Is Average Barbie Really What Girls Need?

This image of "Average Barbie" went viral, but
apparently there's no truth to the rumor that
Barbie is getting a makeover. 

Rumors are swirling about an "Average Barbie" with realistic body proportions. The image here is a supposed prototype that hit the viral Internet a few months ago. A couple companies have been talking about creating one, but Mattel isn't one of them.

I, for one, (this probably won't make me popular) think Barbie should stay the way she is. 

I agree that women, particularly young girls, are given unrealistic body images in our society. Empowerment groups ridicule Barbie. Other groups scream about Photoshop manipulating photos on magazines targeted to women. 

Advocates aren't wrong. They're just going about it the wrong way. If you think Barbie is a bad role model, don't buy one. If you think that women's magazines are filled with articles that damage self-esteem… Stop buying them. The beauty of capitalism is that we control the market as a consumer. 

In my opinion, people blame society, but it's parents that are actually failing their daughters. 

Tell your daughter she's beautiful. Tell her exactly why she's beautiful. Then buy her a Barbie or Cabbage Patch doll, and neither one of them should influence the way she feels about herself.

Furthermore, tell her she is intelligent, and standardized test scores will balance themselves. 

Tell her she's valuable, and her paycheck will match any man. 

Tell your daughter she's a leader and some day she will be President of the United States. 

I agree. Society F---s up our kids... but only if parents let it. Parents don't need to shelter their children from questionable influence; they need to teach their kids to rise above it. Buy her a Barbie, then explain that a flesh and blood girl, of any stature, is far more beautiful than any plastic doll with acrylic hair!

Think I'm a genius or an idiot? Comment below.