Did you ever wish to look like Barbie?

"No, that was never an issue to me. I still have a hard time believing that people want to be the models in magazines or they wanted to be barbie. In my house, we weren't taught that looks get you far. We never owned a weight scale, weight was never an issue. My parents looked after our individuality, something I think we also gained through playing various tales and adventures with our dolls."


-Sarah, 20, Caucasian, heterosexual female from Boston, USA

Did you ever cut Barbie's hair?

"Yes, I wanted her to have a new look. After it was cut, however, I no longer liked the way she looked."


-Monica, African-American, heterosexual female from the USA 

Has playing with Barbies as a child affected who you are today?

"I really like fashion but I think I imposed that on the barbies rather than the other way. I think really long legs that are tan are super hot, but my whole family is tall and blonde and long legged so it could be genetic"

-Jordan, 23, Caucasian, bisexual trans-female from France 

Did you ever play with imperfect dolls?

"Yes! I had several dolls that had been messed up. I made them handicapped, or just ignored it and kept playing. To me, they were still beautiful, just worn."


-Denise, 14, Caucasian, pansexual female from the USA

Did you ever wish to look like Barbie?

"I never seriously wanted to look like her. I mean, obviously, I thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world, so in a way I did want to look like her, but I never thought, 'Wow, I wish I looked like her.'"


-Denise, 14, Caucasian, pansexual female from the USA

Was there any particular Barbie you asked for specifically?

"The special edition 2001 doll. I thought she was beautiful and her dress was fantastic. And yes, I most certainly got it."


-Louella, 16, multiracial (Caucasian/Hispanic), questioning female from Berkeley, CA, USA

Did you ever play with imperfect dolls?

"One of my favorite Barbies had a chewed hand. But I thought she was really pretty. If anything, her hand made me like her more. My all-time favorite was a Kira doll with an orange swimsuit. She was a gift from a babysitter. I kept it her pristine. But she had a skin thing. It was starting to deteriorate. I thought it looked like skin-peeling. It made sense to me ('cause she was always out in the sun!) and I liked her more for it. I hated the few Ken dolls I had. They were either douchey or dudebro-y and they held zero attraction for me or my Barbies. They were not treated with care. And they were always naked."


-Melinda, 23, multiracial (Hispanic/Caucasian), bisexual female from Indianapolis, IN, USA

Did you ever wish to look like Barbie?

"I wasn't interested in blonde Barbie. I always liked the more "ethnic" looking dolls. I don't think I grew up with particularly low self-esteem, but I know I didn't look like Barbie and I also knew that Barbie was "perfect". But I still didn't want to look like her. I thought that the darker Barbies with darker hair and skin were prettier anyway. But I was envious of the doll's face. I still have issues with how I feel towards my profile. And theirs were so dainty and perfect."


-Melinda, 23, multiracial (Hispanic/Caucasian), bisexual female from Indianapolis, IN, USA

Did you have Ken dolls? How did male dolls act in relation to your female dolls?

"I had Ken dolls. But unless they were being used for fake sex (in a humorous way) I was incredibly disinterested in them. They were nearly always at the bottom of my Barbie trunk. I found them unattractive and laughable."


-Melinda, 23, multiracial (Hispanic/Caucasian), bisexual female from Indianapolis, IN, USA

Did you ever wish to look like Barbie?

"Not like the old version of Barbie- the newer one. I just wanted to have pretty clothes like her..I didn't care for my appearance until I was 13 years old. However, I wanted to have perfect skin, waist, boobs."


-Linda, 15, Chinese, heterosexual, female from Canada

Has playing Barbies as a child affected who you are today?

"I think it affected me when i was younger. I was best friends with a girl who was like a barbie, blonde hair, pretty and rich, I pretty much wanted to be her. then she turned out to be a massive bitch and I realised for myself that looks and clothes aren't everything. But i guess maybe Barbies might have added to that way of thinking in the beginning."


-Emma, 20, Caucasian, heterosexual female from the UK

Would you buy Barbies for your children?

"No... she is a terrible representation of an actual person. I want my children to grow to love how they turn out not grow up constantly disappointed that they aren't as "beautiful" as Barbie."


-Loraine, 19, Caucasian, heterosexual, female from the United States 

Would you buy Barbies for your children?

"If they wanted them, sure. Though not if i really disapproved of the particular model for any reason. Because thinking about my childhood, I just wanted one to fit in with the other girls and play dress up, and that's harmless enough."


-Emma, 20, Caucasian, heterosexual female from the UK 

Did you ever cut Barbie's hair?

"I did cut my Barbies hair. I always regretted it afterwards because Barbie hair does not grow back (believe it or not!). I think that those dolls ended up being played with less unfortunately. Looking back on it, I should have embraced those dolls as my own creation and an extension of my own individuality BUT as a little kid I'm sure I just thought, 'Oh shoot now Barbie isn't as pretty and her hair is all spiky, waaaah!'"


-Nancy, 23, Caucasian, heterosexual, female from the United States

Did you ever cut Barbie's hair?

"I never cut their hair but my sister cut one of my Barbies hair and I was very upset at her for it. After her hair was cut she became the ugly Barbie and I rarely played with her again unless I wanted to use her as a bad character."


-Tiffany, 23, white, heterosexual, female from Britain