Anything Is Possible When You Dream Big with Barbie, or Is It?

"Anything is possible when you dream big with Barbie, Or is it?"

This young blonde hair girl didn't want Barbie. I wanted to be my grandfather's shadow and enjoy the

wonders of outside farm life. From the farmhouse, my grandmother could hear screams and know that

my reality world was full of grasshoppers and frogs. My Barbie car was a tractor and my dream home

was the barn that overlooked 2 acres full of fruit, vegetables, cows, water trough, and many other farm

amenities. My daughter, also with the long blonde hair, would not be such a "mini me". Her favorite

color of pink and the beautiful long blonde hair princess with all of the imaginary amenities that the

Barbie world had to offer would mesmerize my daughter. She envisioned the fantasy world of dressing

up and playing make-believe with Barbie. She would not experience luxuries that derived from the

outside world of the sweat dripping down her face, drinking from the water hose, or dirt on her hands.

My daughter would have everything of plastic luxury and limited play space within four walls.

Birthdays, Christmas, and any other special occasion would accommodate the Barbie fantasy life.

The experience of Barbie was also short lived in my daughter's world. Now, the 3-story Barbie

house furnished with hot tub, flat-screen TV's, computers, swimming pool, the convertible car, the Hair

Salon, the horses with saloon, Barbie's cell phone and all accessories have been replaced with a tablet

and a smartphone. Despite the efforts to maintain the interests of "little princesses" and promote new

dolls and accessories, Mattel recently felt the impacts of technology and how parents are spending their

money. Mattel recenty reportd that Chairman and CEO Bryan Stockton has resigned after the company

reported fourth-quarter results that fell far short of analyst expectations. The company has struggled