Christina Hendricks: Barbie-fied

It seems that the image of Christina Hendricks has endless potential for use and abuse.  This time they’ve turned her into a Barbie:

Frankly, that Barbie barely looks like Christina Hendricks.  Sure, it’s got the red hair, but it’s missing…well, the curves.  This doll is just a Barbie like any other – pencil thin and unrealistic – but with a dye job.

Weirdly, it kind of makes me think of the updated version of Dora the Explorer.  Even among children, representations of the female form are being pushed more and more toward the hegemonic Hollywood ideal.  It’s almost a cliché to say it, but it’s just a shame that we don’t celebrate body types that deviate from this ideal.  It would be a joy to see a curvier, Hendricks-esque doll down the line, and if that ever happens, who knows – maybe someday bodies like Kelly Clarkson’s will have their moment of glory.

—Aaron Bekemeyer