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LOGAN -- Barbie turns 50 this year, and that's the point of a project put on by the Women and Gender Studies Program at Utah State University. The group says Barbie's image is one young children should not look up to, so they're changing it.
Downstairs at USU's library, you'll see lots of Barbie dolls. Many of them look like those you'd buy in a store, but others have a far different appearance.
"It's celebrating Women's History Month," explained Brenda Cooper, director of the Women and Gender Studies Program. "What we did this year was decide that we wanted to do something really different and unusual and really attract the students' interest."
The group organized a contest to see who can make the most life-like Barbie, with issues women really face instead of the fantasy-world Barbie she says young kids look up to and believe is real.
The entries included Barbies like:
- Homeless Barbie
- Auto Shop Barbie
- Plastic Surgery Barbie
[Click here to see pictures of more contest entries]
Katie Jo Matekovik, a student in the class, says young girls face lots of pressure when models and celebrities are constantly on TV and in magazines flaunting images of what women are allegedly "supposed" to look like.
"I have little cousins say, ‘Oh, I want to be like her, and I want to be like him.' And sometimes, for me now that I'm in college, I'm like, ‘No you don't!'" Matekovik said.
Storee Powell, another student, agrees, saying children shouldn't look up to and try to be like celebrities. She blames the media for creating bad self-esteem issues.
"How likely is it they will become this stick-figured, highly-fashionable, highly-famous, highly-paid person? It's not likely," Powell said.
"It may not be on a conscious type of level, but you learn early on what's valued in this culture," Cooper said.
Thus, this display turns the image of Barbie upside down. The winner of the contest will be announced during the "Barbie Bash" Tuesday afternoon.
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
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