Author of Barbie Ban Bill Gets Applauded

[The Straight Story]

Author of Barbie Ban Bill Gets Applauded


The state delegate who introduced the Barbie ban bill in West Virginia received a standing ovation from his House colleagues.

CHARLESTON -- Delegate Jeff Eldridge got the applause Thursday after explaining his reasons for the bill.

Eldridge apologized for the backlash the state endured, but he also expressed no regrets on raising the issue of body image this way.

The Lincoln County Democrat received more than 3,000 messages within 48-hours of the bill's introduction; about 80% of it was negative.

http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=54910

[BrklynLiberal]

1. ..and how much are these guys paid each year?

[Staph]

8. "These guys" earn $15,000 a year

for a part time job. So they have to have a real job that allows them to take off for weeks at a time, both to come to Charleston to legislate and to raise funds and run for re-election every two years.

Jeff Eldridge proposed this bill, not because he thought it had any chance to be passed.

With a background in counseling, Eldridge said he's concerned about the pressure put on girls regarding body image and weight. He cited tales from parents of daughters battling eating disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts.

"I personally feel that it ought to be up to the parents, what they let their kids play with," Eldridge said. "So to me, it had nothing to do with Barbie. But it did have to do with the image that society places on our young children, on what they should look like to be able to succeed."

Bad parenting worsens these pressures, and helped prompt the bill, he said. "The kids that don't have good parents might not be able to get the difference in their head that it is unrealistic, that they don't have to strive to look like this person to be successful," Eldridge said.

Those who applauded Eldridge afterward included freshman Delegate Tiffany Lawrence, who was Miss West Virginia 2006.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/03/19/ap6190639.html

[BlueJazz]

2. If She were a real Women she would be known as a "Stick Lady"

[anigbrowl]

6. And Raggedy Ann would be known as the flat lady

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

3. Good for him.....

.....because doing things like improving the education system or health care in an impoverished state like West Virginia must be impossible anyway. Why bother?

[MercutioATC]

4. It's just more nanny-state PC bullshit.

The ostensible goal of not making girls feel bad about their bodies is laudable, but banning dolls is just dumb.

[MADem]

5. I assume the bill banned the sale of Barbie dolls?

I think the dolls are stupid, set a poor example, and are ugly--after all, they're based on a German prostitute doll that was a male amusement before the war--but BANNING them? That's, well, the opposite of a democracy. That's nanny-state bullshit.

I say tax them onerously instead. Put a three hundred percent state tax on them...that'll solve the problem, or earn the state a few bucks. Win-win.

[malletgirl02]

7. West Virginia

I don't know much about West Virginia, which is pretty bad, since it borders my state, but aren't many people living in West Virginia in poverty? They could do something to help coal miners, such as improving safety regulations? Maybe they should spend more time trying to pass bills that actually help their constituents.