One of My Idols Was a Barbie Doll: The Others Were Black
Growing up in So Cal in the 60s and 70s
First, I’m the author of the good Barbie poem. The funny one any little girl can read and enjoy, not the ugly, sick one written by the famous poet who obviously never operated on her Barbie. Second, if there had been a Black Barbie option when I was a kid, I would have wanted the doll.
I used to come home from school every day and watch reruns of the original Star Trek. Who was, by far, my favorite character? Uhura! Who else? Nurse Chapel was too tall and stiff and didn’t have much of a part. I know a lot of people on the autism spectrum share Temple Grandin’s love of Mr. Spock. Others like hotheaded Kirk or folksy “Bones.” What was my other choice of idol and role model on this show? One of the scantily-dressed alien ladies dancing for Kirk? It could only be cool-headed, resourceful, beautiful Uhura. Oh, if only I could have nails like hers … someday.
Then sometimes I watched Batman. It was pretty dumb. But I liked a certain one of the Catwomen. Not equally tall and stiff Julie Newmar or Lee Meriwether. I, a small person, liked small, lithe Eartha Kitt as Catwoman. And her name was perfect! Kitt — for kitten, the Catwoman.
And then I used to watch this show about a working single mom and nurse: Julia. It…
