Our Barbies, Ourselves: Emily Prager’s

Why does Prager say that “suddenly a lot of things made sense” when she discovered that Barbie was designed by a man? Is she referring here only to Barbie’s looks?

Emily had doubts whether the Barbie Doll could have been designed by a woman. Barbie’s body – by proportion, a 23-inch waistline and 39-inch bust line – is unrealistic, and no woman could have this body. She notes millions of women facing eating disorders after trying to achieve bodies sexy as Barbie’s.

Hence, she found sense that a man could have designed Barbie. Men are often blamed by feminists for their double standards against women. As part of , women are defined by their sexuality and beauty, while men are not.

Thus, Barbie was designed as someone epitomized to have the perfect, sexual body. 2. Are we supposed to believe the claims that Prager makes in paragraph 4? What is the point she is trying to make? Paragraph four states: I don’t mean to step on anyone’s toes here. I loved my Barbie. Secretly, I still believe that neon pink and turquoise blue are the only colors in which to decorate a duplex condo. And like many others of my generation, I’ve never married, simply because I cannot find a man who looks as good in clam diggers as Ken.

Ms. Prager emphasizes that, just like most of girls, she loved her Barbie dolls. The miniature houses coming with those dolls were in pink and turquoise. She remembered her fantasies as a child playing with Barbies, and meeting the man of her dreams, someone as perfect as Ken. The point Ms. Prager is trying make is that just like all other women she was enamored with Barbie dolls as a kid. She clarifies she’s not trying to confront with Barbie fans as she was a fan herself. 3. What is Prager’s DEFINITION of a feminist in this essay?

Where do you find this definition? According to Ms. Prager, Barbie came about simultaneously with her consciousness of the feminist movement. She defines feminist in her essays as women seeking equality with men. Women, many feminists have complained, are treated by men as sexual objects, or objects themselves. They are just the object of men’s desires. With the Barbie doll, who has the perfect figure, women end up wasting a lifetime trying to achieve a perfect figure, to no avail. 4. What is Prager’s Thesis. Ms.

Prager’s thesis is to eliminate our double standards in gender. She asserts that women should not be devalued, oppressed, and or treated as mere objects. She cites, among other things, Ken’s genitals being concealed while Barbie’s exposed to the fullest. She adds women are required to achieve a perfect figure, while men are not. She insists women should be treated like men in the real world, i. e. defined by their education, their work, or how they help society. The same standards for men and women should be set.