Comments on: The Tribe of Barbie

By: Ofira

Ofira — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 07:22:21 +0000

I’m Jewish and I have naturally golden blonde hair. I feel like more of an outcast to the girls with dark hair and eyes because in our culture that is the norm. Maybe the creator’s daughter felt the same way. Just because America (or other countries) seem to be mystified by blonde hair, doesn’t mean that blondes don’t wish they looked like everyone else. You feel like you’re not as complete as the girls who have a more stereotypical look about them.

By: Clare

Clare — Fri, 26 May 2006 04:53:57 +0000

Oops, sorry not to have read the post more carefully. I’ll watch the film before commenting further…

By: oneman

oneman — Fri, 26 May 2006 02:46:30 +0000

Well, Clare, it’s a movie, actually — yo ucan watch the whole thing (it’s 18 mins long) at the link above. But the film does not, unless I missed something, explicitly address the issue of “half-Jewish” folk, or (which you didn’t mention) converts. As to your last question, Shlain tackles the range of Jewishness pretty directly, from the atheist and cultural Jew to the ultra-Orthodox. While Jews among themselves may well argue who is and isn’t a “real” Jew (I’ve been told I wasn’t more than once), Shlain is not concerned with the religious or theological points on which those distinctions hang, but with the cultural and social distinctions that shape our Jewish identities.

By: Clare

Clare — Thu, 25 May 2006 18:30:48 +0000

Does the book discuss those people who consider themselves Jewish, but whose identity is called into question by other Jews? There are many people around the world who fall into this category, but the group I specifically had in mind is those folks who are often described as “half-Jewish” because of having one parent (most often the mother, I suspect) who is not Jewish. What does being “half-Jewish” mean anyway? And what if those individuals consider themselves Jewish because of upbringing and membership in reform congregations?

By: orange.

orange. — Wed, 24 May 2006 21:34:23 +0000

From Fräuleinwunder to American Dream: Handler was inspired to create Barbie by the 1950s german doll Lilly.
Regarding your resp. the film’s question of “what can Barbie explain about how the current generation of Jews feels about being Jewish?” I’d offer your (as well as my) identity is triangulated with german history.
Jewish Identity has never been consistent–obviously there has not much changed since 19th century.