Syndicate and Hague

Ah, for my first real post on this new blog…how about a dash of social outrage?

I should say that I make a real effort to make sure that what I post is real–there have actually been stories I’ve passed on because I couldn’t find enough information to vent in public. So when I saw the commercial at the bottom of this post, I had to check it out.

And…yup…it’s a real thing. The Barbie Fashion Fever Shopping Boutique.

I remember from my teen years the brouhaha over the “Math is Hard” Barbie (speaking of Barbie history, there is an entire site devoted to Barbie history and I don’t know why this surprises me tonight. I think I’m a bit off my game.) Anyway, so I remember that and it’s utterly repugnant to reinforce this ditzy, useless version of femininity that Barbie has come to represent. Even though sometimes she’s a very sassily-dressed business lady. Sigh.

But, whatever, Barbie girls love shopping yadda yadda — it’s old news at this point.

Diabolical, to me, is the credit card that never runs out of money. It’s a terrible message to allow girls (or boys) to be instilled with. And shameless. Really, Mattel? What possible purpose would it serve to give children a fake cash register for their fake people to charge things to their fake credit cards which operate as free money? Okay, call me paranoid, but I do think there’s an argument to be made that they’re training the kids to be loose with money.

Anyway, after that long spiel, take a look at the video…