BrianGarst.com

West Virginia state lawmaker Jeff Eldridge wants to outlaw Barbie dolls.  His reasoning? It makes girls want to be pretty.

“I just hate the image that we give to our kids that if you’re beautiful, you’re beautiful and you don’t have to be smart,” Eldridge told West Virginia Media. “I’d like to send a message to not only our children but parents and educators that let’s push education over the importance of beauty.”

Mr. Eldridge is tragically confused.  The image that “if you’re beautiful [then] you don’t have to be smart,” is not created by Barbie dolls, it’s created by human behavoir.  They hold that image because it’s an accurate description of society. Men (and even other women) give women more attention if they are beautiful.  Girls know this and thus want to be beautiful.  This is a fact of life.  You may not like it, but there’s not much you can do to change it.  You certainly can’t legislate it away, and even if you could, respect for personal freedom should be enough to prevent you from trying.