In 2010, Redd Barna’s youth organisation, Press, began to award what is referred to as the worst award – namely the Golden Barbie.
Since then, the prize has been awarded annually to the actor who is “best at making young people feel the worst”, and is assessed based on the following criteria:
“The actor uses outdated gender roles, one-sided beauty ideals or unnecessary sexualisation to make money from his product”.
Every year, candidates are nominated for this award before young people throughout the country vote for the one they think deserves the best award.
In the past, among others, Sophie Elise AS, Brandy Melville and BikBok have been awarded the not quite so prestigious prize.
I think they have to take a bigger responsibility
In this year’s awards, the three nominees were the reality series Ex on the Beach Norway, the clothing chain Zara and the teeth whitening brand Prowhitening.
Now Press reveals that this year’s Golden Barbie goes to Ex on the Beach Norway – and with an overwhelming share of the votes, they write in a press release.
– By voting for this year’s Gullbarbie, children and young people have clearly stated that they are tired of how sexualized the media image is. They are fed up with Ex on the Beach Norge playing on children and young people’s insecurities and creating sex, says the head of Press, Isaac Elstad Røssness.
The organization believes that Ex on the Beach Norway must take greater responsibility, given the enormous influence reality series have on children and young people.
The press release also states that Press has had a dialogue with Discovery Networks Norway AS, which produces the reality series, about the rationale for the nomination. There, Røssnes says that Press finds it positive that they are willing to listen to children and young people’s criticism.
Hoping for a change in the reality series
To Good evening Norway, Røssnes can reveal that it is not very often that the candidates for Gullbarbie take up the invitation to a meeting to discuss the rationale and proposals for changes.
– So when Discovery agrees to such a meeting, we feel that they take us seriously. We also experience that they take on board the criticism children and young people bring, when they say that they should perhaps use “less body and more warmth in the marketing”, he says, and refers to the TV company’s statements when the nomination was announced earlier this year .
Nevertheless, Press reacts to the company’s response to the criticism that the series reflects the society in which we live.
– We agree that the media image is sexualised. Ex on the Beach Norway is not unique in playing on sex to get attention. What we react to is that Discovery uses this as an argument against our criticism. That the media image is sexualized is a reason to change the series, it is not a reason to keep it as it is, says Røssnes to God kveld Norge.
Now the organization hopes that Ex on the Beach Norway will change some of the content of the series and the way it is marketed to make it less one-sided.
– This could be, for example, changing some of the way the series is filmed, that there does not need to be close-ups of all body parts, or that the challenges in the series can focus on something other than the body and sex.
I think Gullbarbie set the agenda
In the press release, it is pointed out that many series have a great focus on the body and sex, and that this is not necessarily problematic.
– But when reality series also blur the line between fiction and reality, it can affect children and young people negatively, according to Røssnes.
To Good evening Norway, he elaborates that the vast majority of people are aware that reality series are not reality, but points out that there are still real people who participate in the programmes.
– Therefore, the sexual expression experienced by a participant will affect children and young people completely differently than if they know it is fiction, despite the fact that the scenario in a reality series will also be fabricated to a certain extent.
Røssnes claims that when Press started the Gullbarbie campaign in 2010, no one talked about body pressure or the influence of the advertising and media industry on children and young people.
– Gullbarbie helped put this on the agenda and it has led to change. For example, we contributed to the fact that retouched advertising must now be labeled. Bikbok also changed the sizes to conform to European standards after they won the Gullbarbie in 2018.
Furthermore, he says that they often hear stories from children and young people who have experienced physical pressure, either on social media or when Press gives lectures at schools.
– They think Gullbarbie is an important prize because it focuses on that problem, he concludes.
Good evening Norway has tried to get a reply from Discovery, so far without success.
