Date: Tue, 08 Dec 1998 14:13:25 -0500
From: Edward Maloney <emaloney-AT-pop.service.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: Re: Barbie and colonialism


Sorry for jumping in in the middle of a conversation, but are you saying
the name of the doll is actually "Feral Cheryl"?!?  And that this doll is
supposed to be a culturally diverse alternative to Barbie?  And for whom?

Eddie Maloney
Ohio State University

At 01:07 PM 12/8/1998 -0500, you wrote:
>I have seen a Kenyan Barbie that has very non-white features and is quite
>dark. It's also worth looking at Feral Cheryl, if you're interested in
>this topic, an Australian doll specifically designed to be an alternative
>to Barbie.
>
>Judith Tabron
>Brandeis University
>
>On Tue, 8 Dec 1998, Rachel Apelt wrote:
>
>> Dear SM,
>> 
>> Have you seen the concessions made by Barbie's makers to race and
>> ethnicity?...they are worth a look for the laugh.  My favourite is "Ethnic
>> Barbie" who appears with a mishmash of cultural accoutrements and looks
>> like a dreadful colonialist anthropologist after a few too many field
>> trips.  Even when Barbie goes "ethnic" her skin colour goes no darker than
>> the colour of milky coffee and her eyes are still wide and round....hmmm.
>> 
>> Rachel A
>> 
>> >Dear All,
>> >
>> >Body images (norms) should be included in the discussion of the
constructed
>> >equation of white/beauty and neocolonialism (anyone see that POV film on
>> >Barbie and breast cancer?).  Also, think about the export of "Barbie"
in this
>> >context.  Here is a very interesting development in the Arab world---an
>> >alternative to "Barbie"--wonder how much this is going on elsewhere.   sn
>> >
>> >_______________________________________________________________
>> >>
>> >>  F r e e d o m * Linking Palestinians & Their Friends * help-AT-alquds.net
>> >> ________________________________________________________________________
>> >>
>> >> Leila wants to replace Barbie in hearts of Arab girls
>> >>
>> >> Copyright 1998 by Agence France-Presse
>> >> Fri, 4 Dec 1998 9:05:34 PST
>> >>
>> >>    CAIRO, Dec 4 (AFP) - If the Arab League gets its way, little Arab
>> >girls will be playing with a dark-eyed doll called Leila and tossing aside
>> >their
>> >blonde Barbies, which allegedly cause them to suffer from inferiority
>> >complexes.
>> >>
>> >>    "We must make dolls that have dark skin, eyes and hair and
>> >> non-religious Arab names like Leila or Amira," the head of the
>> >> children's department at the Arab League, Abla Ibrahim, told AFP.
>> >>
>> >>    "Arab little girls would play with this doll rather than with western
>> >dolls which provoke inferiority complexes," she said.   Ibrahim's dream
doll
>> >would have a closet full of modern clothes and national costumes
representing
>> >the different countries of the 22-member Arab League.
>> >>
>> >>    An Arab doll could be sold as part of a package that would
>> >> include her mother, father, grandparents and brother and her
>> >> favourite pet.
>> >>
>> >>    "The package could even include a book collection of popular Arab
>> >stories," she said. >
>> >>    "It is a shame that no such doll exists."  >
>> >>    "There are 60 million Arab little girls out there who share the same
>> >> language, culture and history," she said, and all they have to play with
>> >are Barbie dolls or the chadored Sarah dolls from Iran.
>> >>
>> >>    Ibrahim prepared a study for the Arab League to mark Arab child
day on
>> >> December 7 in which she deplored the lack of Arab-made toys and games
for
>> >> children of the region.
>> >>
>> >>    "Arab children are surrounded by Western toys that provide them with
>> >Western concepts that contradict the values of Arab society," Ibrahim
said.
>> >>
>> >>    "The Arab market is very promising and the production of toys is an
>> >> appropriate industry for developing countries because it generates a
>> >large number of jobs," she said.
>> >>
>> >>    Ibrahim cited Egypt as an example, saying that a country with a
>> >population of 65 million inhabitants "imports 95 percent of its toys
because
>> >there
>> >are only five toy factories nationwide."
>> >>
>> >>    "On the other hand there are 30 toy factories in Israel," said
>> >Ibrahim, who is also the founder of an Egyptian association on the
rights of
>> >children
>> >to play.
>> >>
>> >>    In her report, Ibrahim suggested Arab governments encourage
>> >> investment in toy factories by reducing customs duties on raw
>> >> materials and draft legislation setting guidelines for imported toys.
>> >>
>> >>    Arab consumption of toys represents merely six percent of
>> >> worldwide consumption, the report said, citing figures obtained from the
>> >> Internet.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >     --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>      --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
>> 
>
>
>
>     --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
>
>


     --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---