In the last months of 2007, Buenos Aires got pinked. A pink chaise longue, pink awning, pink shop fittings, pink tables and chairs, an entire clothing collection and a pink Volkswagen Beetle were moved to their new home: the very first Barbie store in the world.
The massive 650 square metre store in Palermo Viejo opened its doors to hoards of fans and its loyal 3-12 year old girl demographic embraced their new neighbour lovingly. And why wouldn’t they? Barbie Buenos Aires is Barbie paradise. Not only is the doll herself available in all kinds of getup, but there are reams of Barbie inspired clothes and accessories, varying from Barbie perfume (in two fragrances) to Barbie golf clubs.
Towards the back of the shop is a Barbie café, where harassed mothers can take a load off and enjoy a Barbie cupcake, complete with pink heart icing and edible glitter or perhaps a slice of pink Barbie cake. The walls of the café are adorned with delectable morsels of information about the history of Barbie and how she has evolved and become the “icon” that she is today.
Whilst mummy sips her tea from a Barbie cup, dearest daughter can have a Barbie makeover at the in-store beautician’s salon. A haircut and style, complete with hair accessories and glitter in front of the enormous mirrors is followed by a make-up treatment. The beautician’s pallatte envies that of any professional make-up artist, with eye shadows of every colour under the sun and nine different shades of eye glitter as just some of the treats in store for the willing customer.
But perhaps the jewel in the Barbie store’s tiara is the ‘Casa Barbie’ at the back of the store. To non-ticket holders, its doors remain mysteriously closed, which is where I imagine a Barbie lover’s ‘pester-power’ kicks in. As the majestic doors swing open one can immediately see why many little girls would want to have their birthday party in this life size Barbie Dream House.
Bedroom, playroom, dining room and dressing room are all present in ‘Casa Barbie’. Perfectly preserved and maintained, the entire space is even treated with airborne vitamins in the air-conditioning system. There are hopscotch and ring toss games stencilled onto the floor, and every conceivable Barbie toy ever invented available to play with. Girls can also dress up in any one of the array of outfits in the wardrobe, accessorise with sunglasses or hair jewels and parade up and down the in-store catwalk to music, with the party photographer there to capture and preserve the moment forever.
In reality, I went to the Barbie store wanting to hate it. Especially the hair and make-up salon, which seems to be planting the seeds for body image complexes and self-esteem issues into girls at a young and impressionable age. However, against my will I secretly loved it. Upon leaving, I suddenly noticed how boring and grey the rest of the world was and how no one was smiling or wearing pink whilst strolling down the boardwalk in the sun. In fact, it was a chilly day, everyone was in coats and scarves and looked positively grumpy.
My Barbie high lasted little more than five minutes and I could feel the manufactured joy wearing off as I wandered down the street. The fact remains that Argentina is a hotbed for women with self esteem issues. The anorexia and bulimia rates are the second highest in the world with one in ten people diagnosed as having an eating disorder. Also, the number of people electing to have plastic surgery has increased 200% in eight years. One in thirty Argentines are estimated to have gone under the knife for a cosmetic procedure to improve their appearance, including the leader of the country and example to millions, Cristina Kirchner.
So why bring Barbie to Buenos Aires? Several redesigns over the years have altered Barbie’s face and physique and some of her make-up has been removed, but her figure would still be unacheivable in real life. If she were stretched to human proportions, Barbie would be over seven feet tall and unable to stand, and the typical, blonde, anglo Barbie looks nothing like the average Latina girl growing up. Therefore, is it dangerous in this country to present Barbie’s unattainable figure to younger girls who are already more likely eating disorders in later life?
Not according to Barbie Argentina. Mattel, the company that invented and manufactures the toy blonde bombshell, says that “Barbie has inspired several generations of girls to dream, discover and explore a world without limits – all without ever leaving home”.
But there are several anti-Barbie blogs and campaigners based in Argentina too. On one ’Parents against Barbie’ website, they claim that ‘dreaming, discovering and exploring’ are the only things young girls don’t do with Barbie. Contributors to the site believe that young girls who play with Barbie are more likely to develop eating disorders in later life. They give examples of daughters who have been confused and depressed during puberty as their bodies began to change and they began to put on weight, becoming less and less like the Barbies that they loved so much.
Whatever the reality may be, the Barbie franchise has already expanded and opened a mini store not far from the ground-breaking one in Palermo. As a role model for younger women, it is true that the famous doll is flawed, but that was not what she was intended for. As a guilty pleasure, one that I know as a woman I should probably be morally against, the Barbie world is definitely a fun escape from the greys of the everyday.
The Barbie Store is on Scalabrini Ortiz, 3170 and the Mini Store is on Santa Fe 2156. For more information visit www.barbie-stores.com (Spanish)