The View From A Broad
Hi welcome to The View From A Broad. I'm Teresa Norton and this podcast dives into my past, revisiting columns I wrote for the South China Morning Post between 1993 and 2000 during my 40 years living in Hong Kong.
These often funny, sometimes tender, occasionally provocative musings cover everything from marriage and working motherhood, to national identity and global events. As a weekly columnist I aimed to capture the quirks of human interactions, carve up a few sacred cows and tell it like it is... but did I? In the 30 years since those columns were written much has changed and... so have I.
In each episode I read a column and talk to a guest about how the piece stands up today - what still rings true and what feels out of sync with today’s world. They then share a true story from their past that's been unearthed by something in the column.
The result is an engaging and honest conversation about the evolution of social norms, culture and humor, re-examining the past through the lens of today’s values.
By looking back with compassion and curiosity, my hope is that The View From A Broad encourages reflection on how our perspectives have changed... or not... and why.
The View From A Broad
Confessions of a Barbie Girl | Teresa talks to Melissa Chan
In this episode host Teresa Norton (a confessed Barbie fan who still has her first and only Barbie doll ) is joined by her guest Melissa Chan as they dive into a nostalgic, affectionate and critical examination of the iconic doll.
Teresa's take in her 1990's newspaper column was that Barbie wasn't built to be a role model... she was a fashion model. Designed to get in and out of fabulous outfits. The column is funny... the conversation it opens up in the podcast is more serious.
They talk about the impact of Barbie on childhood and cultural perceptions of beauty, the evolution of representation in toys and media, and the complexities of identity and the importance of diverse role models for today's children.
Melissa shares her unique experience of wanting but not owning a Barbie, and why her parents said "no" to getting her one.
Lack of representation for girls of color during her upbringing in Malaysia and Singapore, contrasts with how her daughter, now 10, is growing up in an era where representation is the norm.
Teresa and Melissa remind us that while Barbie may have shaped their childhoods in different ways, the doll opens up important conversations for parents to have their children about the importance of not letting marketing executives set beauty standards for them.
Thanks to Melissa Chan for sharing her own Barbie story and... to Barbie for continuing to be a catalyst for controversy!
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