Calgarian Amanda Olson shares a birthday with Barbie, but that’s where the similarities end.
Olson thinks the popular Mattel doll, who celebrates the 50th anniversary of her creation today, promotes a negative body image for young girls.
“Barbie has a body that is disproportionate and is a societal idealization of the female body,” she said.
“However, at the end of the day if a girl thinks she is expected to have a body like Barbie, then Barbie alone is not the problem. To blame a growing increase of body image issues on a doll is simply to pass the blame onto an easy target.”
Despite having the same birthday as the trendy blonde toy, Olson said she lost interest in Barbies around age six and has never looked back.
Barbie celebrations today include the release of a modern take on the original bathing suit Barbie, which will launch a new look for the doll.
