have seen don't really think about how tight or short anything is yet. Clothes are either pretty and they like it or they don't thats about as segregated as their fashion sense gets at that age. Its pretty or it isn't. and maybe the color would matter not the rest though, mine could care less.

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