Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Thoughts on Obese Barbie??

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Does the toy icon need to lose a few pounds?

If Barbie is looking a little uh, different these days, there's a reason. Whether she's been slacking off at the gym or just hitting the fridge a little too hard, the blonde icon is now larger than life.
In a new effort to curb childhood obesity, an organization called Active Life is creating new ad campaigns using popular toys like Barbie and Superman and, well, making them fat.

The tagline for the campaign is "Keep obesity away from your child." The hope, according to Active Life, is that the ads will encourage kids to get off the couch and exercise.
One ad depicts an overweight Barbie lying on her bed, holding a laptop, surrounded by empty cartons of food and soda cans.

What do you think about Obese Barbie and the impact it will have on children? Why should they have to worry about body image? What are you thoughts?

4 comments:

  1. Thats great! Since they make dolls in all different colors, why not sizes too. Most women are overweight in our country, maybe if we had played with fat barbie dolls, there wouldn't be an obesity epedemic?

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  2. I don't think it's a good idea--they shouldn't have to worry about body image as kids. Plus, this seems to make fun of overweight people and not all overweight kids are lazy. Maybe they should put more of positive spin on exercise and eating healthy--this ad, although true, is a bit too negative for kids, imo.

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  3. I agree with Ali, I think it is more important to focus on what we should be doing to stay healthy instead of showing kids what not to become. We all tend to move toward what we focus on.

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  4. I don't think it's body image they need to worry about, but rather body health. I think that ad shows a lifestyle we are probably a little too familiar with. Normally we think of Barbie at the beach with Ken or driving with her girlfriends. Showing her surrounded by food while she's vegging with her laptop is a good reminder that we need to get out and be fit or find the same fate.

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