Mixed Messages

"She's one of my best friends.
She believes in me.
She has awesome style.
She inspires me.
Together we can dream big.
We can go to the moon, dance with the royal ballet,
nurse a puppy back to health, open a bakery, teach the next generation.
She shows me that I can be anything. And that's everything."

This beautiful message almost brought tears to my eyes.

And then I realized it was a commercial for Barbie. Go ahead, watch it.

I have mixed feelings about this ad. On the one hand, I feel like girls should be saying that about their own mothers, friends, or heroes. Barbie shouldn't be replacing actual people as inspiration. Girls should seek encouragement from within their home and family, right? But on the other hand, what if they don't have a good role model in their home or life? Do we leave it up to Barbie to fill in the gap? A plastic doll? Hold that thought.

Apparently Barbie has 125 careers and counting. Have you heard about her latest adventure?

Meet tokidoki Barbie, complete with pink hair, an off-the-shoulder top, super-mini skirt, too-tall stilettos, a cactus dog named "Bastardino," and an anorexic figure slathered in tattoos -- some of which you can only see if she's undressed. What kind of message is Barbie sending now?

Apparently she's being marketed as a "collector's doll" and won't be found in toy stores. But no matter what Mattel may claim, a Barbie is a Barbie -- little girls can't tell the difference between a "girls'" Barbie and "collector's" Barbie. Since she is so "inspiring" and has "awesome style," I fear some girls will see this Barbie as acceptable, or worse, someone she wants to be.

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy Barbies. Let's just make sure our girls are getting the right messages from the right sources. A doll shouldn't be the positive role model in a girl's life. You can be her best friend that believes in her, the one that inspires her to dream big. You can be the one that shows her that she can be anything. And that's everything.