No more purple dinosaurs or pink convertibles with dream houses! It’s time for parents and teachers to enjoy a day that isn’t filled with over-marketed characters who bring little substance to life. It’s time for National Barbie and Barney Backlash Day!
History of National Barbie and Barney Backlash Day
National Barbie and Barney Backlash Day was established by Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat. The purpose of founding the day was to give parents, teachers and daycare workers a break from all of the crazy-making sing-a-long songs and storytelling. It’s time to turn off those videos or music soundtracks and have some time for the kids to simply play and be creative!
Of course, while the name of the day specifically references Mattel’s Barbie and Public Television’s Barney, these are obviously not the only dolls, toys and videos that get run into the ground by children. This list might also include Elmo’s World from Sesame Street. Or it could be the annoying little whiny voice from the Canadian show, Calliou, which parents all around the world seem to despise.
Whichever characters and songs are the worst in each household or school room, National Barbie and Barney Backlash Day is here to encourage parents to protect their sanity by choosing some other options for keeping the kids busy.
How to Celebrate National Barbie and Barney Backlash Day
Thinking about the most effective ways to observe this day? Check out some of these ideas for paying heed to National Barbie and Barney Backlash Day:
Turn Off the Madness
The main point of this day is to support parents in their endeavor to stop the madness and get those soundbites of videos out of their heads for once by simply turning it off! Be willing to provide other options of activities for the kids to do on these days so they can stay busy and learn in other ways.
Break out the play dough clay, some building blocks toys, a coloring book with crayons, or just a basic Slinky on the stairs. Then, instead of annoying singalongs, toss some classical music on the stereo, like Chopin or Mozart, and just see what happens. Or, maybe the kids would be more interested in classic rock from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Whatever the choice, the point is to be more creative and add some variety and exposure to the kids’ lives.
Learn About Barbie and Barney
In observance of National Barbie and Barney Backlash Day, perhaps it would be interesting to research, learn about and share some things about these characters. Get started with some of these reasons people seem to dislike these two:
Barbie’s measurements are not medically possible on a human woman – she wouldn’t even be able to hold up her own head!
Barney & Friends, which first aired in 1992, is considered to be super saccharine and one-dimensional without encouraging children to think for themselves.
The term “big purple dinosaur” has become the equivalent of bland and tasteless pap.
In the 1960s, the “Slumber Party Barbie” came with a diet book and a scale, which only went up to 110 lbs!
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