Move over, Barbie. There's a new gal in town...kinda sorta.
Meet Fulla, who's actually been around since late 2003 when Syrian-based NewBoyToys unveiled the Muslim-based doll for young girls. Catching on like wildfire these days, Fulla has become the hot selling item in Muslim markets.
Out of respect, my "Fried Fridays" usually deal with crazy, screwed up stories; however, this is more of a 'hmmmmmm' article to mull and ponder, made more unusual for those not immersed in or around those of the Muslim faith.
You see, to no surprise, Barbie began to be verbotten recently in some Muslim countries, guilty as charged of undermining vernacular values by flooding young girl's heads with Western ideas of skimpy dresses, freedom for boyfriends and doing any activity they want, dressed however they like. Horrors. It was and is to many Muslims, of course. Hence Fulla comes with a nice conservative hajib/abaya/burka when pretending to be in public, and a selection of (optional) nice conservative 'house clothes' when pretending to be in the privacy of her home. She comes with the traditional items like a hairbrush and some jewelry...oh yeah, and a prayer mat. Keep in mind there will NEVER be a boyfriend, heaven forbid...and all expectations are that there will be a Doctor Fulla and a Teacher Fulla forthcoming to give young girls something to which to aspire.
Who's kidding who...it is one hot item around the globe, with many pleased there is a doll that is more in line with religious and cultural values instead of those doled out by that loose blonde American vixen. She does have two friends, Yasmine and Nada. And in case you are really inquisitive, there have been a few other similar dolls with different names like Razanne (Britain), Sara (Iran) and even a Moroccan Barbie. No doubt Fulla is the queen of the ball, though.
Of course, there is still the dark side to this new obsession...the following is from an article in the Al-Ahram Weekly: "According to Dina Ali, 23, both Fulla and Barbie are dangerously unreal: 'They both have the kind of figure every girl will want but never get: long legs, large breasts, itsy-bitsy waist. Setting such high standards for teenagers already obsessed with their bodies can only have a negative effect.' "
And there you have it. Below is a video link that is, well, interesting:
Muslim Barbie video - a must see
By the way, have you heard about the new Divorce Barbie? It comes with all of Ken's things...
Meet Fulla, who's actually been around since late 2003 when Syrian-based NewBoyToys unveiled the Muslim-based doll for young girls. Catching on like wildfire these days, Fulla has become the hot selling item in Muslim markets.Out of respect, my "Fried Fridays" usually deal with crazy, screwed up stories; however, this is more of a 'hmmmmmm' article to mull and ponder, made more unusual for those not immersed in or around those of the Muslim faith.
You see, to no surprise, Barbie began to be verbotten recently in some Muslim countries, guilty as charged of undermining vernacular values by flooding young girl's heads with Western ideas of skimpy dresses, freedom for boyfriends and doing any activity they want, dressed however they like. Horrors. It was and is to many Muslims, of course. Hence Fulla comes with a nice conservative hajib/abaya/burka when pretending to be in public, and a selection of (optional) nice conservative 'house clothes' when pretending to be in the privacy of her home. She comes with the traditional items like a hairbrush and some jewelry...oh yeah, and a prayer mat. Keep in mind there will NEVER be a boyfriend, heaven forbid...and all expectations are that there will be a Doctor Fulla and a Teacher Fulla forthcoming to give young girls something to which to aspire.
Who's kidding who...it is one hot item around the globe, with many pleased there is a doll that is more in line with religious and cultural values instead of those doled out by that loose blonde American vixen. She does have two friends, Yasmine and Nada. And in case you are really inquisitive, there have been a few other similar dolls with different names like Razanne (Britain), Sara (Iran) and even a Moroccan Barbie. No doubt Fulla is the queen of the ball, though.Of course, there is still the dark side to this new obsession...the following is from an article in the Al-Ahram Weekly: "According to Dina Ali, 23, both Fulla and Barbie are dangerously unreal: 'They both have the kind of figure every girl will want but never get: long legs, large breasts, itsy-bitsy waist. Setting such high standards for teenagers already obsessed with their bodies can only have a negative effect.' "
And there you have it. Below is a video link that is, well, interesting:
Muslim Barbie video - a must see
By the way, have you heard about the new Divorce Barbie? It comes with all of Ken's things...
1 comment:
I totally agree that the way the Barbie dolls look is a danger for young girls. The companies that produce these types of dolls should have them of differing body shapes.
I am glad there is a doll that reflects the values of a certain faith or culture. There needs to be more of them. This gives young ones exposure to differing ideas or it can reinforce the ideas they already have. Lori
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