Curvy Barbie

A poem inspired by a study that just came out as well as by real life every single day

Photo by Sandra Gabriel on Unsplash

I can’t believe a study came out

Saying that little girls didn’t want to play with you

That you were the least likely to be picked as pretty

The least likely to be thought of as smart

That you were the most likely to be “the Barbie who had no friends”

And that little girls, 3 year olds, 4 year olds

Felt this strongly about you

And for what?

Your body is closer to real than any other Barbie’s

Your hair is amazing, the ones we have here at home, where your kind, the curvy kind, is valued and held on high,

Have black hair with blue streaks, a giant rocking Afro, gorgeous crazy bangs with bright pink hair, I mean come on, -

And you have all of the friends, you do all the things, all of the same things

That any other Barbie does, or doesn’t do for that matter, — you just do you, the typical setting up house, playing with mermaids, cooking dinner for a unicorn, — you have that magical Barbie life, girl

In this house we value diversity, we value spirit

In this house we value curves, we value truth

In this house curvy and female mean smart, mean beautiful, mean chosen first

The only complaint is actually something that mirrors reality in a way that is affirming and hilarious,

as a curvy mom, as a curvy girl, as a curvy wife, -

well, -

it is harder to find clothing that fits and so you are, I am, we are sometimes stuck in the same old thing, but girl,

We own it,

We rock it,

We turn heads, we change hearts, we move mountains and

We do not need anyone, anyone, — to study us and find us worthy, -

We just need to be seen and appreciated for who we are, — curves and all.

Jenny Justice is a mom, Sociology instructor, and writer. You can follow her on Medium and at Jenny Justice, Writer She has been recognized as a Top Writer on Medium in the areas of Parenting, Reading, Racism, Education, Poetry, and Climate Change, so far.