Barbie: An Unachievable Fairytale

Since I was a child, I loved playing with Barbies; there was just something about her that had me convinced that she was perfect. With such a doll, I could create an ideal world and society that was perfect to me. Barbie deserved her own "Once Upon a Time" story. Everyone loved Barbie; she had it all: a boyfriend, an elite circle of friends, and her own dream house.

However, there's been a recent debate about the unrealistic body expectations and standards set by the Barbie doll. In fact, Barbie is so unrealistic that if she were a human women "her breasts [would be] so out of proportion to the rest of her body that... she'd fall flat on her face" (Prager 353). Additional research has shown that if Barbie was an actual woman, she'd be unable to walk without being on all fours and would only have half a liver and a couple inches of intestine. Barbie can be compared to pink elephants: she just isn't natural in any way. For young girls growing up, the idea of Barbie may seem like an ideal that needs to be achieved. The doll creates unrealistic expectations that girls are exposed to at a young age.

Barbie's How to Lose Weight Book which gave advice like "Don't Eat!"
It also consisted of a scale permanently set to 110 pounds.

Furthermore, Prager acknowledges the sexualization of women is ongoing by claiming that "twenty-five years later, movies and videos are still filled with topless women and covered men" (Prager 355). The sexualization of women is evident today everywhere. With magazine covers or posters that would scandalize Jesus himself, the female body is seen as a desirable object. For example, the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show which showcases the bodies of countless women (of course all of them near naked) is a fun flaunting of the female body that 99% of the female population cannot even dream about. The average American women wears a size 12, yet the average model wears a size 6 or less. With such blatant sexualization of the ideal female body, is it not evident why an unrealistic standard would be set for women?

These ridiculous standard may have a more severe effect on women, but it is not to be said that there is no pressure on males. With all the focus on the scandalous Barbie, the boys' side of the story is concealed. Though women are compelled by the pressure to have the perfect, boys are also pressured with unrealistic expectations. The sexualization of women and their unrealistic ideals may be more severe than those pushed onto men, but the ideal image of a man also exists within children's toys. The sexualization of children's toys although more evident in female characters, also exists with toys designed for boys.

Although Barbie is taking a hard hit with the rise of feminism and society's rhetoric, she still holds a special meaning to me. Growing up, my favorite Barbie was not the prettiest or the fanciest Barbie: it was the Barbie that set a path for herself. This Barbie was equipped with bendable elbows, deviating from the stiffness that Barbies usually had and she became all the more alive to me. She also was a mother; as she came with a little baby figurine. Being a single mother with no Ken doll in sight, she represented female empowerment and the fact that happily ever after didn't require a man.

As a child, I never really paid attention to the fact that Barbie was tall and skinny, or that she was blond with blue eyes. She was just someone that I had fun with and made memories with; Barbie was my constant companion as a child and a doll that brought my imagination and creativity to life.

As much as I want to hate Barbie for the unrealistic body standards and sexualization of females she represented and encouraged, to me she was just the doll that I loved and that kept me company in my faraway childhood.

Living in the Past, Present, and Future

In Maus, Vladek Speigelman lives in the past, unable to move past those that have died and the traumatic experiences he went through. Vladek keeps a lot of the habits that he maintained in the past such as his thriftiness and reluctance to throw away things that could have potential value in the future. While talking to Art he says "I'm tired from talking, Richieu," calling Art by the name of his dead brother. Vladek is so engulfed in the past that he mixes the two together, often living in the past instead of the present.

As Vladek lives in the past, he neglects to pay attention to things going on in the present. He is constantly haunted by his past experiences and trauma and lives his life based upon his experience in the Holocaust. He is firm and unchanging like the past, and cannot change to adapt to his present surroundings. The past consumes him and eats at him slowly, causing him to lose meaning in the present and the future. The past for Vladek is a parasite that he cannot get rid of, but for others it may be a springboard to propel them forward. While we should not live in the past like Vladek, it's beneficial to take lessons and learn from the past. While looking at the past, we can learn from our past mistakes and failures. 

As for those who live in the present, they often fail to look back upon the past or look ahead to the future. Those who are so consumed with living their fullest in the present often neglect past learnings and potential future consequences. When people claim that they only live once, I say to them, you better not screw it up then. People that are only focused on their happiness and contentment in the current moment forget that all actions have consequences that must be lived out. They also forget that people may have to suffer for a short while before experiencing greater happiness.

And for those living solely for the future, they often forget the happiness and joy that life contains. You should enjoy life, and not slave away for material goods or success. Life is like a journey; if you stay focused on your destination, you often don't notice the sights on the way there. Although preparing for the future is essential, "the journey of life is not meant to be feared and planned; it is meant to be travelled and enjoyed."

So I say to you: remember the past, enjoy the present, and dream of the future. 

