A Sweet Little Short Film...

[Comicality]

It's called "Barbie Boy" and it's about gender stereotypes, and how we learn them. It's touching. I hope you guys enjoy it.

 

https://youtu.be/iRXpBnrSimo

[William King]

When I was around 7 or 8 years old one of my best friends at school was a black girl called Yvonne, I really liked her a lot because she had a Sindy doll (that was the British version of Barbie). We would spend hours playing together dressing up her Sindy doll.

 

When it was Yvonne's birthday I was even allowed to go with my mum to the local toy shop and choose a dress to buy for Yvonne's Sindy doll. I really enjoyed that.

 

One day I thought maybe I could ask for a doll for myself, even though I knew they were quite expensive. Well that day arrived when it was my birthday, but I was a little disappointed that it wasn't Sindy I unwrapped, but Action Man. I had to be content with spending my pocket money on rifles and army stuff rather than pretty dresses. Oh I didn't mind too much because afterall I was a boy and boys don't play at dressing up Sindy dolls, do they!

[Comicality]

Did you regret not standing up and asking for a Sindy instead? Did you feel bullied out of it? Just curious.

[William King]

Did you regret not standing up and asking for a Sindy instead? Did you feel bullied out of it? Just curious.

Um, difficult question and it was a long time ago, but I don't think I felt bullied out of it, I liked tha Action Man and I appreciated my parents bought me a quite expensive present, but what I wanted was the Sindy doll. If you like it was just "just another brick in the wall" learning that boys are blue and girls are pink, it's what all kids get taught. I don't think that my parents were any different from thousands of others, I guess you can't help the stereotyping when it's mum and dad, might be different with mum and mum or dad and dad!