Barbie - Can People Look Like Her?

The world has been all about Barbie lately as the movie starring Margot Robbie has made over a billion dollars at the box office. There are many different versions of Barbie in the movie but there is something that people who like her appearance need to realize. If Barbie came to life, she would not be able to walk, and her ankles would not be able to support her legs. In addition, her head would droop forward on her neck due to the proportions of her body being anatomically impossible. Her proportions are not easy to achieve but that has not stopped women across the globe from trying in the past.

Barbie – Concerns About Trying to Look Like the Character

One example of a women trying to look like Barbie is Valeria Lukyanova AKA “Eastern Bloc Barbie.” The thirty-seven-year-old has been viewed as trying to look like a “Human Barbie” to the point she is suspected of having her eyelids trimmed and ribs removed in an attempt to look like the character.

While this is certainly an extreme example, it does show some of the desires of a generation brought up on social media. There are many apps available to edit the appearance of a person so they can see an ideal version of their appearance. Apps can show people what they would look like after rhinoplasty, a tummy tuck, and breast augmentation.

Another procedure that attempts to give the public a look like Barbie is the “Barbie nose.” This is when someone tries to gain an elegant and small nose. According to one Turkish clinic, the nose needs to have “smooth curves and an otherworldly flare, as if coming from a fairytale fantasy or an anime creation.”

The contour of the lips can be altered and enhanced to achieve an indention under the nose which is known as a “cupid’s bow,” and it is quite popular with fans of Barbie.

Barbie – Will Looking Like Her Appear to be Real?

The desire to look like Barbie is a popular one but it is not often admitted out loud by anyone wanting to change their appearance. Instead of having multiple procedures performed all at once, there is a trend in getting a treatment or two performed during lunch or on a vacation day, so the look of the person does not drastically change all at once.

Since there are people who want to look like Barbie, the beauty ideal of the character might actually be better suited to being viewed in 2D. If someone actually achieved the perfect Barbie look, their lips would be too plump, and their skin would be too smooth in appearance. Faces that have been edited on social media websites such as Instagram simply look better online than they do in real life.

This is not to imply that social media celebrities are making a mistake in trying to look beautiful or perfect online. However, there has been a trend of teenagers as young as fifteen seeking consultation appointments for cosmetic procedures due to their obsession with their physical appearance.

There is a belief that being beautiful can make life easier and open doors for more professional opportunities and equally desirable partners. Beauty is sometimes seen as something that can be bought which is why Botox has been referred to as being “no different from mascara and blush.” Each time a new type of beauty technology appears on social media, there are online influencers who jump at the chance to promote the new treatment to their online followers. In other words, a daily beauty plan has gone from makeup and manicures to regular visits to the office of a cosmetic doctor who can administer treatments such as Botox and fillers to the face along with surgical procedures such as rhinoplasty or a Brazilian butt lift (BBL).

Barbie – A Symbol of a More Innocent Time?

The constant exposure to online images of beautiful women, even those whose look has been enhanced by aesthetic treatments such as fillers, can alter the perception of the public when it comes to comparing their appearance to people they view online. In the past, it was common to view images of people with acne or a larger nose and the people looking at these images often saw people they looked like in real life. These days, the public will look at a telephone screen and wonder how they can look like the people they view online.

In many ways, Barbie goes all the way back to a time when kids played with dolls but did not think they should try and look like the doll. Instead, teenagers are now showing others edited photos of their appearance as they think an aesthetically pleasing appearance will be the beginning of fame, fortune, finding friends and having self-worth.

There are parents trying to prevent their kids from feeling this way by not buying smartphones for their children to try and protect their mental health and self-image. This trend actually started in Silicon Valley among parents who helped to develop the technology they are trying to keep their children from viewing. While this could help their kids in the future, the current social media generation is still feeling defined by aesthetic appearances which might include wanting to look like Barbie.

- MA