Growing up, my sister had a couple of Barbie dolls and a Ken doll. I never played with them because I did not want to blow my cover as a "normal" boy. Even home alone, I did not dress up her Barbie's; I preferred to dress up myself ― why waste the opportunity dressing a doll!
I will admit that one time I dressed Ken in one of Barbie's outfits. The transition was not very satisfactory. Sans makeup, Ken looked like a guy in a dress. Even borrowing one of Barbie's wigs did not help.
I did not own any G.I. Joe dolls because Joe came out after I outgrew toys. And even if I was young enough, I am not so sure I would want a G.I. Joe doll ― it was still a "doll" and only girls played with dolls and I did not want to blow my cover and yadda, yadda, yadda.
Times have changed. Boys have been playing with G.I. Joe dolls for a couple of generations.
I think that G.I. Joe was a gateway toy. It made it OK for boys to play with dolls, so I am sure that some boys have been playing with Barbie dolls for a couple of generations, too.
As they say, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander." So along comes a new Moschoni Barbie commercial that includes a boy playing with a Barbie doll.
"Moschino Barbie is so fierce," remarks the little lad as he daintily holds the chain of a Moschino Barbie purse between his thumb and index finger.
All I can say is, "Wow! You go, gurl!"
 |
| Wearing Tory Burch. |
 |
| Steve admires his femulation in a 2015 episode of television's American Dad. |
I do not remember wanting Barbie, never had one. My doll was Baby Kris. I had her for a long time, from three or four to ?, probably to much older than I was "supposed" to have her. You could give her a bottle, then change her. My mom sewed a lot, made lots of clothes. I really took to that. She helped me make a couple of dresses for Kris. Maybe I was six. I loved being with my mom doing those projects. Of course I also loved building toys like Lincoln Logs. I made houses for Kris. So I ended up being an engineer.
ReplyDeleteI was the same way. I wanted to play with my sister's barbie dolls so bad. But I acted like I did not care, so as to not blow my cover. A few time slip up and hide while playing with them.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 issues with this:
ReplyDelete1. They just had to give the boy a stereotypical lispy gay voice with crazy fashion hair. How about you simply market it to any boy. I've heard stories of heterosexual men that had barbies because they liked playing GI Joe and wanted him to have a girlfriend
2. These dolls cost $150.. for a BARBIE! I'm sure it has a lot to do with the Moschini brand, but seriously? This is how you come out of the gate to support open toy choices? By making it not affordable by most parents. I can just see the conversations now "Dad, I want a barbie". "What?! $150, hell no! You're not getting a barbie period, especially one that costs $150!"
I had no sisters and my father was a career Army sergeant. Asking for a doll would have been asking for military school. I was so afraid of that military school I wouldn't even chance playing Barbies with neighborhood girls even though I wanted to.
ReplyDeleteI never had any Barbie gear as a child, but did play with a box of dolls handed down from when my mother was a child. I learned what little I know about sewing making clothes for some of them. I also had G.I.Joes -- lots and lots of the dolls, outfits and equipment. There may be a deep subconscious connection, but I don't associate playing with dolls, or not, with my current gender leanings at all -- it feels like an entirely separate aspect of my childhood.
ReplyDeleteWhatever the price, though, that Moschino Barbie outfit is HOT! Especially the shoes! No doubt the full sized version is even farther beyond my budget than the Barbie set!
Did anybody notice, though, that Barbie's mobile phone in the commercial looks like a 1993 model? :-)
Err…are G.I. Joe "dolls" even considered dolls at all? I thought they're action figures?😅Anyway, I did play with lots of G.l. Joe and other action figures (like Star Wars action figures) but they did not affect my proclivity for dressing in female clothes one way or the other. I did try to put "skirts" (made of paper, can't sew for nuts) on my action figures, though!😁
ReplyDeleteBoys started playing with dolls when they were renamed as "Action Figures".
ReplyDelete-Barbra Anne
Any idea the artists name that created the imsge?
ReplyDelete