Barbie Doll

-Kendall Bierer


The derisive imagery and ironic tone of the poem denounce the patriarchal system and gender discrimination of the modern society. The supposed perfection of the female body that this poem idealizes simply is not achievable.
Many young women feel this same pressure on a daily basis. It is unrealistic for girls to fashion themselves after the women they see in magazines, television shows and marketing schemes.
In reality a small percentage of female population would live up to the standards set for them. The woman’s attempt to emulate Barbie’s appearance is a deviation from her originality. This process of transformation is inherently destructive for the woman that forcibly undergoes changes which are contrary to her natural behaviors.
The classic Barbie is actually extremely disproportionate in almost every feature she has. As young children, girls are introduced to the concept of beauty through the blue eyes of plasticity. We are made to imagine how they can dress, how we can do their hair, the car they drive, which Ken they choose to date and where they are going to vacation. Growing up, I absolutely loved my Barbies.
The poem Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy holds a mirror up to our own vanity and reveals the rampant destruction of self-worth that comes from comparing the normal to the unreal. Piercy has successfully diverted the reader’s attention to the fact that forcing the people, especially women, into restrictive roles and ideals may prove disastrous, leading to emotional conflicts that are often difficult if not impossible to resolve. The standards set for them are too high to achieve and resultantly many women may fall into depression and low self esteem.
I feel that in this Third Wave of Feminism, women are able to embrace the conformist aspect as well as the bold. Relating to this, Loretta Gerlach spoke about how being a feminist determines many aspects of one’s life. “It affects what we wear and how we wear it, where we shop and what we buy, what entertainment we choose, and where we get our news.” (Turbo Chicks, 42) This is true in so many ways.


This fighting is what is so different in the Third Wave of Feminism. We are contradicting some actions that took place in the First and Second waves. Instead of burning bras, we are wearing push-ups and defining our own sexuality. That is the beauty of sexuality, it is infinite, we are able to demand when to and how to embrace and portray it.

A great example of this was mentioned in both Manifesta and Turbo Chicks, Madonna. She wields her sexuality as she wills and wishes. There have been more and more television shows that have embraced power and found the balance of femininity such as Xena, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ally Mcbeal. Maybe it is this desire to have power that scares patriarchal society so much.

These issues are often not discussed enough in the contemporary pop culture world we know today. Many a time I have continued to read articles about counting calories, feeding his needs and numerous articles about how to fix myself from some bikini clad model. Why do people talk to me like I need their help?

I personally love Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth and embrace it with ferocity. I do believe that the world we live in today is responsible for much of the eating disorders, rape and lash outs that take place.

It is still hard to be a feminist today, but I feel like we must embrace it to make a difference. It is not so much about the fight, but rather what we are doing to fix it and be genuine to ourselves. I am tired of walking around angry, being questioned by friends who find my refusal to wear a bikini unreasonable and also having to watch so many people choose a more treaded upon path.

When it comes to women’s issues it is not only about us. We stand for equality, passion, life and above all freedom. Nobody will ever know this though if we do not stand up and speak out. On page 54 of Turbo Chicks, Samantha Sacks writes, “In this world I don’t count unless I raise my fucking voice.” I think that this quote is fantastic, especially in the context which it is used. “But you built the chrome and glass and you can’t see me.” This is what I feel like on a daily basis. I feel like a society built what women should be, the rules we should adhere to, but then they made a woman seem like nothing. They built a substance but without us speaking out, that chrome and glass is a barrier. This is where the personal is political.