When it rains, it surely will fall. And this is what happened to Mattel, the toy manufacturer known for producing America's top doll, Barbie.
In previous articles, we featured "head-scratching" efforts to change the body configuration of the famous doll to appease the senseless demand of some sectors for political correctness. A few weeks later, Mattel received several one-sided criticism for letting Barbie be featured in Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit edition.
Now, two radical consumer advocacy groups want Girl Scouts to drop Mattel as one of their corporate sponsors.
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for a New American Dream — criticized Barbie as a flawed role model for little girls and launched a petition drive urging the Girl Scouts of the USA to end the partnership. Fortunately, for many female scouters, the organization did not entertain their illogical suggestion.
The current Girl Scouts' partnership with Mattel includes a Barbie-themed activity book, a website, and a Barbie participation patch — the first Girl Scout uniform patch with corporate sponsorship.
"Holding Barbie, the quintessential fashion doll, up as a role model for Girl Scouts simultaneously sexualizes young girls, idealizes an impossible body type, and undermines the Girl Scouts' vital mission to build 'girls of courage, confidence and character,'" said Susan Linn, director of the Boston-based commercial-free childhood organization.
What is not clear in the pronouncements of the self-righteous group is what evidence they have right now to support their claim. Let’s recap and highlight the concepts for those slow-thinkers who thought they can dictate their archaic ideology on the majority:
In previous articles, we featured "head-scratching" efforts to change the body configuration of the famous doll to appease the senseless demand of some sectors for political correctness. A few weeks later, Mattel received several one-sided criticism for letting Barbie be featured in Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit edition.
Now, two radical consumer advocacy groups want Girl Scouts to drop Mattel as one of their corporate sponsors.
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for a New American Dream — criticized Barbie as a flawed role model for little girls and launched a petition drive urging the Girl Scouts of the USA to end the partnership. Fortunately, for many female scouters, the organization did not entertain their illogical suggestion.
The current Girl Scouts' partnership with Mattel includes a Barbie-themed activity book, a website, and a Barbie participation patch — the first Girl Scout uniform patch with corporate sponsorship.
"Holding Barbie, the quintessential fashion doll, up as a role model for Girl Scouts simultaneously sexualizes young girls, idealizes an impossible body type, and undermines the Girl Scouts' vital mission to build 'girls of courage, confidence and character,'" said Susan Linn, director of the Boston-based commercial-free childhood organization.
What is not clear in the pronouncements of the self-righteous group is what evidence they have right now to support their claim. Let’s recap and highlight the concepts for those slow-thinkers who thought they can dictate their archaic ideology on the majority:
- Quintessential fashion doll – where did this claim come from?
- Role model for Girl Scouts – another claim unsupported by evidence. And if ever this is true, what makes it dangerous? What makes it any different from a scout idolizing "Dora the Explorer" or "Xena: The Warrior Princess?
- Sexualizes young girls – this one is really pulling it off from planet Mars. How did Barbie do this? Through the clothes she wears? Maybe we should cover it up with a burka then.
- Idealizes an impossible body type – who says that the body type was possible? Ask some Girl Scout in your neighborhood and they will tell you in all their honesty that they did not entertain thoughts of simulating the exaggerated slimness of Barbie. So what do you suggest? A fat Barbie with extended belly and triple chins?
- Undermines the courage, confidence and character of girls – well, if there is one thing that Barbie undermines are those overweight, pudgy-looking and patch-riddled-skin women who can never be considered ‘fit’ by an average person and never possess the almost ‘toned’ body of a doll.