Newsflash: Barbie isn't perfect.
I know you thought she was, what with those improbable dimensions, the long, golden locks, her plastic-smooth skin, that Malibu Dream House.
But, she's not. That's what I learned last week, when I was invited to sit on a television panel to talk about Barbie's ankles. It seems French shoe designer Christian Louboutin told Women’s Wear Daily magazine that Barbie's ankles were too "fat" to wear his shoes.
Louboutin, who is designing three special edition Barbies, is reshaping her gams (slimming her ankles) in order to wear his shoes. Mattel, Barbie's maker, reports that the Louboutin controversy (known in the media as "Barbie Has Cankles!") is simply a misunderstanding: "My dear friend, Christian loves my ankles. It was my arch that he wanted to give a little lift to, so I can rock those high heels."
But, you see, one of the wonderful perks about being a shoe designer is that you actually design shoes! So, instead of molding her (fake) foot to fit the (fake) shoe, why not do it the other way around? You'd send the message that we don't have to contort our bodies to find fashion, and you'd keep this Louboutin lover around.
About Me
- drstaceyny
- I'm here to write a book about eating disorders. My contention is that every woman has an eating disorder-- not necessarily anorexia or bulimia per se, but a fixation on food/ weight/shape that is unhealthy, unwanted, and undying. This is a forum in which I present some of my ideas (from the media/ personal stories/ experiences) that, with a touch of editing, will magically gel into said book. I'm most curious about your reactions and personal experiences. Oh, and for what it's worth, I'm a clinical psychologist. Please heed this disclaimer, though, and do not substitute material on this site for actual consultation w/a mental health professional. The information in this blog is not meant as a specific treatment recommendation or personal communication with any individual.
The name of this blog/book should be:
This blogging community is helpful to me toward developing a healthier relationship with food and my body.
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EWHAED Book Club (I've read 'em all--you should, too!)
Crowd Favorites (aka EWHAED Cliff Notes)
5 comments:
Perhaps this speaks to the fashion industry as a whole?
Instead of designing their stuff to fit people, they design as they please, and you better fit into it, or reshape yourself so you do. I mean, it is pretty easy to reshape a plastic doll..but unfortunately people are not so malleable.
This explains so much. Seriously.
Boy, I feel so much better about myself knowing that even Barbie can't be an icon of feminine perfection /sarcasm. Good grief, between Uncle Karl and Louboutin, the fashion industry is a sad state of affairs.
I guess it doesn't matter if he re shapes her ankles, since they were never strong enough to support her frame anyway.
It saddens and infuriates me that any person would spend enough time on Barbie to decide that she has cankles. This is ridiculous when considering all of the things that time would have been better spent doing. Louboutin (and the fashion industry as a whole) should be ashamed.
I heard about this, and if I had the money to buy M. Louboutin's shoes, I'd make a point to boycott them.
Women are now getting plastic surgery on their feet in order to wear these designer shoes. They're getting bones shaved! What's next? We re-instate foot binding?
I agree with M: clothes (and shoes) should be made to fit the person, not the other way around.
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