Tuesday, 17 January 2012
A Counter-Terrorist Named Barbie
twenty-two dolls, (I was the only girl), and I duly baptized them all with
the tap water, (and, I must admit, with holy water), and named them
such late 1950s names as Cynthia, Daphne, MaryRose, Katy-Jane, Kimberley, Karen, Donna, and so on, unless they had names, like Shirley Temple, and my pre-Disney story-book dolls, Snow White, Rose Red, Sleeping Beauty, etc.
Barbie was not my thing. However, Barbie may become the iconic counter-terrorist for this site. Again, according to the keen Robert Spencer, she
Barbie was not my thing. However, Barbie may become the iconic counter-terrorist for this site. Again, according to the keen Robert Spencer, she
has been banned in Tehran. This is at least the second time Barbie has
been made into an infidel doll. I can understand her appeal to very young ladies--the fake American dream of too-perfect figure, blond hair and trendy clothes-- the princess doll syndrome.
However, it is too much that Barbie is again labelled as a symbol of Western decadence. Well, maybe, in a
However, it is too much that Barbie is again labelled as a symbol of Western decadence. Well, maybe, in a
strange way, she is, but I know lovely women in convents, traditional Catholic women, who were not as
counter-cultural at the age of eight as I was, who loved their Barbies. Sigh, the only thing I really wanted for
MaryRose and Karen was the pink vintage Barbie Austin Healey, but my dolls, all baptized and full of doll grace,
would probably have not wanted to be caught dead in a Barbie car....
Daphne was rescued by one of my brothers from a pretend high-rise fire on my dad's recliner by a very large metal firetruck. She rode away perched on top of the ladder as my brother saved her, but that is not quite the same thing as moving in style in a pink vintage Austin Healey. Maybe this is what Tehran fears...women driving sports cars.
Daphne was rescued by one of my brothers from a pretend high-rise fire on my dad's recliner by a very large metal firetruck. She rode away perched on top of the ladder as my brother saved her, but that is not quite the same thing as moving in style in a pink vintage Austin Healey. Maybe this is what Tehran fears...women driving sports cars.