Another Reason to Hate Barbie Courtesy of Greenpeace
Poor Barbie. She's having a rough time lately. First there was the university student who made a life-size version of her, finally answering the question: Could Barbie stand with those measurements? And the answer is no, especially not in stilettos.
And then Greenpeace started a full-out assault on her. Even encouraging Ken to break up with her for her highly destructive deforestation habits. It seems that Mattel, and other major toy makers including Disney and Lego, use paper sourced through a company that uses Sumatran trees for packaging. The deforestation of the Indonesian forests is further endangering the Sumatran tiger as well as other species.
Greenpeace did a very cheeky website; with Ken proclaiming that he isn't into girls that are into deforestation. (Though doesn't that mean that Ken is party to it too? I'm pretty sure he comes in a box as well.) The organisation went even further, hanging banners on the Mattel headquarters with a pic of a frowning Ken. To its credit Mattel has responded by saying they would look into sustainable paper sources.
If only Mattel would respond to people's concerns over Barbie's clothing as well. Every time my daughter gets a new Barbie, I ask: Oh, Barbie why do you have to dress like such a tramp? Would it really be hard to add a millimetre of fabric around the bottom and bust? Do you have to teach preschool while in them same outfit that you were singing backup for K$sha? My daughter even asks me why Barbie forgot her pants.
But yes, I do let her play with Barbie. I may hate the outfits, the body image, and the packaging, but there are Barbies in our house. I don't love them but I don't want to ban them and cause more of a fuss. I just mix them in with other stuff and when they come out to play they are dressed like tramps but we let them teach the preschoolers anyways.
If you want some reasons to ban Barbie, read Peggy Orenstein's advice on the New York Times Motherlode.
How do you feel about Barbie? Are Greenpeace's actions making you take another look at the toy?
Want more chaos? Last year I did a round-up of the Environmental Working Group's report on sunscreens. Check it out for a list of the safest sunscreens to use.
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