(CUP)
     
     
      byM.J.
      Hamilton
      (Dal
      Gazette)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      I
      was
      a
      girl,
      I
      was
      fascinated
     
     
      by
      Barbie.
      She
      cooked,
      got
      dressed
     
     
      up,
      and
      rode
      around
      in
      a
      battery-
     
     
      operated,
      bright
      yellow
      Corvette.
      “So,
     
     
      this
      is
      how
      I
      am
      going
      to
      be
      when
      I
     
     
      grow
      up,”
      thought
      I.
     
    

    
     
      She
      even
      had
      a
      baby,
      once
      Ken
     
     
      came
      along.
      Ken
      had
      his
      own
      apart-
     
     
      ment
      and
      wasn’t
      married
      to
      Barbie.
     
     
      Nevertheless,
      Barbie
      had
      a
      child.
      I
     
     
      guess
      I
      wasn’t
      too
      unrealistic.
     
    

    
     
      But
      most
      of
      all,
      Barbie
      was
      perfect
     
     
      -
      the
      perfect
      woman.
      Her
      breasts
      were
     
     
      “just
      the
      right”
      size,
      roundness
      and
     
     
      firmness.
      She
      didn’t
      even
      have
      to
     
     
      wear
      a
      bra.
      Her
      long,
      tanned,
      slender
     
     
      legs
      and
      her
      hips
      were
      “just
      right”
      as
     
     
      well.
      Her
      facial
      features
      were
      flawless
     
     
      -
      she
      never
      had
      to
      put
      on
      make-up.
     
     
      She
      never
      had
      to
      perm
      or
      style
      her
     
     
      long,
      blonde
      hair
      to
      have
      that
      perfect
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      to
      have
      a
      boyfriend
      like
      Ken
     
     
      cither.
      It
      didn’t
      seem
      to
      bother
      me
     
     
      hat
      Ken’s
      genitalia
      looked
      bizarre
     
     
      and
      not
      exactly
      "
      all
      there”.
      He
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Campus
      Women
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      still
      look
      at
      my
      body
      and
      feel
      disap
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Panning
      Qa
      Plastic
      Paradigm
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      perfect),
      looked
      like
      Barbie
     
     
      that
      I
      could
      never
      look
      lik
     
     
      since
      I
      do
      not
      have
      k
     
     
      blue
      eyes.
      No
      husia
     
     
      compare
      with
     
     
      beauty.
     
    

    
     
      I
      was
      very
      dishea
     
     
      had
      let
      me
      down.
      I
      felt
     
     
      led
      me
      to
      believe
      tha
     
     
      was
      supposed
      to
      be.
      |
     
     
      look
      “the
      part”
      before
      I
      d
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
          
     
     
         
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tealize
      I
      didn't
      have
      to
      look
      like
     
     
      plastic
      doll
      to
      be
      attractive.
     
     
      However,
      every
      now
      and
      then,
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pointed
      that
      I
      do
      not
      look
      anything
      ‘
     
     
      like
      Barbie.
      I
      feel
      I
      have
      not
      lived
      up
     
     
      to
      expectations
      (mine
      or
      society’s),
     
     
      as
      if
      it
      is
      my
      fault,
      and
      I
      should
      have
     
     
      enough
      discipline
      to
      diet
      and
      exer-
     
     
      cise
      in
      order
      to
      to
      mold
      my
      body
      any
     
     
      way
      I
      would
      like.
     
    

    
     
      So
      now
      I
      swear
      off
      Barbie
      dolls,
     
     
      and
      feel
      they
      should
      be
      banned.
     
     
      Women,
      like
      me,
      have
      to
      stop
      the
     
     
      psychological
      violencethey
      inflict
     
     
      uponthemselves
      for
      failing
      to
      meet
     
     
      the
      criteria
      of
      stereotypical
     
     
      imagesconstantly
      surroundingthem-
     
     
      -images
      created
      by
      television.
      mov-
     
     
      ies,
      magazines....and
      dolls.
      [i