Related to this discussion about Barbie creating unrealistic standards for girls and promoting controversial feminist stereotypes, a woman named Blondie Bennett is currently in the news newspapers around the world for stating that she would like to be treated like a "plastic sex doll" and will undergo hypnotherapy to become "brainless" like Barbie (Kirkova, 2014). Bennett is an obsessive Barbie fan who has invested thousands of dollars in plastic surgeries to create a more plastic image of her body so she can look more like the doll. In her interviews, she prides herself on being forgetful and absent-minded. She remembers Barbie as her first toy when she was a young girl. Dressed head to toe in pink, Bennett says, “when I was a teenager…I wanted to look like Barbie in my life…she was just living an exciting life” (Kirkova, 2014). She also added, “Barbie has the best life – all she does is shop and look pretty – she doesn't worry about anything” (Kirkova, 2014). Bennett has male friends who pay for her rent and surgeries in exchange for sexual favors. Obviously, Bennett uses his sexuality to gain advantage and is entirely dependent on men financially. She even changes the tone of her voice to sound like that of a young girl. Of course, this is one of the rarest cases, but it really shows how much of an impact a simple toy can have on a child's development. Furthermore, this illustrates why toy design and the underlying themes they possess need to be carefully researched and understood. Many toys are packaged and advertised with a variety of cultural and gender stereotypes attached to them. This is worrying because stereotypes hinder growth. Teaching children that they need to be certified...... middle of paper ......eport 2012. World Economic Forum. Retrieved March 2, 2014, from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2012.pdf Irvine, M. (May 26, 2009). Is princess syndrome bad?. Daily Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2014, from http://www.questia.com/library/1G1-200630360/is-princess-syndrome-badKirkova, D. (February 14, 2010). Blondie Bennett undergoes hypnosis therapy to make her look like a "brainless sex doll." Daily mail. Retrieved February 28, 2014 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2562870/I-want-people-treat-like-plastic-sex-doll-Woman-hypnotherapy-make-brainless-like - Barbie-sending-25-000-breast-enhancements.htmlMarcos, I. (1998, November 14). Here we go Barbie: A Doll's Story. The Guardian, p. 16. Retrieved February 28, 2014 from the Lexis Nexis academic database. Shlomo, A. (2002). Imaginative game for children, a visit to Wonderland. Westport, CT: Praeger.