'Quarantine Barbies' Go Viral on Instagram

DMM英会話のdaily newsに対する自分なりの意見を、備忘録としてまとめています。今回取り上げるテーマは'Quarantine Barbies' Go Viral on Instagramです。

Article:

'Quarantine Barbies' Go Viral on Instagram
『隔離バービー』、インスタ上で拡散

"Quarantine Barbies" made by a grandmother in the US have gone viral on Instagram.

Tonya Ruiz, 56, from California, has been sharing pictures of Barbie dolls that she has changed to look like people spending all of their time indoors because of COVID-19.

Ruiz’s dolls, which she shares on her Instagram page @grandmagetsreal, include "Binge Watching Barbie" — who comes with snacks, a blanket and a TV — and "Zoom Ken", who wears a shirt, tie and boxer shorts.

There is also "Quarantine Bread Baking Barbie", inspired by the many people who have started baking while indoors, and "What Time Is It Barbie", who comes with both daytime and nighttime pajamas, a glass of warm milk and a coffee machine.

But Ruiz didn’t forget that a lot of important people still have to go out to work, and has also made Pandemic Hero dolls. She made "Health Care Worker Barbie", "Grocery Worker Barbie", and "Sanitation Worker Ken", who comes with trash cans.

Good Morning America reports that Ruiz used to work as a speaker on positive body image, using Barbie dolls as examples of unrealistic beauty standards. Years later, her granddaughters wanted to play with those same Barbies.

She said she didn’t want them to grow up with unrealistic beauty standards. But when she learned that Mattel had started making dolls that look more like real people, with wider waists and more hair and skin colors, she and her granddaughters found dolls that looked like members of their family.

They began taking pictures of their new dolls dressed for and doing normal things, and sharing them on Ruiz’s Instagram account.

米国に住む祖母が制作する「隔離バービー」がインスタグラムで話題になった。

カリフォルニア出身の56歳になるトーニャ・ルイスは、新型コロナウイルス感染症のため、室内で四六時中過ごしている人々の外見へと変化させたバービー人形の写真を共有している。

インスタグラムの@grandmagetsrealのページでルイスが共有している人形には、おやつやブランケット、テレビ付きの「一気見バービー」、そしてワイシャツとネクタイ、ボクサーショーツを身に着けた「Zoomケン」がある。

室内にとどまる間、ベーキングを始めたたくさんの人たちに発想を得た「隔離パン焼きバービー」、そして昼用・夜用のパジャマ、温めた牛乳の入ったグラス、コーヒーメーカーの付いた「今何時バービー」もいる。

しかし、ルイスは現在も仕事に出かける必要のある大勢の大切な人たちを忘れず、パンデミック・ヒーローの人形も存在する。 彼女は「医療従事者バービー」、「食料品店スタッフバービー」、ゴミ箱付きの「清掃作業員ケン」も制作した。

グッドモーニングアメリカは、ルイスが以前、非現実的な美の基準の例としてバービー人形を使い、前向きな身体のイメージについて発信する仕事をしていたと伝えた。 数年後、彼女の孫はその同じバービーで遊びたがった。

彼女は非現実的な美の基準を抱いて彼女たちに成長してほしくないと思った。 しかし、ウエストが大きく、髪と肌の色がより多く存在する、いっそう現実に近い外見を持つ人形をマテル社が製造し始めたことを彼女は知り、彼女と孫娘たちは自分たちの家族のような風貌をした人形を見つけた。

彼らは新しい人形に普段着を着せ、普通のことを行わせて写真を撮り、それをルイスのインスタグラムのアカウント上で共有するようになった。

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Questions:

■1: How old is Tonya Ruiz?
She is 56 y.o.

■2: What does "Zoom Ken" wear?
He wears a shirt, tie and boxer shorts, which means the upper half of the body is for work and the lower half is for everyday wear.

■3: Who was "Quarantine Bread Baking Barbie" inspired by?
The many people who have started baking while indoors inspired Ruiz.

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Discussion:

■1:What are your thoughts on Quarantine Barbies? Which one do you find most interesting?

I felt it was an interesting experiment that could only be expressed by the popular Barbie doll.In other words, I think the reason for the hit is that you can simulate the experience in virtual reality and you don't have to go out to work on it.

In particular, medical worker Barbie and janitorial worker Ken were effective in expressing their "gratitude" for health care workers.
Banksy, a famous painter, paid tribute to the medical profession with his signature mural, which had a similar impact.

■2:If you were to design a new line of Barbie dolls, what would they look like?

I want to create a Barbie of all races and genders. black lives matter, LGBTQ, police officer issues, and many other social issues in the United States.

Using Barbie dolls, I would like to depict a society in which all races and genders coexist peacefully. In that world, of course, there would be no cruelty and discrimination.

I'd like to upload photos of all the people (white people, black people, police officers, Chinese people, etc) smile and hold hands each other in a circle.

■3:Did you play with Barbie dolls when you were a kid?

I loved to play with cars and train toys, but I never played with Barbie dolls.
I remember that tastes in playing were quite different between boys and girls.
Barbie dolls were incredibly popular among the girls in my neighborhood.

■4:What were your favorite toys and games when you were growing up? Please explain your answer.

I loved to play with cars and train toys at an early age.

When I entered elementary school, soccer and baseball were popular. It was also a time when video games were starting to become popular, such as GAMEBOY and NINTENDO 64. The boys were enthusiastic about it.

■5:If you had kids, what kinds of toys would you buy them? Why?

I'd like to give my kids toys related to sports.
The sport itself is directly related to health and I like the spirit of sportsmanship (an activity done with respect for fair play, respect and admiration for opposing players, and a sense of being a fellow competitor in the same sport).

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Further Discussion:

■1:Do you still have any of your childhood toys?

I don't have one.
The oldest thing in my possession might be a baseball glove or a ski board.

■2:Did you prefer to play indoors or outdoors when you were a kid? Why?

When I was a kid, I loved to play outside.
I lived in the country, so playing outside was relatively safe for me.

Furthermore, there was a saying in those days, "Children are open-air creatures", and Because children who played well outside were considered to be a sign of health, many parents allow their children to play outside.

■3:Would you be interested in designing toys as a job? Why? Why not?

I'm interested in creating toys.

I am particularly interested in the recent example of "Animal Crossing New Horizons". There are This is a game software released by Nintendo.

This game is different from other games. There's no combat, no strict rules or time limits, and no big bosses to beat. All you have to do is sit back and relax and live a fun, little life for yourself. Picking fruit, fishing, renovating your home, or helping your neighbor.

It is said that many people are mentally exhausted due to restrictions on going out and social activity. Such a game may be a hint to save them.

■4:What was your dream job when you were a kid?

When I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming a ninja.
The ninja was like a Japanese version of a spy, and was responsible for a special conspiracy activity.
It was said that they had an imaginary ability called "Ninjutsu". They were characterized by their black-clad form, and could run on rivers, breathe fire, and become invisible.
I remember having a TV program about ninja, and Iwa longing for him in my childhood.

■5:Give children toys that are powered by their imagination, not by batteries. — H. Jackson Brown, Jr. What do you make of this advice?

I can understand his thinking.
In other words, I think he's saying that we should give our kids toys that spark their imagination.
For example, coloring books, building blocks, etc. Barbie dolls can also be considered a creative toy in the sense of play hause.

I think that the work of making things has a good influence on their growth because it can train their imagination and ability to carry out their goals.

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最後まで御覧いただきありがとうございました。少しでも面白いと思った方は、スキ・フォローをお願いいたします。