A while back, I read on Yoga Dork that Barbie is a yoga teacher now. Apparently you can only get her at Target, complete (for some mysterious reason) with a little dog.
She’s bendier that your usual Barbie, she’s wearing workout clothes, but, oddly, her feet are still designed to fit high heels only. Imagine the havoc that’s going to wreak with her forward bends…
And then lululemon came out with a spoof ad -
Apparently, it pissed a lot of people off. Like, a LOT.
I personally think it’s really funny, and this is why: if you’ve ever been objectified because you are a yoga teacher, you will have felt about as real as Barbie. This ad pokes fun at an entire culture which views yoga as just something to make chicks look hot in yoga pants for guys. And gets them bendy of course. I joke about that regularly, but you know what?
I laugh because if I didn’t, how else would I cope with the heckling when I walk past a construction site in my yoga pants?
That sort of sexual harassment is illegal in Australia, they send people on courses to teach them respectful behaviour. But it still happens. The catcalls, I mean. Not the respectful behaviour.
Now that I have short hair and wear a lot of black, it happens less, but back in my own personal Yoga Barbie days of long hair & pink tops, it was fucking relentless.
Photo: Karen Chow
I shudder to think what it would have been like had I actually had blonde hair.
What do you guys think? Is the lulu ad funny or lame?
Moving from Stability: Understanding the Pelvis in Posture (Online workshop)
Light Up Your Life
I love the lulu ad and I find it very funny…maybe the dog is because dogs do a lot of downdogs and updogs in a day, especially small dogs. Haha!
Interesting about lulu’s spoof ad. Having worked for lulu, I can attest that they enjoy creating controversy of that nature.
Controversy = ROI. It’s smart
Thanks Nadine, your words are so wise & true! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed reading about my journey. I look forward to having some more time once it is over to learn more about blogging etc. I actually didn’t think anyone would see my posts and it has been such a bonus to connect with people like yourself. It’s opening up a whole new world and I can’t wait to have time to have a good look at your blog/website etc. It’s so nice to connect with like minded people xo
I still don’t get the little puppy… Yoga teacher not Paris Hilton. I love that heckling is illegal in Australia. When I can afford it, I’m coming over.
I know. The puppy confuses me, too. Especially since it’s my experience with pets that they really get in the way of yoga – they always seem to want to climb on your mat
Great post! And I think the Lululemon ad is funny. I’ve got long blonde hair and have been tainted with snide Barbie comments before. It sux, as too the degrading heckling. But I have to say some women are as bad as men. I haven’t practiced for awhile due to injury and when I went back I started a 30 day challenge where everyone was weighed/measured at the start. Someone standing next to me heard me say I hadn’t done any exercise in along time and she aggressively yelled out YOU SUCK! The lady measuring me and I took a step back and were like what? And she again said, you TOTALLY suck, no exercise and you look like THAT! We realised then, it was sort of meant to be a compliment??? But she was a healthy, gorgeous looking woman and it just made me sad that women terrorise themselves by making comparisons. When are we going to learn that ALL shapes and sizes are beautiful? When are we going to see beyond the physical form and celebrate inner beauty? There have been times in my life that I purposely made myself less attractive because I didn’t like the jealous glares and assumptions from people that I must either be a bitch or a bimbo – I couldn’t possibly be a lovely person AND attractive. These days, I am abit more comfortable within myself and anytime I energetically feel ‘jealousy or judgement’ I feel compassion towards the person and silently ask that may learn to see their own beauty, and that is what I chose to focus on in them…
Emily,
You have such a kind face. Truly nobody could accuse you of not being a lovely person! I often think we humans, tribal creatures that we are, are always wary or judgemental of anyone exceptional: exceptionally attractive, or tall, or smart, or whatever. We just want everyone to be part of the herd, where we feel safer having them. Keep being you. You rock! I’ve loved reading about your 30 day yoga challenge!
It’s funny! Some people just take things too seriously. I’m actually shocked (and happy) to hear that cat calls and stuff like that is illegal in Australia. I wish it was that way here in the states. It’s so degrading.
Deborah? I hear ya. Although my friend Gena, who used to be a firefighter, tells me that the guys were SO inappropriate in those training sessions that the facilitators often didn’t know what to do about it. She laughs it off…I wish I could with ease!
You’re right, the only thing we can do is laugh about that kind of stupid comment. I don’t care what these people think, what I find worrying though is how many students judge a teacher’s capabilities according to what she (or, sometimes: he) looks like. You don’t need to be a stunningly beautiful size 6 woman to be a good teacher…
We don’t need more Barbie-type teachers, we need real women who teach real yoga to real people of all shapes and sizes (sorry for the rant, Nadine…)
Andrea, I hear ya! When I first started teaching yoga, my anorexia flared up again for just this reason: I thought I had to look like a Yoga Journal model to be a good teacher. I thought I had to be thin. Bless me. Turns out looking like my muscular, broad-shouldered self is juuuuuust fine. We do need ALL sorts to teach yoga. Because we humans are all sorts
considering Barbie has not evolved at all in the 50 odd years she’s been around to realistically represent Real Women in any way, shape or form, she is fair game for the piss take in yoga realms for this representation of a teacher. Especially when so many of us are working hard to honor the yoga tradition. Good luck balancing with no toes Babs.
Nadine, I really enjoy your blog. I have nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award:
http://persephoneascends.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/beautiful-blogger-award/
Oh the Lululemon ad is funny! Very funny!
well, I think Barbie as a yoga practitioner is hilarious. It’s a step of Martell to see that yoga is moving into the mainstream. It’s also an opportunity for us who practice yoga to laugh at ourselves a bit.
Your article does nto match the title though.
I truly thought you were going to write about Barbie making quips at yoga teachers and at people who said she was too stuck up etc etc.. It could be really funny her little retorts with double-edged sides. Instead you wrote a short article about how you laugh off comments.
I will have to write another, Cathy
With quips, as you suggest.
It’s funny…they should have given her a Ganesh tattoo and a matching Ken driving a hippie VW van
Bwahaha! You mocking my tattoos?
Ok, granted, they are peacock feathers…and my boyfriend would die before he drove a hippie van