Models using heroin: The Reality behind the Barbie Doll Myth This essay is about how young women cope with the demands of fashion industry's as a model.

Introduction Models have been a constant in popular culture since the 1950s, but never have they enjoyed a more lofty status in the Nineties, with such superstars as Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Elle Macpherson hawking anything from denim to soda pop. They are less like flesh and blood women and more like the ideal of what women should be, with no visible flaws or frailties. These icons reminiscent of the "Barbie Doll" described in …

…into a more visually acceptable 32C bosom with several thousands of dollars worth of silicone infections (Simpson, 1994). Now, the model has subjected herself to two possibly fatal health hazards - drug abuse and the risk of breast cancer - all in the pursuit of perfection. Unfortunately, "Barbie dolls don't always live happily ever after, she was advised to play coy, exercise, diet, smile and entice". Her good nature soon wore out like a fan belt.