Barbie and body image: a scholar’s take on the research

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27 July 2023
Correction 28 July 2023

A clinical health psychologist speaks to Nature about Barbie’s influence on how women and girls view their bodies.

Emma Marris⁰

Emma Marris
1. Emma Marris is an environmental writer who lives in Oregon.
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Barbie the movie is a pretty pink phenomenon, raking in US$337 million around the world on its opening weekend this month — a record for a film helmed by a woman. Director Greta Gerwig’s film explores the legacy of the iconic doll, which has been put forward as a feminist icon but has also been criticized for being a passive sex object.

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Updates & Corrections

Correction 28 July 2023: An earlier version of this story misstated the results of research on young girls’ attitudes towards fuller-figured dolls.

References

Webb, J. B., Ford, N. M. & Padro, M. P. Body Image 45, 201–209 (2023).
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