Ashley Graham is a Doll
Over the course of pursuit for a still fight equality for women, the longtime symbol for femininity for girls, Barbie, has been socially adjustable for female norms. No longer is Barbie a cliché of what women are forced to see ourselves in the eyes of male gaze as in a of a straight size misogynistic body type anymore. Barbie has curves in average height and size. Recently, for example ballet principal dancer, Misty Copeland gave black girls everywhere who has always been lacking in representation to give what a black woman can achieve and look like.
Mermaid thighs or thighs that touch are unrepresented not even Barbie has showed what many girls and women look like. 67 percent of women make up the population of plus-size who aren't' represented in the media. That is until recently of Ashley Graham who now has a Barbie made in her honor. And since she's broken barriers on magazine covers and runways, Ashley did what comes natural to her and broke body norms for Barbies too. The new Ashley Graham Barbie has mermaid, no, real thighs that touch. (Mermaids as of yet are not real thighs are real and in any form.) If Barbie can be a doctor, teacher or a Olympian and represent a girl can be anything than she can be in ANY size, too. Barbie has been symbolic for a woman can have it all and look beautiful. However Barbie can affect body image for young girls. "She had to have her thighs touch," Ashley said about the doll made in her honor. "No ands, ifs or buts about it. And I asked for cellulite but obviously plastic and cellulite don't go hand in hand," she continued. "It was important that the Barbie resembled me as much as possible. The thighs touching was one way to show young girls that it's OK for your thighs to touch, despite society saying that a 'thigh gap' is more beautiful." Barbie has had a body problem giving girls unrealistic standards. The idea of seeing women of all different body types helps everyone realize that there's no single definition of beautiful. But Ashley's Barbie is proof that it's true. Mattel approached Ashley after she told Access Hollywood she was excited about the curvy Barbies the company debuted this year.
If more major corporations and advertisers hear messages that girls and women want to see themselves reflected in photos and on television, maybe they'll listen like Mattel did. It takes one person or corporation to make a difference.
Advice of the Day:
“It's OK for your thighs to touch, despite society saying that a 'thigh gap' is more beautiful.”-Ashley Graham
