Domestic Violence: Barbie Edition?

While surfing the internet this past week I came across a rather interesting story; a story aimed at an artist by the name Sam Humphreys. Humphreys has released a rather bloody artistic view of the Mattel Barbie. Instead of seeing her glamorous and perfect like we all have come accustomed to seeing, she is featuring bloody lips and black eyes as well as bruises throughout her body.

Humphreys claims that it is an artistic way of showing children that not every angle of life is perfect. These barbies are only for show and Humphreys in no way expects Mattel to begin production on them. I for one would not appreciate these particular barbies being mass produced but I did enjoy the angle that Humphreys was getting at.

If you look at the line of products affecting our children today many of them go towards a fictional world, and Barbie is one of them. There are many different editions to Barbie going all the way back to 1959. She has thousands of friends and at one point she even stopped dating ken, Mattel had stated that like all Hollywood couples it was time for Barbie and Ken to come to an end. I do believe in letting children know that love doesn’t always last but it is possible. Barbie reflects perfection and she has many professions and many personal items such as her “dream house” a camper, and the ever so famous corvette.

These domestic violence barbies perhaps is a showing of behind mansion walls. In reality there is no such thing as perfect but Mattel mass produces a couple for every Barbie that has a baby, they are married with a happy home and often times the couples have more then one kid. I know the majority of society rules, but the fact that they released a pregnant Barbie without a husband or a wedding ring was something I slightly enjoyed, more as a collectors item but nonetheless I liked it because it was the truth, many children boys and girls grow up or grew up in a single parent home, it’s not like we as adults have never seen adultery or any other sin for that matter.

These bruised up barbies would possibly tell a child that it is VERY possible to get into a relationship that can put up a curtain and in front you see the dream house you see the pink corvette, all these things that make your life perfect; but behind this curtain behind the mansion walls is reality, an over worked mother and father, a parent that’s a drunk or possibly on drugs. We as adults should face the reality of our own, that our children could one day be facing these troubles, the fact that Humphreys used barbies to show us what we all know and refuse to acknowledge was one of the most artistic things I’ve seen in a while, these barbies were made and because they told a possible truth; a truth that we deny exists it demanded our attention.

My hat is off to Humphreys in this attempt to showing us what we know but do not want to see. Great job Humphreys.

Are you the one?

I, like so many of you love reality shows. Right now I’m hooked on MTV’s Are You The One. While watching this an intriguing question came to mind, if I (or any of you) was placed in a house full of people including my boyfriend of 4 years (but in this situation I don’t know him) would I be able to still pick him out of the bunch as my perfect match. When I presented him with this question his answer was disappointing but truthful.

Everyone has heard “opposites attract ” which is something I truly believe because in actual reality nobody’s relationship is perfect. I think if placed in this house I’d still gravitate towards the man I have chosen now. There’s nothing in this universe that says we will last forever, but at the same time I feel like hiring someone to find your “perfect match” is just as pointless as hiring someone to wipe your ass, trust me you can do it yourself.

The heart wants what it wants. What’s in a perfect match anyways? He likes corridos and I like blues, he’s family oriented and I…not so much. My point is I don’t think I would pick him out of a bunch anymore then he would me, I came to know and love the things that I love with time and I’m sure many of you guys do the same throughout your daily lives without realizing you did it, the fact that many of you have or had that one person in your class that you hated and the next thing you know your doing a project with them (by force of the teacher of course) and you’re practically best friends before you know it. My love and I are nowhere near perfect, but if I had to think about the things that create the bond between us I’d have to say in my mind and his it’s what makes us perfect. Good luck to the men and women on Are You The One, but I think I’ll take my chances with gods good humor and look for that “perfect one”on my own.