Month: May 2013

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Barbie Has a Problem: Moving Past Gender Stereotypes

By Andrew Kenealy

In keeping with the lighthearted spirit of Green Key Weekend at Dartmouth College, this World Outlook blog post will detail the recent adventures harmless international enemy of the public: Barbie.  However, even something as seemingly innocuous as Barbie can create controversy and public discontent, as evidenced by the topless woman burning a Barbie doll on a cross below.  Barbie may not be so harmless as she appears.  Indeed, it is often Barbie’s appearance that critics find problematic.

Protestors outside Barbie Dreamhouse, Berlin.

http://static2.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1346365.1368742006!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/index_635_390/390-barbie-0516.jpg


A “Barbie Dreamhouse” has recently been constructed in Berlin, Germany, and it serves as a tourist attraction designed to promote the Barbie franchise. Parents and their young daughters can explore a full toy kitchen, bake virtual cupcakes, rummage around Barbie’s closets, and even pretend to be rock stars. The dream house is merely temporary, and will be deconstructed after several months to be moved to another city in Europe.


Unfortunately for the Barbie Franchise, not everybody has warmly received the pink princess palace in Berlin. As seen in the image above, the Dreamhouse has elicited an enormous public outcry against Barbie and the image that the blonde, blue-eyed, anorexic-looking doll endorses.  Indeed, Barbie has been harshly criticized in recent decades for reinforcing gender-stereotypes, prioritizing good looks over intelligence, and encouraging typically domestic activities such as shopping, baking, and cleaning.

The 21st century has been a time during which gender roles, and the extent to which gender specific toys can influence them, have been strongly questioned.  Created in 1959, Barbie is a still-breathing relic of the past.  Although Barbie has seen many changes since she was first launched, the basic doll remains the same.  Considering the increasing influence of the feminist movement, and new public perceptions of gender stereotypes, perhaps the new generation has outgrown Barbie. 

In a capitalist society, individuals place their votes on what they deem to be appropriate with their dollars.  As long as parents keep buying Barbie dolls for their daughters, Barbie and the image it stands for will stick around.  When consumers decide that Barbie dolls are no longer what they want to see their daughters play with, the Barbie franchise, and its giant pink dream house, will silently fade away.        

Sources:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/05/16/german-barbie-protest/2192555/




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Media and Mekhennet: “Observations about the World after the Arab Spring”

By Feyaad Allie

Souad Mekhennet, German reporter and columnist who works for The New York Times, Der Spiegel and ZDF (German television) http://www.islamicstudies.harvard.edu/covering-islam/



For the Bernard D. Nossiter ’47 lecture at the Rockefeller Center on May 6, 2013, journalist Souad Mekhennet provided a different perspective on the motivations for the Arab Spring protests and their outcomes. Mekhennet obtained a unique viewpoint from witnessing protests and remaining in the region. She explained that the protesters told her they were protesting against corruption, better access to healthcare, and prosperity, not necessarily for democracy. In fact, she said that the people didn’t really seem to understand what democracy entailed.


Perhaps due the portrayal of Arab Spring events in the US, Mekhennet’s perspective was particularly interesting. In fact, it seems like constituents are more disapproving of the present condition of the government relative to the former regimes. Mekhennet stated that in Egypt 80-90% of women said that after the collapse of the Mubarak regime they were sexually assaulted. She mentioned her interviews with citizens of Arab Spring countries and revealed that most of them preferred the older regime because they were guaranteed basic security under those rulers. Elaborating, Mekhennet said the people are more afraid and women in particular are being threatened for not wearing the hijab. Overall, Mekhennet’s lecture emphasized that implementing democracy may still leave citizens with governments that neglect security or are unwilling to reform.


For me, the most interesting points that Mekhennet spoke about originated from the question and answer period. She explained that while Twitter and other social media sites were used to gather support and publicize the protest there was an often-overlooked downside: the validity of online information. Many times, Twitter updates from people at the protests were untrue. Mekhennet explained that there would be tweets about the police shooting into the crowd from protests where she was present; however, she saw no such action. As someone who is very interested and optimistic about social media, this surprised me. Prompted by a question regarding Syria, Mekhennet asserted that Syria could become the second Iraq. She recognized that several states and non-state actors have an interest in the area, making it susceptible to becoming a regional conflict.


