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Dunn House rejects Barbie Photo by Bob Pennell Armella Wharton's donation of 300 Barbie outfits she had sewn was rejected by Dunn House because the fashion doll represents women as sex objects. Doll clothes turned down because of toy's sexist stereotype By JONEL ALECCIA A local battered women's shelter has rejected a Medford grandmother's gift of 300 hand-sewn Barbie outfits, saying the fashion doll contributes to the social conditions that cause domestic violence. Dunn House, Jackson County's only shelter for abused women and children, turned down a box of velvet Barbie dresses, beaded Barbie wedding gowns and tiny, fringed denim Barbie jackets, all handmade by 77-year-old Armella Wharton. "Barbie represents a culture that objectifies women as sex symbols," said Maggie Jordan, director of victim services for Dunn House. "She tends to represent the shallow sexism of our culture." The issue comes during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Wharton, grandmother of 14 and great-grandmother to six, said Tuesday she was surprised and upset that an agency that serves children would turn down her offer. She said she spent six months making the tiny clothes from scraps in part because she had no dolls of her own as a child growing up during the Great Depression. "If we had a doll, my mother gave it to her sister because they were worse off than we were. I've never gotten over my love of dolls," Wharton said. "All little girls love Barbie dolls ... I can't believe they won't take them." But staff members at Dunn House, along with many women's rights groups, believe the fashion doll with the impossible proportions offers children an unrealistic image of women's bodies and contributes to a culture of consumerism. "We focus on creating a safe and healthy atmosphere, so our children are supplied with teddy bears, other stuffed animals and soft-bodied dolls," Jordan said. It's rare for a social service agency to turn down well-meaning donations, acknowledged Arnie Green, director of Community Works, the agency that encompasses Dunn House. "I feel sorry for the woman who feels she was turned away...," Green said. "But I'm at a point of supporting my staff. The battering of women has gone to such a serious level in this state, county and country. This may be considered going overboard, but at this point in time, maybe we need to go a little overboard." Other area agencies that serve abused children have no trouble accepting donations such as Wharton's. "We'll take them!" said Robin Amos, business manager at Family Friends, a Grants Pass counseling center for abused children. "We don't have any political agenda on that." Toy guns are about the only playthings the agency might not accept, Amos said. Her views were echoed at the Children's Advocacy Center in Medford, a counseling center for sexually abused kids. Intake coordinator Christina Hill said it's important to weigh the value of taking a political stand against the impact of a kind gesture such as Wharton's. Hill said she agrees that Barbie represents a female sex object. "But this lady went to that extent to show her love for these children. I don't see, personally, how I could turn her down." Dozens of people have called Wharton to suggest places where her Barbie clothes, accessories and storage bags would be welcome. That's the important thing, said Wharton, a lifelong seamstress. `I would like to give these things to needy children who love to play with dolls," Wharton said. "If this is my 15 minutes of fame, I want to find a place for these things." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA