Long under scrutiny for her unrealistic body proportions, Mattel recently announced that Barbie will now be available in three new body sizes: petite, curvy and tall. As a “…nod to growing up girl in our culture right now,” many are wondering why it took Mattel so long to finally address concerns that mothers (and women) have had for decades.
But is this change enough? Watch the below clip and let us know your thoughts in the comments. Are we still making too big of a deal over a woman’s — even a doll’s — body? Or is this finally a step in the right direction of breaking down impossible beauty ideals?
Would you buy the new Barbie(s)?
Image from Mattel via TIME
4 comments
I honestly and most deeply think that a doll or any other toy or object can’t affect anyone if their mind is set in the right place. When someone, as a parent, keeps telling their child how beautiful someone is based on their outer appereance, there is a big possibility that their child will judge on someone’s looks and of course see themselves as an object. If you give your child the wrong definition of beauty, it’s unfair to blame dolls. But if a parent teached their child how important the personality of a person is, they will never have to deal with being brainwashed by some toy. I had 100 Barbie dolls. Never did I feel like I needed to be like her, or anyone else.
I really think it’s wonderful to have dolls that represent all different ethnicities and body types to provide a choice for everyone, and so kudos to Mattel. However, Barbie is a doll, and in her defense, sometimes dolls have funky bodies and shapes because they are toys. When I was a kid I knew she was a doll, I didn’t expect to have her plastic doll body any more than I expected to look like Raggedy Ann. My daughter and her friends also grew up playing with Barbie, and they knew that she was a doll, right alongside the red-haired Strawberry Shortcake doll with the over-sized head. My son also never asked why he didn’t look like Woody or Buz Lightyear, or why Hello Kitty doesn’t have an entire face. Most importantly, how can a doll with blonde hair and blue eyes be deemed “not relevant”? I have the same hair and eyes, am I not relevant? Am I not an ethnic type? So I’m happy that they are providing choices for all little girls and their parents, I want all little girls to be happy and healthy and to know that they are all beautiful, but I was never offended by a little plastic skinny doll with lots of cool clothes. That’s just who she is. She is Barbie.
I am in full support of this! This is exactly the kind of progress that supports girls (and women) to accept and love themselves for who they are. The fact that an iconic doll, and internationally recognized brand, has finally recognized the importance of that, and is willing to make significant changes, is a cultural milestone and a step into a more loving and conscious world 🙂
Barbie should have been made curvy a long long time ago. Her shape was ridiculous. I mean, who seriously has legs that long? I think that men are tuned to only appreciate women with long legs and models, and I hope the new Barbie will get a few of the men out there thinking that legs are not the be all and end all of choosing a partner. My current partner always used to stare at women with long legs, and it made me self conscious. I have bought him a book for Valentine’s day ” How to make a woman happy” by Denis Hickey. I wonder if it has a chapter on legs? 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Woman-Happy-Guide-ebook/dp/B00ULJLDSS