i went shopping for my little niece's birthday today and since i had played Barbie's with her over Thanksgiving i headed straight to the very noticeable and very pink Barbie aisle... and only after a few minutes, i realized that Mattel is freakin' brilliant.
now some might argue otherwise, you know since Barbie's are so perfect and all, that it gives young girls the idea of an unrealistic body image which they will compare to themselves thus causing eating disorders, low self esteem and promiscuity in order to fulfill the emptiness that their inadequacies created... but that is not my point.
i realized in all the 50 different kinds of Barbie's were she is a nurse, a veterinarian, a princess, a popstar, a mother, a bride... there were only 3 Ken dolls.. a surfer Ken, a Ken in a tuxedo and a frat boy Ken... and that's when it hit me.
in all the beautiful, strong, independent Barbie's of the world, she only has 3 Ken's to choose from. one that won't get a real job, one that says he's working late but really is cheating on Barbie with his secretary and one that refuses to grow up and treat Barbie like the lady she is because he's just having too much fun with his buddies.
so thank you, Mattel ...for preparing our little girls for the heartache and disappointment they will soon face in the real world.
ps: i bought the surfer Ken, he seemed to have the most potential. he only came with board shorts and towel, so i also bought him another set of clothes in hopes he gets a real job that would require him to at least wear a shirt.