"Barbie is just a doll"

The quote "Barbie is simply a doll" by Mary Schmich suggests that Barbie, regardless of her cultural significance as an icon of appeal and womanhood, is eventually just a toy - a produced things that must not hold unnecessary influence over individuals' understandings of themselves or others. By stressing the "simply" in "just a doll," Schmich downplays the supposed importance that lots of have attributed to Barbie both favorably and adversely. The quote functions as a tip to take Barbie's role in society with a grain of salt and not offer her excessive power or significance in shaping our views on gender, beauty, and identity.