Barbie Ban in West Virginia?

[MichaelJCheaney]

Democrat Jeff Eldridge introduced a bill in the House of Delegates on Tuesday that would ban the sale of Barbie dolls - and "other dolls that influence girls to be beautiful" - in West Virginia. Eldridge said the dolls have encouraged girls to value their physical appearance more than their education and intelligence.
"I hate the myth around, if you're beautiful, you don't have to be smart," Eldridge said.
His bill, HB 2918, would make it illegal to sell Barbie dolls "and other similar dolls that promote or influence girls to place an undue importance on physical beauty to the detriment of their intellectual and emotional development."
Kids need to know that "beauty from the inside" is just as important as outer beauty, Eldridge said
He is the father of a 13-year-old son, and said he's worked extensively with children during his time as a social worker and coach of kids' sports teams.
The bill proposes no penalty if people were to continue selling Barbie dolls in the Mountain State. Eldridge is the only sponsor of the proposal, which has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee

Am I the only one that has a feeling that his son plays with Barbie dolls, and that he may just be a TAD upset about it?

[Dakota Valkyrie]

that promote or influence girls to place an undue importance on physical beauty

Well, that would certainly exclude Bratz dolls.

Obviously this dude has never played with Barbie. Every one i had could kick GI Joe's ass and did it frequently... all while being Super-Sister to Skipper, cooking Ken's dinner, working at the pet store, and going for coffee with Midge.

My Barbies were always more active and smarter than me.

Don't they have anything better in West Virginia to do? Like ban inbreeding?

[MichaelJCheaney]

The only thing my cousins Barbie doll wanted to do was SLEEP with my GI Joe doll.....

Well that and she kept going on and on about how big his "guns" were.....

[DarkPrincess]

I've been to WV. Barbie is the least of that state's problems.

[MichaelJCheaney]

Introducing the West Virginia Barbie Doll:

[Rockin Ma]

So do they ban baby dolls too because they may promote children to grow up to be mamas?

[HijabiGirl]

The irony of this situation is that the person who first introduced the idea of Barbie to Mattel (the wife of the founder) would agree. I watched a documentary in undergrad called "Barbie Nation" showing the rise and now subculture of obsessives surrounding this doll. It was...informative.

The wife of the founder had gone to Europe to visit and saw soldiers holding dolls that looked like prostitutes. The men joked that they were their "little women." But she realized that there was a market virtually untouched in America, dolls for young girls that really weren't children but adolescents.

The first dolls were simple in design and though they were of "developing" girls they were a far cry from the Barbie of today. She wanted young girls to relate to these dolls and finally have something that represented them. I can't recall which Barbie was the first of the newer, bustier, leggier version (maybe Malibu?) but she strongly objected.

She felt the body was disproportionate and "too pretty" for the average girl to relate to. The board disagreed (which was rather ironic since they first felt the "Barbie" idea was stupid until the dough came pouring in) and the newer line come busting out. Hehe. She and her husband, the founder of Mattel, were effectively shoved out of their own company by the board. During the interview she was irritated that the Barbie had become a deformed, exaggerated representation of her original idea. Of course this interview was followed up by a Barbie fanatic who was having oodles of plastic surgery with the desire to one day become a "real life Barbie."

Do I think they should ban these? No, but I won't be buying any for my future daughter(s) no matter how much they scream for it. I don't like what the doll represents and I won't support their philosopy with my dime.

[Athena]

Is there even a lick of research to suggest that Barbies contribute to low self-esteem? I can't find a study that definitively links them. "Feel-good" legislation pisses me off, and this guy's a douche. West Virginia voted in substantial favor of McCain (53% to 46%). How do they let these guys get into office?

By the way... I'm moving this to Three Things, if no one minds.

[moonlilly1981]

Yes because I played with barbies growing up I want to get implants, shove my finger down my throat, and starve myself......all while looking to have my fit turn into a permenant high heel. Freaking idiots.

WV has a heck of alot more that it needs to do for its youth then ban a toy. Get a life retards in WV legislator.

[Pazuzu]

That is the most ridiculous thing I have come across in quite a long time.
And suppose this bill were somehow to pass (I realize the odds of that actually happening) What would be the repercussions for selling and or owning said dolls?

Would a Barbie black market spring up?

Would there be mass Barbie burnings where all the townfolk are encouraged to come throw the menacing dolls already in their possession into a flaming pit to save the good citizens of WV from ruination?!?


Seriously though. I sort of get what the dude is saying...but come on.

[moonlilly1981]

nah then we can start an underground barbie movement.

The people in WV will be coming to the surrounding states to buy their barbies......or better yet their fingers will do the walking and purchase them over the net. Some people are retards.

[bogustoo]

Well, that would certainly exclude Bratz dolls.

Obviously this dude has never played with Barbie. Every one i had could kick GI Joe's ass and did it frequently... all while being Super-Sister to Skipper, cooking Ken's dinner, working at the pet store, and going for coffee with Midge.

My Barbies were always more active and smarter than me.

Don't they have anything better in West Virginia to do? Like ban inbreeding?

My Barbies kicked Ken's ass and slept with GI Joe.

[Misskittychaos]

OMG I must have been a very dumb little girl but I loved my barbies! I got my first sewing machine b.c I wanted to make barbie outfits. I never felt poorly because of barbie. If anything it was just fun and an outlet for my "creativity b.c instead of trying out that "awesome" idea for a haircut out on myself or friends or my sleeping older sister, I did it to my trusty barbies. Also they never complained when I was fitting them for a new outfit and pricked them with a pin!

[Dakota Valkyrie]

They better ban action figures also because they create unrealistic macho stereotypes in young boys.

There is something drastically wrong with a kid that shapes his/her self image based on a doll.

[Money Mothafuckin' Mike]

I wonder if this ban would just create a new black market for used Barbie's? I never mind profiting off idiot's myself!

[RaVen Blackehart]

Introducing the West Virginia Barbie Doll:

MJC, how the hell did you get ahold of my glamour portrait!!???

[MichaelJCheaney]

MJC, how the hell did you get ahold of my glamour portrait!!???

DeathBed E-mailed to me......

[Wicked Doll]

Perhaps it's because of this "Barbie" that he feels the way he does :)

[swivel]

This guy has it backwards. In two ways. First, the reason girls like Barbie dolls is because they have a genetic predisposition for attaching significance to their appearance. All cultures have had this trait, and well before we had dolls that could count as "beautiful". Look at peacocks and animals that preen, create elaborate displays, and show off to see that this is NATURE not NURTURE.

Second, and more importantly the douche makes the mistake of objectifying intellectual and emotional growth as if they are clearly more important than physical health. Bullshit. The reason we are attracted to some people more than others is because it serves a specific biological purpose. We love symmetry and the average. Because these traits demonstrate a lack of risky genetic mutations that would lead to sickness and poor health. Objectively, good looks are more important than intellect or emotional well-being. Because the latter both stem from the former. Without our ability to fight off disease and infection, and our distaste for harmful mutations, all of our IQ's and emotional strengths would be diminished.

This is an ugly-kid bill. Created by and made for the hypocrites who have spent their lives feeling like physical monsters as they try and convince the beautiful to have sex with them (and fail). Go fuck some of the other monsters if you really believe your own tripe. Have your little ogre descendants and see if you can teach a retard particle physics, or make your autistic child reach out to you emotionally. Good-Fucking-Luck.