Century of the Living Dolls

By Susuana Antubam

The Stepford Wives is a satirical thriller novel written by Ira Levin in 1972 and was made into a popular science fiction–thriller film 3 years later. The film in short: A woman, her husband and kids move to creepy town where all the women come across as creepy living barbies. The woman in therefore she spends most of the film trying to get to the bottom of this. It's a film where gender conventions and discrimination are very explicit.For those that haven’t watched either version here's the trailer for the original http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zUWOeNfa6Y

And here's the trailer to remake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3HASgMS7w0

In an era where we are noticing the backwards movement of women's rights, barbie has to stick her stupid plastic foot in it again. But now the barbie culture has gone beyond blonde hair, super thinness and pink high heels with matching lipstick. I'm not even really directing this at surgical procedures with the silly prices and quality range along with porn culture and photoshop glamour and on a rise with their best-friend capitalism … the 21^st century barbie culture is allowed breed. For example: the designer vagina trend.  Meh, I do have my own personal thought on all these things however I also believe at the end of the day what you choose wear is your choice.

The barbie culture I'm talking about is to do with women acting like … actual... plastic dolls... and not just for fancy dress.

The popular female rapper Nicki Minj who casually calls herself Barbie is also known for her extensive plastic surgery and plastic beauty appearance. But why would you call your self a doll and mould your image round one? 0.o Well I guess she thinks she pretty, that men and women want her, and women want to be her and she can become successful from that. Apparently “shes fighting for girls that thought that they could never win”. Really? How do you think your doing that Onika Tanya Maraj? By showing them if they change everything about them to appeal to the system but think like a man?

*clears thoat* Anyway, I was going to just over look her exisistance like I do with most people that annoy me but then I saw her latest video with David Guetta. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVw7eJ0vGfM This song and video is all about man-made women. Choice doesnt seem to come into it. The first time I watched this I was saying t my self: please someone turn around say this is a joke. As a media production student I take the representation of women in the arts to heart. I felt a tad better and like I wasnt alone in this way of thinking after I watched this amazing spoken word performace by Jasmine Mans called "Nicki Minaj" which address these issues.

Take from this post what you will, but if you haven't realised by now, I think this barbie culture is stupid. And I personally don't find the term "doll" a term of endearment. I think it suggests that the person looks like a doll, what people need to remember is that dolls a plastic versions of humans and not the other way round.