'Does my bum look big in this?'

Men have always liked voluptuous women. Film stars like Betty Grable, Lana Turner, Gina Lollobrigida, Elizabeth Taylor and Jayne Mansfield blazed a trail when breasts were an obsession with many men and Playboy magazine their little secret!

The hourglass figure wiggle was demonstrated by stars like Barbara Windsor and Marilyn Monroe.

And, today, bums are in! Wth references to 'booty' which is slang for bottom in hip hop and rap, and 'bootylicious' you are nothing without an amply padded backside.

The reality star Kim Kardashian, famous for, well, being famous,has now become a role model for many young women wanting to emulate her bottom, although it is now three times bigger than it used to be!

However, it seems that there has been outrage over the Mexican version of Barbie Doll, Barbie Butt Lift, fearing that the doll will frustrate young girls, encouraging them to seek bigger bottoms. The present success of the Barbie film shows how happy we were with the original Barbie who hit the shops in 1959, with her boyfriend Ken two years later.

Barbie was the most sophisticated doll ever with blonde, glossy hair and a normal sized bottom!

She paved the way for countless spinoffs like Christie, Barbies black friend in 1968 and a black Ken in 1981.

Striking a blow for diversity, 'Earring Magic Ken' was an extremely attractive young man. The doll wore a lavender mesh shirt, purple leather jerkin, hip hugging black jeans and an earring when pierced ears for men was a bit risque, certainly in America. Although this became the best selling Ken of all time, it appears that, unintentionally, so manufacturers Mattel said, Ken became a gay icon!

It would be interesting to see how successful Barbie Butt Lift became! Did it inspire young women to utter the plaintive cry - 'Please let my bum look big in this!!'