Barbie has come a long way in 50 years

She's one of the most popular girls in America, talked about everywhere, from playrooms to newscasts. She can do anything and be anything -- fashion model, musician, soccer coach, paleontologist, dentist or teacher. She is pretty, has nice clothes and a dream house, and her boyfriend isn't half bad.
So it isn't surprising that one license-plate frame claims that its owner wants to be her, because "The chick has everything." And, this year, she turned 50! I think we all know who I'm talking about -- Barbie.
That's right, Barbie's been around since 1959, when she first appeared as a teen swimsuit model at a toy fair because American mother Ruth Handler noticed there were no adult dolls for little girls to play with. Handler created one of the greatest role models and commercial phenomenons in the world.
Even though some would call me too old to care about this, I'm not. I may not be a collector, but Barbie was a big part of my childhood. She could -- and did -- do anything, and I interacted with her on a daily basis. If she could do it, so could I. In the corner of my room set aside for Barbie's dream house and other places she frequented, I started making story lines; my friends and I created characters and acted out their stories. Making up the stories was my favorite part; I guess you could say Barbie inspired me to write (even though that would come later).
So although I am at the age where Barbie no longer occupies much of my time, I'm always interested to see how she's doing.
From teen model to superstar to do-it-all girl, Barbie has come a long way since her first gig at the toy fair. In recent years, however, Barbie has taken a turn for the decidedly lame. Instead of the poster girl for the idea that girls can do anything, Barbie has slowly turned into a mindless fashion plate. With the debut of the "My Scene" series of dolls, Barbies became increasingly materialistic, with no personality -- only clothes (cute clothes, it must be said, but that's it). Gone were the Barbies of every career and interest, with their matching play sets, be it mom, baker, doctor, teacher, avid gardener, fashion designer or babysitter. These new materialistic Barbies almost weren't worth it anymore.
Then 2009 arrived and with it, Barbie's milestone birthday. A chance for fashion shows with variations on her past outfits and even the comeback of old controversy about the wholesomeness of this California girl. Her nearly "perfect" body has been cited by some as a possible cause of young women's eating disorders. Some claim that repeated exposure to this non-average-built girl gives young ones an unhealthy body image.
Barbie's 50th birthday has also created a new opportunity for Mattel. Now, editions of such classics as Malibu Barbie, Superstar Barbie and the classic 1959 Barbie are available at Wal-mart. Mattel is milking the 50th anniversary, with more pleasing results. However, what's unsure is what the company will do when Barbie is 51.
Barbie is, first and foremost, a role model for those who play with her. When Handler created Barbie, she wanted girls to dream about what we would become, all the things we could do. So Mattel should make sure that, after the birthday bash buzz is over, Barbie doesn't once again start to turn into the bimbo some say she is. The company should stay true to Ruth Handler's original intent -- that we girls be inspired, that we know that we can do anything, and that we be given the opportunity to dream about it.
A final word: This whole dreaming thing ... it works. For years, I played the little-known classic, "The Barbie Game: Queen of the Prom," and tried to a) get a boyfriend, b) buy a dress, and c) become a club president. Once you did all that, you had the opportunity to become prom queen.
I didn't get as far in real life as I did in the game, but I often wondered, after getting my favorite game position, what it would really be like to be in the drama club presidency. Skip a few years ahead and that's where I am -- and I might never have gone that far if I had no playtime dreams to push me.
Lindsey Larson is going to be a senior at Roy High. She enjoys reading, Broadway, watching movies and cooking. E-mail her at chocolate.anonymous.19@hotmail.com.