Many people know Barbie as one of the most beautiful dolls in the world. According to its manufacturer, the American toy-company Mattel, Barbie-dolls were sold for over a billion since its first debut. Since then, the iconic doll became famous together with her 40 pets, wide range of vehicles, and her on and off relationship with her boyfriend, Ken Carson, who came into sight in 1961. She also celebrated her 58th birthday last March 9, 2017.
Through the years, people admire Barbie because of her alluring face and her almost perfect body shape. However, the fashion doll has been receiving criticisms because of her unrealistic body shape. Nickolay Lamm, a graphic artist and researcher, made a Barbie-doll with stickers for acnes, stretch marks, scars, and cellulites to send a serious message about unrealistic standards of beauty. Because of this campaign, 21,000 dolls were pre-ordered and an estimate of two to three dolls were purchased every minute.
Vocabulary:
manufacturer – [noun] a person or company that makes goods for sale
alluring – [adjective] mysteriously attractive or fascinating
standard – [noun] morals, ethics, habits, etc., established by authority or an individual as acceptable
campaign – [noun] a plan consisting several activities directed toward the achievement of an aim
estimate – [noun] an approximate calculation or judgement of the value
True or False:
- Ken Carson is Barbie’s partner.
- The American toy-company Matte is the maker of the symbolic doll.
- Barbie owned 45 pets and many vehicles.
- The doll did not receive any critiques because of her figure.
- Nickolay Lamm is the person who made a new figure for Barbie-doll.
Express your opinion:
- What can you say about Barbie’s new design which includes acne, stretch marks, and cellulite?
- If you will be given a chance to make a new Barbie-doll, how will you design it?
- Which do you prefer, the new or the old Barbie-doll? Explain your answer.
Defend your argument:
- “You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.” – Coco Chanel
- “Cellulite, acne, boo boos, that’s just a natural part of life; it’s not something to run away from. It’s just natural and who we really are. And who we really are is, I guess, really beautiful.” – Nickolay Lamm
- TEXT“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” – Mark Twain/li>