December 19, 2005
From the desk of Jane Galt:Crimes of passion
Like many spirited young girls, I chewed the legs off my Ballerina Barbie. I had no idea, however, that such violence was epidemic, much less that it was so dangerous to society.
Posted by Jane Galt at December 19, 2005 3:54 PM | TrackBack | Technorati inbound linksWell, I suppose it's a good thing for all of us that Jane didn't grow up to be a ballerina. Is there an "Economics Journalist Barbie"?
Not to nitpick (well, yes, to nitpick), but I see no evidence provided in the Hit & Run item that chewing the legs off of (or doing any of the listed nasties to) a Barbie doll is "dangerous to society." Assorted US Senators make the dubious claim that video game violence causes harm; conversely, the researchers quoted in the article cited on Hit & Run "concluded that, while adults may find a child's delight in breaking, mutilating and torturing their dolls to be disturbing, from the child's point of view they were simply being imaginative in disposing of an excessive commodity, in the same way as one might crush cans for recycling."
I used to strap firecrakers to my old GI Joes and pretend they were casualties in an ambush. Coolest thing in the world, especially when arms and legs went everywhere. Funny how just about every guy I know did this as a child, and most of us are considered normal. Perhaps certain violent quirks are just part of the maturing process, and doesnt really meen anything in future development. Now had we been strapping M-80's to toads, well that would have ben mimicking my Dad's gerneration, and we know how screwed up all those beatnik Baby-Boomers are.
My Barbies just had sex with each other which is why, I suppose, I grew up to be socially liberal.
Kate, are you suggesting that other kids Barbies _didn't_ have sex with each other?
I think I'll share Disturbing childhood memory # 457 :
In an early 60's version of childcare I went through (I'll spare you the gruesomer details), Barbies were a co-ed toy. That is, boys didn't play with them on their own, but they were somtimes the main props when boys and girls played together. This 'play' as I recall consisted almost entirely in undressing the whole Barbie community (with Midge and Ken and whatsisname) followed by group sex interactions (as far as Ken's shortcoming allowed) and cross dressing.
You're oh so welcome.
Once, when I was a child, (when nobody was looking), I pulled the pants down on my sister's Barbie. I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I noticed there was no plumbing.
Oh, hell. I knew that there was another question I should be asking the women I date.
I'm a little worried about that "microwaving" deal.
And "decapitation".
Comments are Closed.