Carina Buzo's opening piece at the All City Slam takes on society's narrow minded view of beauty in this piece.
5'9', 110 pounds, 39-18-33
Barbie’s measurements are impossible
yet anything is possible if you put your mind to it
but last time EYE checked
these measurements were no where near hers…
and its on MY mind??? ALL THE TIME!
how could it NOT be.....
in a world where the tv is the teller of all things true and mighty....
and plastered on the screen
is a bunch of my size barbies
that never made it to my house
for the last 18 Christmases....
and even though i tend to use the whole....
its america baby
i could look however the hell i wanna look....
i secretly wish barbie actually was my size
then those moments in the mirror
before I pull back the shower curtain
wouldn’t be so alone
and prom dress shopping
wouldn’t be so damn humiliating
because at 5’1 160 pounds 34-30-38
doctors have labeled me as obese
and the sizes in the stores
that only go up to a size too small for me
only smears it in my face more
barbie has become a culture icon
forcing little girls to strive for standards that aren't obtainable
and hide and seek pregnancies are born
because only pregnant Barbie comes with a matching ken
making little girls believe that imperfections are not acceptable
how can we show these girls that mistakes happen
and that being yourself is the best thing to be
and that being alone isn’t horrible
when you have Barbie being stuffed into your vision
Barbie, who is always dependent on a man
in all this mess
an assumption has been created that there’s a “sporty barbie” out there somewhere
But someone with a rack that big with no panties on
Has the option to run ANYWHERE
She uses sex and looks to her advantage
then calls herself a feminist
There's just something about glorifying this manifestation of "female perfection" and
her obsession of hording material possessions
that disturbs me to the core of my being
because the closet thing to a Barbie like me....
a once released cinco de mayo Barbie named abil del monte
which, directly translates to skilled worker from the mountains
she has a big Jalisco dress on
made to look like the Mexican flag
and big trensas in her hair
tied together with ribbons....
and yes, I am very proud of my culture
All I’m asking for
is something that little girls today can look up to
not some one with measurements that are based on male fantasy
rather than actual human metrics
and I don't want them to be a product of a culture
that treats women with disrespect
and confine them to the role of a sexual toy for men
because once upon a while back...
that my size barbie.... seemed larger than life
and i thought that with enough outfits and shoes and makeup
I could be just as perfect as she was
not knowing that....
5'9', 110 pounds, 39-18-33
is impossible....
no matter how long you put your mind to it
