Published by
The Moderate Voice
The Moderate Voice
In one sense, Barbie is already dead, cheerfully doomed to repeat the same pink day, devoid of food, conflict and sex.Chris Hondros/Getty Images Katie Kapurch, Texas State University Ariel and Barbie have quite a bit in common: They’re both frozen in time, and they both yearn to live as humans do. The fantastic seascapes and perfect dollhouses of “The Little Mermaid” and “Barbie” might appear whimsical. But I see these settings – and the characters who inhabit them – as figurations of death. In my forthcoming book, I consider the relationship between mermaids and Barbie dolls. In the case of t…