In 2018, Mattel®’s Barbie®, America’s best-selling doll, since 1959, is really trying hard to befriend parents and to win feminist endorsement. Sixty years after Ruth Handler invented Barbie® dolls, realizing that little girls fantasized about being big girls not only mommies, and therefore might also play with fashionably dressed grown-up dolls, in addition to baby dolls, Mattel®’s 150 grown-up Barbie® dolls have also become more inclusive and diversified. On International Woman’s Day, Mattel®'s Barbie® has also become a global inspiration for little girls.
Gone the era of Caucasian Barbie®, Ken®, and Skipper®, in blonde or brunette, with a single physical appearance that made feminists raise their voices. Barbie® is inhuman, saintly, unachievable and disproportioned! Barbie® now has different body types (tall, short, thin or full-bodied), with 7 skin types, 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles. She is Asian, Black American, African, Latina, Indian, and Caucasian. Most importantly, aligned with Ruth Handler's original insights while factoring in the advancement of women, Barbie® now has a career, in addition to Ken®, a kid sister, and a fabulous wardrobe. Now, Barbie® (and Ken®), offer more depth of character, and a wider set of options, making it perhaps unambiguously easier for little girls to identify, to dream and to play.
Mattel®’s latest campaign “You can be anything!” aims to please feminists, while inspiring little girls to also fulfill their potential in a career of their choice, to become filmmakers, vets, scientists, astronauts, professors, coaches, musicians, army officers, construction workers, athletic champions, plus more.
On International Woman’s Day, Mattel® has also released more global women sheroes in the new line of Barbie® sheroes, comprising modern-day role models and historical sheroes. A list of Barbie® sheroes is hyperlinked below.
- Artist Frida Kahlo
- Fearless pilot Amelia Earhart
- NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson
- US Olympian snowboarding champion Chloe Kim
- US Film director Patty Jenkins
- Australian conservationist Bindi Irwin
- Britsh boxing champion Nicola Adams Obe
- Italian football champion Sara Gama
- Polish TV Presenter and National Geographic Poland Editor Martyna Wojciechowska
- Chinese prima ballerina Yuan Yuan Tan
- Spain’s actress Vicky Martin Berrocal
- Chinese actress Xiaotong Guan
- French chef Hélène Darroze
- Chinese former volleyball player Hui Ruoqi
- German and Iran born fashion designer Leyla Piedayesh
- Turkish model, actress, mechanical engineer, and windsurfer champion Çağla Kubat
- Mexico's professional golfer Lorena Ochoa
- US film Director Ava Duvernay
- US Gymnastics champion Gabby Douglas
- US fencing champion Ibtihaj Muhammad
- US Prima ballerina Misty Copeland
- US Ashley model and body activist Ashley Graham
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| Just a few of the Barbie® sheroes |
Happy International Woman's Day to all!
References
Barbie® – Mattel®https://barbie.mattel.com/shop#
Mattel® (March 6, 2018) Barbie® honors global role models on International Woman's Day
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/barbie-honors-global-role-models-on-international-womens-day-300608985.html
Mattel - Barbie® role models
https://barbie.mattel.com/en-us/about/role-models.html
Atler, C. (Feb. 5, 2014) In defense of Barbie®: She might be the most feminist doll around – Time Magazine
http://time.com/4597/in-defense-of-barbie-why-she-might-be-a-feminist-doll-after-all/
Bouton, D. (Oct. 26, 2015) Barbie® is now doing feminism- but not every one is convinced. Barbie®’s battles with feminism aren’t over yet. The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/entertainment/barbie-is-now-doing-feminism-but-not-everyones-convinced-a6709936.html
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