As a toy collector, I have never been a fan of Barbie. Even as a child I enjoyed playing with all the accessories that came with the Barbie dolls more so than the actual doll. In fact, I was more impressed with the Ken doll especially the Mod Ken with the sideburns and lengthy hair.

As an adult, I saw Barbie more as an insult to women around the globe. Her shapely figure, perfect features, and glamorous lifestyle were not what the average woman had to offer her 'Ken' yet so many strive to be exactly what Barbie portrayed. I recall seeing a documentary about a woman that so desperately wanted to be like Barbie that she endured literally dozens upon dozens of surgeries to reconstruct her entire body and face. What kind of message is this doll sending to our girls?

The Changing Message

The message is changing and Barbie is making some real breakthroughs. I first started collecting the Barbie figures when they introduced the line that included Barbie the Veterinarian and Barbie the School Teacher. Now these are real role models that girls of all ages can relate to and possibly gain interest in the various careers Barbie introduced.

Becky the Photographer sends a positive message in many forms but mostly that people with disabilities are just as normal as the rest of us and can perform activities just as we do. It hopefully teaches the child acceptance and prepares them when they encounter the "different" children in the school environment.

Barbie is making some changes for the better and my hope is that they will continue to introduce dolls in this collection.

The Doll

I am most impressed with the Becky the Photographer Barbie because she sends a strong message to society that yes, the disabled can be beautiful and useful members of society.

Becky is Barbie's cool disabled (physically challenged) high school photographer friend. She has long, beautiful hair that I compare to the color and style of a Lion's mane. Becky is casually dressed in jeans, red hi-tops, red earrings, plaid jacket, and also comes with a pair of hip red sunglasses. She still has the beautiful figure and the perfect features but they come in a more politically correct package.

The wheelchair is very realistic with moving parts, red seat cushions and grip bars. The snazzy silver and red design with the "holograph" styled wheels makes this an attractive accessory. There is a backpack that is included that hangs on the back of the chair and can be used to hold accessories.

The other accessories include a 35mm camera with a matching red strap and a school yearbook.

The Wrong Choice of Career?

I have worked with developmentally disabled and physically challenged adults and I know that they can be very productive members of society. In fact, several of my former 'clients' had many strengths that combatted their weaknesses and they used those strengths to complete goals they set for themselves. I would go even further in saying that many of them lead more productive lives than some of the "normal" members of society.

The one problem I had with the Becky doll is that the likelihood of the wheelchair bound photographer landing a professional career is slim. Not necessarily because she could not perform the job but because the job would be more difficult for her to perform effectively over another applicant. Reason being that career photographers have to be able to move freely and quickly to get the right shot and bulky wheelchairs in crowds makes this task difficult. The other reason being that her photographs would all be from one angle and that is the one angle that you are taught not to shoot from. All the photographs would be shot from the eye level or ground up, making for poor quality. A great hobby but not for a career. Again, I am not saying it isn't possible just unlikely.

Now I know this has nothing to do with the doll itself but if Barbie manufacturers had given this more thought, they might have selected a different career.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 12.00
Type of Toy: Action Figure
Age Range of Child: 6 to 8 Years