Comm 3 Persuasive Speech Outline

Heather Billings

I.                    Introduction

a.       I would like everyone to close their eyes, envision the color pink, and associate something with that color.  (I will then ask a couple of people what they thought of.)  When I think of pink, I think of Barbie.

b.      Barbie is often seen today as a bad role model for girls.  I would like to show how Barbie is actually a good role model for girls.

c.       This is because of how Barbie inspires girls to dream big, how she teaches girls to respect others, and how she is actually less feminist than many people think she is.

d.      Like most girls here, I played with Barbie when I was little.  I have been a collector of Barbie for five years, and I have met and worked with Ruth Handler, who was Barbie’s inventor.

II.                 Body

a.       Barbie is a good role model because she teaches girls that they can dream big.

                                                               i.      In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Mattel’s slogan for Barbie was, “We girls can do anything, right Barbie?”

                                                             ii.      She has had several houses, both in the city and the country; many cars; a lot of horses; and more shoes and clothes than you can shake a stick at.

                                                            iii.      She has been everything from paleontologist to NASCAR driver.  According to Mattel, she has had over 80 careers since she first appeared as a Teenage Fashion Model in 1959.

1.      According to Sarah Sink Eames’ book “Barbie Doll Fashion,” Barbie became an astronaut and went to the moon in 1965,  eighteen years before Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, did.

2.       In 1991, and again in 2000, Barbie ran for President.

3.      She has served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.

b.      Barbie is a good role model because she teaches girls to respect others.

                                                               i.      Mattel has produced the Dolls of the World series since 1980, according to Barbie Bazaar, a doll collector’s magazine.

1.      This series focuses on reproducing historical outfits from different areas of the world, such as Thailand and Czechoslovakia. 

2.      The boxes these dolls come in always feature information about the country she comes from, such as the traditional foods, dances, and customs. 

3.      They usually include a few common words of the country’s language, also.        

                                                             ii.      Barbie has friends of all colors and kinds, including Hispanic, African-American, and Oriental. 

1.      Barbie herself has represented 45 nationalities.

2.      Her first black friend was Christie, in 1968, and was considered groundbreaking. 

3.      In 1997, Mattel introduced Becky, Barbie’s friend who came in a wheelchair.

c.       Barbie is a good role model because she is less feminist than people make her out to be.

                                                               i.      She participates in all kinds of sports.

1.      Skiing, snowboarding, hiking, windsailing, and surfing are a few of the individual sports she enjoys.

2.      She also plays team sports such as soccer and basketball.

3.      She sometimes even plays for pretsigious teams, such as the Cubs and the Dodgers.

                                                             ii.      She has never let men dominate her life.

1.      Ken is often described by collectors as “Barbie’s biggest accessory.”  Usually, Ken dolls are only made to compliment the Barbie dolls.

2.      While Barbie got her first car in 1962 and has had many new ones since, Ken got his first and only in 1964.

3.      Even though her best friends Midge and Allan got married in 1991 (says manbehindthedoll.com), she and Ken have just dated for 40 years.  Now that’s a dedicated guy.

III.               Conclusion

a.       I’ve shown you why I believe Barbie is unfairly stereotyped as a poor role model for girls.  There is a lot girls can learn from Barbie, such as that it’s OK to have high aspirations, that other people and cultures are just as important as their own, and that women can be strong and self-supporting.

b.      So maybe next time you see the color pink, you’ll think of Barbie and all the positive images she can convey.