Barbies and Beauty

I hate barbie dolls. I really hate them.

I hate their stupid little faces and their ridiculous proportions.

Apparently some dude somewhere feels the same way. He made a doll that has the average woman's proportions. The doll is still thin, but more fit looking. She has less make-up, comfortable shoes, and plays sports.

I don't really have dolls anymore, but I think these dolls are very important for kids. With all of the photo-editing hollywood does and the waist-trimming disney does on their characters, kids deserve the opportunity to see a beautiful doll that looks more like them.

I watched this video of these little girls playing with a regular barbie and then the average-woman doll, and at the end the interviewer asked the girls which doll would have which career. Most girls said the realistic doll would have a job like a teacher, doctor, or a 'computer job.' They all the said barbie would be either a  famous fashion star, model, and one girl even said that the barbie didn't look like she would have a job.

Not going to lie, I cracked up.... I thought it was funny as hell that these girls thought the barbie with ridiculous proportions wouldn't be able to do a job with intellectual substance.

But then I got pissed. These girls believed that the average proportioned doll would have a boring job, but that the incredibly thin and big breasted barbie would become famous.

This brought up a lot of questions. Why do these girls believe this? No one has actively told them this. They wanted to play with the average doll because it looked more like them, did that mean that they thought weren't pretty enough?

I started asking myself at what point in my life did I convince myself, that I am pretty? Then I realized that it took time, and a lot of different contributing factors. I had to grow into myself.

Now, I am 23 years old, and sure there are things I am self conscious about, but all in all I see myself as a beautiful, intelligent young woman. I wear glasses, and I have a short pixie hair cut. I have tattoos and scars on my skin. But I had to realize one day that I am a masterpiece with many artists. My parents, grandparents, friends, environment, and husband have all made impacts on the person I am today. Every person I have come in contact with has contributed something to my person.

I don't just mean that I have my mom's eyes, my dad's build, my great grandma's voice, and my grandpa's hands, but also the habits, thoughts, beliefs, and lifestyles of everyone I have come across that have influenced me, good and bad. It is the fact that I have an amazing husband, life and family that make me happy.

How could something like that not be beautiful?

I still have things I am self conscious about, sometimes I say things and I think I sound like the dumbest person in the room (which is occasionally true) but I try to remind myself, that I am beautiful in many different ways and no one can take that from me if I don't let them.