# Is Barbie the proto-slut of modernity?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-barbie-the-proto-slut-of-modernity/107429>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 5, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-barbie-the-proto-slut-of-modernity/107429 "2002-05-05T21:02:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-barbie-the-proto-slut-of-modernity/107429/1 "2002-05-05T21:02:53Z")

</div>

A point to ponder in this article

[Thank Barbie for Britney -She’s not that innocent. -By Kay Hymowitz](http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-hymowitz050302.asp)

> [@](#):
>
> Actually, both sides are wrong. Barbie may not have prompted a national crisis in female self-esteem, but she’s no innocent either. The vampy fashion doll helped to bring about the sexualization of childhood, evidence of which is everywhere today. In truth, Barbie is the not-so-spiritual godmother of Britney Spears.
> 
> To understand this point, you need to consider Barbie’s origins. Up until 1959, the year of Barbie’s birth, little girls spent a lot of their time burping and feeding the pudgy baby dolls that were a mainstay of the toy market. But sometime in the late 1950’s, during a European trip with her daughter, Ruth Handler stumbled across “Lilli,” a popular German doll. A hard-nosed businesswoman, Handler was not especially troubled that Lilli was modeled on — and I’m not making this up — a cartoon prostitute. Nor was she evidently perturbed by the fact that Lilli was sold in bars and tobacco shops to grown-up men who evidently were taken with her tight (removable) sweater and short (removable) skirt.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-barbie-the-proto-slut-of-modernity/107429/2 "2002-05-07T07:35:11Z")

</div>

Barbie is just a teenage fashion model, trying to make her way in the world today.

She has also worked as an airline pilot and a doctor AND as a nurse, but she always comes back to teenage fashion modelling.

You have to go where your heart takes you.

Proto-slut? Not really. Just a kind-hearted, lively, teenage fashion model.

Redboss

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-barbie-the-proto-slut-of-modernity/107429/3 "2002-05-07T07:39:24Z")

</div>

Oh **Redboss** , that’s what her PR people _want_ you to think! [Behold](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=866419376) the true face of Barbie!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-barbie-the-proto-slut-of-modernity/107429/4 "2002-05-07T08:11:25Z")

</div>

insert horrified smiley.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-barbie-the-proto-slut-of-modernity/107429/5 "2002-05-07T08:21:31Z")

</div>

i thought that was hilarious. thanks!