Time to Balance The Scales
When ‘dad bod’ first came into cultural vernacular, it was only a matter of a few days before the question of what the equivalent would look like for females. We needed to see mom bod. So of course, now that Mattel has released a more diverse range of Barbie figures this week to represent all female body types, the internet responded with a cry for the physical equivalent for the men. So let us introduce you to Dad Bod Ken…
Really wanna give girls realistic expectations? Give Ken a dad-bod, a v-neck T, a hoodie, New Balances, and an XBOX controller. #Barbie
— Nathan Nix (@nathan_nix) January 28, 2016
Now we can ALL have realistic expectations…
#TheDollEvolves
Barbie’s proportions on an actual woman. Guess she’ll have to go w/o her spleen, liver & a couple of ribs. #Barbiepic.twitter.com/UgubsFQREy — Carol Anne Shaw (@DustySpider) January 29, 2016
The original Barbie, who has been accused of having bodily proportions so unattainable that scientists declared that she wouldn’t physically be able to walk, has recently been joined on the shelves with several new models that embrace all different sorts of shapes: tall, curvy and petite body types. The move, 57 years into the company’s history, was a result of dwindling sales and negative feedback from parents concerned that they might be setting unrealistic expectations for their children. Mattel has been applauded by those hoping to help shift the feminine ideal from the bottom up.
Curvy Barbie Is Cool And All, But…
Credit: Photofest/Walt Disney Pictures
But Barbie’s not the only one who’s physique is a little more than ideal. Barbie’s male counterpart, Ken, also sets the bar high for physical perfection with his toned, tanned body, rippling abs and flawless hairline. Yale University psychologist Kelly Brownell wrote in 2006 that most men would have “to increase 20in. in height, 11 in. in the chest, and 7.9 in in neck circumference” to match Ken’s measurements. So the internet decided that Ken should probably get a makeover too. What resulted were several depictions of what Dad Bod Ken might look like…