Something Mag — Barbie 40

Here is what the Barbie conversation looks like when you are navigating perimenopause, mortgage rates, and youth sports.

My 40-something house has a leaky faucet in the guest bath, a pile of Amazon boxes on the porch, and a van that smells like spilled orange juice and sports equipment. I love my house, but I would kill for Barbie’s closet space. (Also, how does Barbie keep her white carpet so clean? Does she not have dogs? Or a husband who wears muddy boots?)

We are the generation that grew up with the impossible proportions. We had the "Slumber Party Barbie" that came with a scale set permanently to "110 lbs" and a book called How to Lose Weight that advised: "Don't eat." barbie 40 something mag

Now that we are 40-something, we are building our own Dreamhouses. They might have clutter and laundry piles, but they have love. We might not fit into her pink corvette, but we are comfortable in our minivan.

Now, at 40-something, we aren't asking, "What can I be?" We are asking, "What do I have to take off my plate to get eight hours of sleep?" Here is what the Barbie conversation looks like

Let’s talk real estate. Barbie’s Dreamhouse is iconic. It has a working elevator, a slide from the bedroom to the pool, and a corvette parked out front.

Barbie is no longer a role model for our bodies or our careers —she is a time capsule of our childhood hopes. (Also, how does Barbie keep her white carpet so clean

The biggest win of being 40-something? We finally get what Barbie was trying to teach us all along: Ken is just there.