Protesters in Tahrir Square. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/apr/18/arabic-fiction-revolution-spring



Mekhennet’s lecture raises some interesting considerations about social media. Will the use of social media persist in the Arab world although the protests are largely over? How can social media become a more reliable source of information? Will social media serve as a form of exposure to Western culture that may have stronger implications in the future?

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Thoughts on the Boston Marathon Bombing


By Jiyoung Sohn


BOSTON, April 27—It was a beautiful and sunny Saturday in Boston. As I walked down the city’s streets, it was difficult to believe that just a few days ago, they were littered with explosive debris and splattered with the blood of the runners and bystanders of the Boston Marathon bombings. While city authorities have cleaned up the physical traces of the tragic day, my trip to Copley Square has made one thing evident: its memory lives on.

A memorial has been set up in Copley Square, an area near the Boston Marathon’s finish line. Installations feature separate crosses for each of the victims of the bombings as well as one remembering Sean Collier, the MIT security officer who was killed by perpetrators of the bombing while they were on the run. A message board featured personal words of encouragement from visitors from all over the US who had come to pay their respects to the victims of the bombing. Personally, I left a word of encouragement from Hanover, NH.

The Boston Bombing Memorial Site at Copley Square, Boston. Photos taken by me on Saturday, April 27th.

A large crowd, including several media crews, gathered around the site, solemnly sharing feelings of sorrow and grief for the victims of this shocking event. Flowers, running shoes, dolls, T-shirts, and posters were laid down in different installation blocs which were then filled with hand-written messages urging Boston to “stay strong” from students and supporters from all over the United States and the world. The memorial also included a magnificent display of several guardrails with American flags, encouragement messages, and running shoes tied over them. Later, I found out that these were some of the same guardrails that were used during the marathon itself. Paper doves and thoughtful message notes hanging in the nearby trees also added a sense of closeness to the scene.


A Boston Strong Sign located in the North End, Boston (http://northendwaterfront.com/2013/04/north-end-societies-join-for-candlelight-procession-vigil-for-boston-marathon-victims/boston-strong-north-end-strong-on-prado)

Although the horrors of the Marathon bombings engulfed the US for several days as Bostonians experienced an emergency lockdown and a vicious manhunt, there was a sense of healing, faith, and indivisibility in Boston that arose from the rubbles of the tragedy. “Boston Strong” signs that spotted landmarks throughout Boston affirmed that community. The city of Boston and visitors came together in extraordinary unity and genuine mourning for the lives lost. I was humbled by how tragedies can result in heightened solidarity. Amidst the terror and fear, Boston and the rest of the nation responded with perseverance and warmth.

Upon seeing so much unity among a diverse population, I was reminded of the popular image that was spreading through social media — messages of condolences from Syrian Bombing victims and the warm response from Bostonians. This interaction reveals international bonds that surpass the actions of a few radicals, restoring faith in the goodness of humanity. Moreover, as horrible as the Boston Bombing was, it compels us to become more aware of the daily suffering of war-torn nations and appreciate the relative safety and peace that America enjoys.

Image from the Syrian KNRC Kafranbel Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=491452230908632&set=a.205003959553462.60362.183834915003700) 

Contemplating about the Boston Bombing 
The April 15th bombing leaves us with many questions. What exactly drove two brothers to kill innocent people? Were the Tsarnev brothers Chechnya-backed terrorists, embittered immigrants, disillusioned Muslims, or simply extreme radicals? Given all the incidents of bad reporting by the major presses following the event of the Boston Bombing, what in the future can be done to make sure that major media outlets do not publicize false rumors and cast suspicions on innocent people? Is there a need to restrict social media during times of emergency given the unprecedented pace at which (false) news spreads? Will the bombing lead to the introduction of restrictive immigration law proposals? Would such laws make America safer or more vulnerable?

It is difficult to come up with a single answer that can give a clear remedy to all these questions and problems. Nonetheless, the experience of the Boston bombing certainly leaves us with food for thought for policymaking and social change in the future.