Does the Barbie brand represent modern feminine identity?

http://www.brandchannel.com/forum.asp?bd_id=106

•Barbie is a vessel through which girls pretend, just as boys play with action figures trying to take over the earth. (Forgive the gender stereotyping.) Are these boys doomed to be villainous grown-ups? C'mon... •I think Mattel is wise to target women, rather than girls, with the Barbie's 50th campaign, because they understand better than anyone that Barbie isn't just a plastic doll but a cultural icon of fashion, girlhood and relevance through continued reinvention I hate comments like this: "Barbie is the archetypal embodiment of luxury, desire and envy. She goes to Aspen for a ski trip, drives in her convertible, camps out of a lush RV in the savannah, goes horseback riding, wining and dining, or clubbing. She dresses lavishly, is aware of her sex appeal and thus surrounded by attractive men. It’s a dream of a lifestyle. And all the while she has that soft but somewhat arrogant look on her face, challenging your ability to be what she is. Isn’t this exactly the definition of luxury – exclusive opulence provoking a toxic mix of desire and envy?" OK of course Barbie embodies luxury - what else would a doll you PLAY with do? Embody "austerity, economy, frugality, necessity" (the antonyms of luxury) - what's the fun in that? I mean who dreams about being less than they are, don't we all dream of being more and Barbie is that dream for little girls - she can go anywhere and do anything. She is an element of your imagined world as a child, so why wouldn't she have luxury - a thing soooo darn priced by our society?