Bimbos, boob jobs and Botox

There is a game on the internet called The Miss Bimbo Internet game where girls as young as nine compete against each other to earn cyber dollars in order to buy their cyber “bimbos” breast implants, designer lingerie, facelifts and diet treatments to keep them “waif thin”. This horrifies me. At nine years old I was playing with dolls but mine did not require breast implants or diet treatments. My dolls were happy if I bought them a new dress and a hair brush. My dolls didn’t go to nightclubs they went to tea parties. Things have changed but I don’t think they have changed for the better. I believe and people I know believe that children should be free to enjoy their childhood. I think that the pressure to be included and in the know leads young girls to play this game rather than an informed choice.

Parent groups and medical authorities in Europe are outraged despite the creators saying it we designed as a bit of fun and an introduction for girls “into the real world”. When children play they learn. Do we really want our daughters to “learn” how to be bimbos? Do we really want them to think that all that matters is what you look like? Children of this age don’t understand the concept of irony and would take it literally to mean that being a bimbo is cool and something to aspire to.

Following are three links about the Internet Bimbo game. Most of the internet articles I read had similar views that it is an unhealthy game for girls this young to play. Again, I say let young girls enjoy their childhood. There’s plenty of time to learn about the realities of life when they are older.

Anna Simonaitis

http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/39miss_bimbo39_game_sparks_outrage__543532
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2007/s2200393.htm
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,,23435740-23272,00.html