Elli Leonhardt ‘What the Barbie!? (NSFW)’
If you were born before the 2000s, chances are you owned and often played out your fantasy life via the latest edition plastic, big-boobed, poreless, long-legged “perfect” Barbie with hair colour to match your own. Of course, we now know better than to impose these impossible beauty standards on our daughters. Today Elli Leonhardt brings us a series paying homage to Barbie as she cynically reminisces about growing up in the 90’s & the social influence that these dolls had over our body image.
“Female socialized persons born in the 80s/90s would probably be able to tell you each and every specialty about their number one toy, its clothes, shoes, accessories and the places it got its and its friends home affectionately built at. Speaking for myself, it does not surprise how I got those super skinny, long-legged, neither-built-to-walk-nor-to-survive-body shapes indoctrinated into my asthetics. Even if the brand ‘Barbie’ nowadays produces more natural and diverse dolls of – at least some – shapes, bodyweights, ages and skintones, I can understand my friends choice not to hand her 3-year-old daughter any barbies over yet if not neccessary.”
Credits:
- Photographer: Elli Leonhardt @ellileonelli
- Model: Lizzy @__lmk/
- Wardrobe: Mar Kenlos @mar.kenlos
- 11 months ago by: Ainsley Hutchence
