The influence of Barbie on the average woman

You'll hear some women say men only like skinny, blond girls because they've been to their tastes by the Barbie doll and media in general. Usually, the person saying this will not look like a Barbie at all, although they may want to look more like one, deep down in their hearts. Who would blame them? Since they're not genetically born privileged, they get butt hurt about it. Rightfully so. It's simply not something they can change with effort or a lot of health hazards.

But are these Barbie girls really not as beautiful as they're portrayed? Above most other women? My answer is yes, they probably are much more beautiful. Even though it can depend on where in the world you're asking this question, most people will gravitate towards saying good-looking Barbies are at least a "7 out of 10". This is because culture and one's own genetics can influence their preferences, but only by so much.

Using myself as a guinea pig

I got my personal picture uploaded into a "Rate Me" mobile app. Despite being Brazilian, I am arab-looking. Across all three pictures, the lowest grade I've gotten was 5. I am at my ugliest in Europe. Meanwhile, the highest grade I got was 8. My charms seem to be supper effective on women in Canada, China and - duh - Afghanistan.

What they are used to looking at in their own countries in men around there is something similar to one I look like myself. Meanwhile, some Europeans might even immediately label me as a possible immigrant. We all know there is some (arguably understandable) xenophobia going on over there because of all those refugees, so linking the dots between that and my grades is not hard.

From personal experience to an industry's history

But then comes the important part: no one in the world gave me a 10/10 or anything below 5. I am at least average looking through the eyes of all humankind, just like I am also far from perfect. So did Barbie and media outlets really influence men to this extreme? Of course not. There is even historical evidence to back this up. Back in 2012, Mattel tried to expand their Barbie franchise in China, inline to what they had successfully done in most other countries. Unfortunately for them, they've failed[¹] miserably:

Barbie made the mistake of paying too little attention to local consumer tastes. Chinese women tend to like cutesy, girlish pink clothes (think Hello Kitty), not the sexy and skimpy kind Fields designed.

Women are the ones setting trends

Yes, Barbie failed. It did not suit Chinese women's tastes. Despite advertising campaigns and media presence, it simply never grew. There's one more thing to note here, which is even more important than every argument presented before in this article... The sole reason Barbie did not grow in China was because women generally didn't enjoy being barbies.

It was a great hit in the United States because American women did, in fact, personally enjoy that kind of lifestyle. Despite what most people would argue, a beauty standard has to start by mass acceptance. We are then brought back to how women complaining about it most likely means they are frustrated with their own looks.

Saving face and accepting others

Of course, none of this means we have to mansplain these facts. Okay, so they are not comfortable with their own looks. People who have high self-esteem are incredibly rare. If you ever think of doing this, please reconsider, as we all have our own demons. There is no need to be negative towards someone who is already feeling bad about themselves. Instead, either start faking a smile if you must, or preferably, make conversation as you normally would with any other subject.

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Sources: [1], image 1 (LEFT), image 1 (RIGHT), image 2 (LEFT), image 2 (RIGHT), chinese girls on a bench

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