In this episode host Teresa Norton (a confessed Barbie fan who still has her first and only Barbie doll ) is joined by her guest Melissa Chan as they dive into a nostalgic, affectionate and critical examination of the iconic doll.
Teresa's take in her 1990's newspaper column was that Barbie wasn't built to be a role model... she was a fashion model. Designed to get in and out of fabulous outfits. The column is funny... the conversation it opens up in the podcast is more serious.
They talk about the impact of Barbie on childhood and cultural perceptions of beauty, the evolution of representation in toys and media, and the complexities of identity and the importance of diverse role models for today's children.
Melissa shares her unique experience of wanting but not owning a Barbie, and why her parents said "no" to getting her one.
Lack of representation for girls of color during her upbringing in Malaysia and Singapore, contrasts with how her daughter, now 10, is growing up in an era where representation is the norm.
Teresa and Melissa remind us that while Barbie may have shaped their childhoods in different ways, the doll opens up important conversations for parents to have their children about the importance of not letting marketing executives set beauty standards for them.
Thanks to Melissa Chan for sharing her own Barbie story and... to Barbie for continuing to be a catalyst for controversy!
#teresanorton #theviewfromabroadpodcast #hongkong #portugal #humor #journal #truestories #changingworld #selfreflection #socialnorms #growth
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