West Va. to Ban ... the Barbie Doll?
As her 50th birthday nears on March 9, Barbie is in the sights of a West Virginia state lawmaker.
Delegate Jeff Eldridge (D-Lincoln County) has proposed to ban sales of the iconic Mattel doll and other similar toys, saying that they teach girls that physical beauty rather than intelligence is what counts, according to MSNBC. (Some have argued for years, too, that Barbie also promotes unrealistic expectations about the appearance of women.)
“I knew a lot of people were going to joke about it and poke fun at me,” says Eldridge of the legislation he introduced yesterday. “I couldn’t get anybody to sign on the bill with me, but I said I’m still going to introduce it.”
Hat tip: @Jarvis_J on Twitter.
Additional coverage:
Chicago Tribune (opinion): “Barbie turns 29, again”
Top of the Ticket Blog (LA Times): “A West Virginia legislator plays with a ban on Barbie dolls”
WTOV 9: “Proposed Barbie Ban Going Too Far?”
Updated at 8 p.m. on March 9 to include link to subsequent Chicago Tribune article.
