Barbies

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Institution
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Gender Performance
Barbie Culture as explained by Rogers portrays Barbie’s feminist role in the society as intriguing. At their teenage years, young adults’ females start to question their female credibility starting to enhance their attractiveness and draw attention from boys. According to Rodgers, the pressure felt by female teenagers to prioritize dating boys and increasingly focus on their body figure, hair styles, and fashion style. Barbie embodies all these gender significances highlighted on the focus of female teenagers (Rogers, p.g. 128).
Barbie doll even exaggerates this feminine aspect by costumes depicting Barbie in places like the shopping mall, aerobics class, and school dance. Rogers finds the Irony when Barbie is depicted to find a way out of the uncertain outcome of these activities. Barbie has no invested commitment in her relationship with Ken, who on the contrary does not dominate her attention a bringing attention to a rather confusing situation. Barbie displays a level of independence that is not common among the general principles on mainstream femininity. The idea that she is single with no child puts her in an abnormal expression of femininity. The fact that does neither a husband nor a child exposes Barbie to conflicting, multiple interpretations. Leaving Barbie open to these conflicting opinions enlarge her range of consumption by lovers of Barbie (Rogers, p.g. 128).
Rogers views Barbie’s open field of meaning cannot even justify Barbie’s sexual orientation questioning whether Barbie is heterosexual or if she is even a woman.

According to Rogers, Barbie can as well be a drag queen. She may be the image drag queens seek to personify in their ultra-feminine acts. Barbie’s physical attributes, her flat hips and long legs coupled with her wardrobe made up of high heels, evening gowns, sparkling tiaras, and makeup openly suggests that any sexual orientation could be a possibility. Barbie has an incredible appeal among gays. Barbie’s far-reaching space raises concern on the gay-themed personality that appears to be presentable in Barbie’s role. Barbie’s world of space is relatively free of all the heterosexist discussions and therefore attracts appeal from individuals who are not heterosexual, majorly gay men.
According to Rogers, lesbians who are inclined towards feminism and society’s expectation of gender performance may reject some of ideas or aspect in Barbie’s world. Bisexuals may also find Barbie’s monosexuality unappealing. Barbie’s sexual identity is not really that clear and that her general embrace by the world revolves around these ambiguities. As an icon among drag queens, Barbie depicts femininity as a manufactured reality revolving around clothes, shopping bags, and props. For all that has been said, Barbie can be in a group of drag queens as a feminine character; she can as well represent nonheterosexual femininity. In the extreme, Barbie can be a lesbian fem (Rogers, p.g. 129).
Barbie doll has received a lot of contradicting opinions about what is portrayed by the doll. An ideal Barbie doll would utmost create a genuine presentation of gender performance with regardless of sexual orientation. A female Barbie doll that represents the cultural responsibilities and society’s expectations of a heterosexual female adult would be helpful in solving Barbie’s ambiguity. A feminine Barbie would understand the core aspects of gender responsibilities in a heterosexual world. Gender performance in a traditional set up of homes would see baby Barbies put more importance on essential aspects of life such as education with books as accessories and baby dolls depicting the future roles of Graduate Barbie as a wife or just as a mother. Barbie as a graduate would seek to date men at their pace making their choices without being subdued by the pressure to sacrifice their personality in a bid to impress men. Accessories to a wife Barbie doll would include children each sleeping at night and waking up to breakfast prepared by graduate Barbie. At this point, Barbie plays her role as an accomplished heterosexual female building a home and bringing up a family while at the same time a fully accomplished educated wife and a mother. Barbie’s role could be simulated in other sexual oriented relationships including gays and lesbians. Barbie could develop clearly defined roles and expectation of heterosexual, gay and lesbian relationships.
Work Cited
Rogers, Mary F. Barbie Culture. London: SAGE Publications, 1999. Print.