Do You Remember Barbie?

I do. I remember taking her out of her sky-blue Barbie case, dressing her up and then putting her carefully back into her compartment. The case was divided into three compartments; one for Barbie, a second for her shoes and accessories, and a third large one for her clothes, which had tiny hangers and a hook to hang them.

How I loved dressing up Barbie, time and time again! I didn't think about what she represented - an idealized image of a woman's body - but enjoyed pretending that she was the belle of the ball. Barbie, together with her literary sisters - Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty - were the beautiful maidens destined to be rescued by the most handsome man in the room.

March 9th is the 50th anniversary of the Barbie doll. Her creator, Ruth Handler, was inspired by a German doll that was originally meant for adults and then popular with children. Ms. Handler noticed that her daughter, Barbara, enjoyed playing with paper dolls and asked for a prototype that would satisfy a girl's wish to play "woman."

As women have progressed, so has Barbie. Her thin-waisted figure, perfect for the full-skirted outfits of the time, was modified slightly to conform to more modern dress. She has worn the outfits of many occupations that at the time of her creation were closed to women.

But many women today do not want their girls fantasying about being another Barbie. They want their daughters to be comfortable within their own bodies and not seek approval based on the thinness of their waists.

Then why do we continue to dress grown-up models in Barbie-like outfits? Why does being a woman mean either (a) parading around in designer outfits, made up of high cut skirts and low-cut bodices; or (b) its counterpart, head-to-toe hijabs and other forms of sack-dresses?

Why do we women continue to fall for a male definition of whom and what we should or should not be?

It's ironic that Barbie was inspired by an adult toy. So much of the adult world, especially its sexuality, has trickled down and invaded our children's world. When I shop today for my granddaughters I am appalled by the off-the-shoulder tops in size 4T and the low-cut jeans in size 6.

What I used to have in my dress-up box is now de rigueur for little girls.

It is no wonder that girls' self-esteem declines by the time they've reached their pre-teen years, just when they've stopped playing with Barbie.