If the Baby Einstein characters were to be pitted against Barbie, who do you think would win?
Imagine an Amazonian woman decked in high heels, and a mini-skirt, proudly stomping towards small animals; their instruments, paint brushes and other tools primed for battle. Do you think that they would be able to use their tools? If the Einsteins could use their instruments, could Barbie use her convertible or minivan? Also, would it be a one-on-one battle, or could they call friends? Would Ken come barging in, decimating all the cultural icons? Or, will the Baby Einsteins amass an unstoppable force? Now, I know that they are just multimillion dollar icons, but the idea of one against the other presents an interesting notion: Which do parents shop for more?
According to Time’s Oct. 9 essay, “Barbie to Baby Einstein: Get Over It” by Po Bronson, Barbie decimates Baby Einstein, three billion to two-hundred million worth of products. And those numbers are without Barbie’s boyfriend G.I. Joe putting his hand in the toy tycoon war. The reason why Bronson brought this idea up is the media’s portrayal of the true American family. The media claims that parents buy Baby Einstein, when clearly the numbers show Barbie is taking the lead.
The idea of a “perfect” childhood has been warping the minds of mothers, putting unnecessary pressure on both the parents and the children. This anxiety brings out doubt, which leads to fallacies in a child’s beliefs, such as applying to 12 schools in order to be accepted to just one. I know that we, as students, are past the application hurdle for now, but what did we believe when we applied?
I came to Cal State Long Beach from Long Beach City College. I started college right after high school. I had a 3.0 GPA, but I only applied to LBCC. Seeing most of my friends wearing white at graduation, the symbol for graduating with a 4.0, I felt like I would be cut off from schools that I wanted to attend. My beliefs led me to only apply to LBCC out of high school. I had the same notion when I went to high school. I wanted to transfer to Woodrow Wilson High School, a more prestigious school, but I was told that my grades weren’t good enough. I was stuck with who I thought would accept me.
According to Bronson, only 2 percent of students apply to 12 or more colleges, and forty-four percent of colleges accept every single applicant. Only 150 of around 3,500 colleges are so selective that they turn down more than half of their applicants.
When transferring from LBCC, I applied to CSULB as well as Cal State Fullerton. I was given an early acceptance to CSUF. I achieved this with my constant GPA of 3.0 through community college. From what I’ve learned from television, counselors, and family members, what I had achieved seemed impossible. Early acceptance wasn’t something you heard everyday from an average student.
My cousin, a high school senior at Lakewood High School, is going through the same motions with picking a university. Ever since she started high school, colleges have been adorning her with letters, brochures, and offers of the best education. She participates in athletics, school events and maintains a 4.0 with little effort. Putting aside my envy, she appears to have advantages that I never had when I first started going to college: a good GPA and university attention.
With my cousin and I both being past the Baby Einstein revolution, it’s something to think about when we plan our own families. My 21st birthday is only a month away, so I’m not even thinking about the possible grandeur of my own family, but what would I do with my children knowing what I know now?
At my place of employment, Baby Einstein is around every corner, emanating the vibes that all mothers pick up on. It’s almost as if purchasing Baby Einstein makes you a good mother. Maybe by making your child watch DVD upon DVD it can help them speak Mandarin Chinese and start building those bridges to Stanford or Harvard. As far as I know, Baby Einstein doesn’t teach languages just yet.
I’m also interested by the possible dynamics that Sesame Street and Bratz have with the moldable minds of our youth. Do hand puppets and ghetto-fabulous icons mean cosmetology school and community college? While I am personally against buying any form of Bratz, what market share does it encompass? Not to mention Sesame Street is still on the air and teaching children their ABCs for free on public television.
My generation seems to have turned out okay, but I fear for the next influx of college students. Is Baby Einstein the next bellwether of the perfect childhood, or can Barbie maintain her market share? It’s hard to say. With a proper image from the media of the rights and wrongs of parenting, it’s anyone’s guess.
Cystal Claussen is a senior English and journalism major and a weekly columnist for the Daily Forty-Niner.
