Barbie Fucks It Up Again

Disappointing book and disappointing voting that saw both submissions of this post buried so quickly - this one was on the front page #30 when I got up for a stretch and buried among weekend posts at #147 when I got back.

I expect this sort of thing is hard for lots of people - those without kids - to empathize with. I doubt I spent much time thinking about such things prior to having a child.

Now though, it has become really clear to me how common stereotypes about gender, race and the like are among things aimed at children.

It's not that this one book is going to ruin someone or that any of the silliness it presents is so awful or dangerous.

It's that those ideas are pervasive, that even if you're filtering what you provide directly to your kids they're still indirectly affected by it - an ever present cloud of nudges and judgments about everything from choice of colors, toys, aspirations and even now how to use computer.

It's ridiculous and wasteful.

Great article, the book is face-palming-with-a-log-of-wood-stupid. Groan.

This is certainly frustrating. I can't believe how close the author got to providing some positive reinforcement before missing the point entirely.

Completely worth the time to read. Thank you.