Barbie Liberation Front was founded in 1989 to combat the influence of toys that advanced gender based stereo types. They physically switched the voice hardware in Barbies and GI Joes so the GI Joe would say things like “Math is hard” and “I love shopping” and “Will I ever have enough clothes?” And Barbie would give battle commands and say things like vengeance is mine. Then these altered dolls were placed back on the shelves with a little note on back that told the recipients to call their local news. This type of intervention serves a couple of different purposes besides just reminding people of gender based stereotypes. It is a statement that suggests the power media has over society and also reminds us that television is not the only media we are inundated with but even the toys we buy for our children can a significant influence on their development and the way they think from a young age. It also suggests the rampant consumerism in our culture and reminds us of parents responsibilities oversee what information their children are fed and what ideas they get from the culture and media that surrounds them.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment