Plus-Size Barbie Sparks Online Debate over Body Image
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Bill Fehr(NEW YORK) — Should toymakers abandon Barbie’s pencil-thin physique for a double chin?
That question, posted to the Plus-Size-Modeling.com Facebook page, has created a social media firestorm with people weighing in on female body image.
The photo of a fuller Barbie with the words “Should toy companies start making Plus Sized Barbie dolls?” was posted to Plus-Size-Models’ Facebook page earlier this month, and now has over 40,000 likes.
But not everyone is a fan.
“Imo this is horrible,” wrote one Facebook commenter. “Maybe make her a little fuller, but in no way promote obesity. Triple chins?? Really?? I’m a curvy girl, but come on this is ridiculous.”
The plus-size rendering of the doll was a submission for Worth 1000′s “Feeding Time 9″ competition, where artists digitally alter celebrities to make them larger. The photo, submitted by a user named bakalia, took first place in 2011 beating out works including a photoshopped obese Lindsay Lohan dubbed “Chubby Lindsay” and “Jennifat,” depicting a larger Jennifer Aniston.
This isn’t the first time Barbie’s gotten a virtual makeover. In June, artist Nickolay Lamm created “Normal Barbie” based off measurements of the average 19-year-old girl.
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