Maus: Open Your Eyes

Reading Maus is honestly an intriguing and mind-opening experience. The true events of the Holocaust terrify me at times, yet Vladek's story draws me in despite the horrors intermittently woven into its pages. Spiegelman crafts his father's story using comics to lace deeper meanings throughout. 

One example is the moment when Vladek and Anja leave the bunker in which they were hiding for days. They leave after days of hunger and terror inside the bunker. Many of their companions in the bunker have been shot and others are killed after they leave. In the left picture, the landscape is barren and lonely, symbolizing the deaths of all of the family members and the loneliness of the surviving members. The surroundings are clothed in black shadows, symbolizing the funerals of the dead family and friends and the bleakness of their situation. 

Furthermore, the road that Vladek and Anja are walking on is a crosswalk, but at the same time it is also in the shape of a swastika. In this scene Vladek claims that " [they] had no where to go". Wherever they went, they would still be found by the Nazi soldiers. In the drawing, the swastika stretches endlessly in the horizon like the legs of a spider, and Vladek and Anja are unable to escape its grasp.

Another depiction that I found interesting was Speigelman's reaction to the success of the first volume of Maus. He is shown to be working on top of the corpses of those lost in the Holocaust. For him, it must feel as if his success was built on the lives of the many Jewish citizens that were killed. By writing about the lives of the Jewish that were killed, he rose to fame and success. The flies buzzing by his ears are a constant reminder of his success and the rotting bodies underneath him. The mouse mask that he wears shows that although he tries to be a mouse, he can never experience what his father and the other Jews went through during the Holocaust. Additionally, in the upper right corner, a guardhouse surrounded by barbed wire is shown. For Speigelman, the fame and pressure put upon him by the success of the first volume of Maus must seem suffocating. The public eye seems to be constantly watching him and observing his actions, making his daily life seem like a prison. 

What Is Water?

While reading This Is Water, I agreed with Wallace's ideology and viewpoint; it just made sense and fit well logically. It's "my natural default setting ... that situations like this are really all about me." While reading this, the mention of water really appealed to me. If we think about life as surrounded by water, it seems so easy to see other people since water is transparent. However, water also has another use: a mirror. When we look into the water, all we end up seeing is ourselves instead of the others that we should be noticing. Something that seems so logical and simple is instead hard for people to do. 

As much as I try to think about others first and put myself after, I grow wary of the fact that while other people use me to better their own lives, I end up missing the opportunities that life presents to me. It seems easy to accept the fact that I am not the center of the universe, yet in my daily life I almost always think of myself first. But then again I think, it is really wrong to think of myself first? If I don't prioritize myself, then who will? If almost everyone wishes the best for themselves, then who will support me? Is it wrong to be the main character of my own story? Should I instead be the supporting character in someone else's story?

While I should be considerate of others, I don't think I should totally sacrifice myself for the sake of others. As a person, I still have my own dreams and my own character. When I can, I should be considerate of others and helpful to their dreams, but I don't believe that I should completely donate my body and my life to the service of other people. 

While I wholly agree with David Foster Wallace's point that the consideration of others is essential, I still believe that, I myself,  as my own person, should not be required to throw away my own individuality and life to sacrifice for the wellbeing of others. 

Taking Action: America Needs to Step It Up

Throughout Thoreau's piece, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Thoreau claims that the people and citizens of America must take action to accomplish what they want to happen. Thoreau imparts that it is the duty of a good citizen to be skeptical of the government and to take action when there are injustices present. He states that "if [the injustice of the government] is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine" (Thoreau 1022). 

This may seem hard to apply in the present day, but it is evident in everyday life. Acting upon thoughts is not only a political matter, it can be applied to daily life. Just walking down the hallway in school, I sometimes notice pieces of scrap paper or trash scattered in the hallway and people just passing by, ignoring the mess. At those times, I just think about how someone should really clean that up, but I rarely act upon my thoughts. Maybe it is due to laziness, or the instinct to not stick out from a sea of people, but the lack of action from the majority of people is disconcerting because as a majority, we should be working together to improve society.

Thoreau's philosophy is especially important now. With the upcoming election, the people's voices and viewpoints can actually be heard. It is important that people vote in the approaching election so they can act upon their viewpoints and thoughts. While many people complain that they dislike both candidates and thus will not vote, I find it ironic that they are complaining about politics or the actions of the government. As a citizen, we have to right to vote and to speak our minds. When you disagree with the majority opinion, it is up to you, as a citizen, to foster change and development. If you disagree with a viewpoint, why not start a protest? If you dislike both candidates, why not vote for another candidate from a smaller party instead? Or even run for candidacy yourself?

It is precisely the inactivity and lack of responsibility of the American citizens that has led to our current situation today; the majority is aware of the inadequacies of both candidates and needs to acknowledge that only with action, is any change possible.