Differently- Abled Barbie a poem by: Denise Duhamal

1. Differently-Abled Barbiea poem by: Denise Duhamal By: Ashley Workman and Alvin Urbano

2. Stereotypes • Medical Model- the person is “sick,” “damaged” and in need of a cure. • Social Model- negative attitudes and exclusion by society (purposely or inadvertently) are the ultimate factors defining who is disabled and who is not in a particular society. (wikipedia)

3. Denise Duhamel • A feminist poet who writes satires. • Barbie is the pop-icon she uses in every poem in her book called, Kinky.

4. Barbie • The ultimate definition of perfection. • “I wish Barbie would go away. There could be no better method for teaching the worship of beauty and perfection…Has she ever had the slightest imperfection?” –Focus on the Family’s Dr. James Dobson

5. Symbolism • Barbie symbolizes Society’s idea of normalcy and perfection. • Barbie is “the norm.” The picture of perfection.

6. “…knots her right sleeve that hangs limp like a sail on a breeze-less day.” • The word “limp” has two meanings: • -walk with difficulty because of an injured leg or foot (OED) • -without energy or will. (OED) • There is evidence that the author chose this word to make a reference to disability. • A sail on a breeze-less day, refers to something that is useless or has no function. • She is suggested that this is how “we,” society sees someone with a disability, useless, having no function or purpose.

7. “…as scarred as Marla Hanson’s…but the little girl suffers from bouts of eczema on her forehead. She knows Barbie is still the same underneath.” • This scarred up Barbie makes the girl feel better about herself. • “We” feel better about ourselves, and our own situations after comparing our lives to the “pitiful, horrible” lives of those who are disabled. • The idea is, “I’m so glad I don’t have his/her life.”

8. “Barbie’s hand melts into a finger-less fist, a nob…” • What exactly is a nob? • Nob-a person of wealth or high social position.(OED) • Knob-a rounded lump or ball at the end or on the surface of something-(OED) • Did she mean to use the wrong word? As cunning as she is, I believe so. • Finger-less fist: • A hand that is not able to be used. • She may be stating that her opinion of people with wealth or high social position are like a finger-less fist, not useful, don’t have much of a purpose. • This is a stretch: maybe society itself is the one with the disability?

9. “Our impulse to destroy what is whole, to coddle what we have injured.” • “We” as society, who are only comfortable with sameness, create/believe/project stereotypes that end up harming those individuals who are disabled, because we think they want and/or are in need of our help. We want to coddle/comfort them so we can feel better about ourselves. So we can say we had a hand in making someone who is different more like the rest of us-hence we are once again comfortable.

10. Share a Smile Becky • Mattel created Becky as a way to reach out to the disabled community. To “help” children and families with disabilities to be more included in pop-culture. • But…stopped making Becky after they received many complaints that she couldn’t fit in the housed, cars and play sets designed for Barbie and her other, able-bodied friends.

11. Conclusion: • Though this poem may seem to be overly satirical, and has a lot of symbolism, the truth is that these stereotypes exist. A lot of people subconsciously believe and inadvertently act the way that Duhamel suggests they do. • Mattel, is one example of people who really do try to do something to create equality and awareness to disabilities. Maybe they should receive credit for isn’t it “the thought that counts?” This acquisition of equality is easier said than done, but as long as it is a work in progress, then maybe as society, we will eventually get somewhere.