Lawmaker of Barbie Ban Fame Speaks Up

The West Virginia legislator who has reaped the whirlwind since proposing to bar the sale of Barbie dolls explained himself Thursday, and earned a standing ovation in the process, The Associated Press reports.

Delegate Jeff Eldridge, D-Lincoln, said he received 3,000 e-mails and countless phone calls within 48 hours of introducing the bill. He estimated that at least 80 percent of the hateful responses were from men.

The bill "has sat idle in committee since its March 3 debut," the article said. "But news of the bill went viral, prompting comments from the likes of model Heidi Klum and a joke at West Virginia’s expense from Jay Leno of 'The Tonight Show.’"

But Eldridge said his bill, and the ensuing coverage, prompted children, parents and educators to discuss the issues of body image and self-esteem.

‘‘I personally feel that it ought to be up to the parents, what they let their kids play with,’’ Eldridge told the House. ‘‘So to me, it had nothing to do with Barbie. But it did have to do with the image that society places on our young children, on what they should look like to be able to succeed.’’

Public Broadcasting covered the speech, and has audio. MetroNews was also on hand, and offers audio as well.