The Assistant Majority Whip for the West Virginia House of Delegates, Jeff Eldridge (D-Lincoln), is simultaneously seeking to legalize “the emerging full-contact – and often bloody – sport of mixed martial arts” while also pushing to make it “unlawful to sell Barbie and similar dolls ‘that promote or influence girls to place an undue importance on physical beauty to the detriment of their intellectual and emotional development.'”
The background:
From an article in The Charleston Daily Mail, which also describes in great detail Eldridge’s upbringing and history with fighting:
[Eldridge’s] knack for and interest in competitive fighting has led Eldridge to introduce legislation that would allow mixed marital arts events in West Virginia.
In recent years, boxing has dropped in popularity, but the emerging full-contact – and often bloody – sport of mixed martial arts is gaining more fans.
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Mixed martial arts is a one-on-one combat sport that allows various fighting techniques, from striking to grappling.
Kicking, punching, wrestling, kneeing, elbowing, slamming, twisting – it’s all allowed. Winners are determined by knockout, submission or referee’s decision.
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The sport has come a long way since the 1990s, when U.S. Sen. John McCain dubbed it, “human cockfighting.”
“To my knowledge, no one has died in the UFC,” Eldridge said “There’s a referee and doctors on the scene. It’s professional.
“It’s aggressive, but I’ve seen bad fights in a game of marbles, too.”
Okay – take a deep breadth. Because, although Eldridge has seen bad fights in a game of marbles too, and still wants to legalize mixed martial arts? He’s got his rationale for banning Barbie all worked out:
House Bill 2918 [a bill “relating to banning the sale of “Barbie” dolls and other dolls that influence girls to be beautiful], introduced Tuesday, would make it unlawful to sell Barbie and similar dolls “that promote or influence girls to place an undue importance on physical beauty to the detriment of their intellectual and emotional development.”
“That’s the image out there that’s the most impressionable on our younger children, especially our little girls — ‘I want to be like Barbie,'” said the bill’s sponsor, Delegate Jeff Eldridge, D-Lincoln. “If we had that other image of Barbie being smart, and beautiful as well, I think that would be a great image to send to our young kids. ”
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If the bill makes any headway in the Legislature, West Virginia’s government would not be the first to try to block Barbie from store shelves. Iran has tried to ban Barbie dolls in the past, in large part because of how they are dressed.
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He is concerned about what could hurt girls’ self-images and said not all the blame should go to Barbie. There also is the image that parents and other family members or adults pass on to young girls that “You’re beautiful” or “You’re a princess,” instead of integrating images of both beauty and intelligence, he said.
The article says Mattel has yet to comment.
Did I mention that one of the committees to which he’s assigned is a Committee on Children, Juveniles and Other Issues?
Did I mention that the W.Va. House of Delegates has 100 members, 20 of whom are women?
Did I mention that Barbie’s official birthday, her 50th this year, is March 9? (Listen here to a great Diane Rehm show from Monday in which the panel debates the merits and demerits of Barbie.)
Did I mention that Barbie dolls and mixed martial arts are legal in Ohio?
Okay.
So, here are how some other folks are responding to Eldridge’s bills and/or react to the idea of Barbie:
Finish reading this post at Writes Like She Talks.