It’s hard for me to think of my childhood without Barbie in it. My sister and I shared the old-school pink plastic Barbie Dream House; we had a huge Tupperware tub full of different Barbies and their many outfits; I used to go over to my friends’ houses just to play with our Barbie dolls.
I even remember trading Barbie dolls with my childhood bestie over Christmas so that we wouldn’t miss each other so much.
I never thought twice about playing with Barbie or what looking at an incredibly thin, blonde doll was doing to my body image or self-esteem. But that isn’t something that girls are really aware of at that age, is it?
Now, as an adult, I can completely understand why some parents (and kids) would rather not have the California dream girl in their homes. Barbie isn’t particularly diverse, her body type isn’t attainable (or admirable) and she certainly doesn’t look like any of the girls I hang out with now or as a child.
And since Barbie first hit the shelves in the 1950s, she’s held steadfast to her bright blonde hair and insanely inaccurate proportions… until now.
Barbie just got an incredible makeover that has been in the making for the last two years.
As part of Mattel’s #TheDollEvolves campaign, Barbie will now be available in three new body shapes—curvy, petite and tall—in addition to the original Barbie.On top of the new body shapes, Barbie lovers will be able to completely customize the rest of the doll—from her skin tone, to her hair colour, to her trendy outfit.
The idea is that this shift to a more inclusive and representative Barbie will help women and girls feel represented while also shifting the ideas we all hold about body standards and what is considered beautiful in our society.
I love this and hope that the #TheDollEvolves campaign will allow more girls to enjoy Barbies like I did as a kid while realizing that there is no one definition of “beautiful”—we are all beautiful because we are different!
Watch the video below and let us know what you think about Barbie’s new look!
I think it is a terrific idea to have a variety of Barbies just like other toys that offer variety. I also like that she is more representative of real human shapes…that she has short skirts and no booboos is fine; she is not three or even thirteen, and outfits that come in shorts or pants can easily be bought for her if the skirt image is not appreciated…great move Mattel!
I think it’s great to have a doll that looks like you or at least closely resembles you. But I have never looked at a Barbie and wanted to look like her…I always saw her as a doll…a toy. Much like my brother’s G.I. Joe doll with his rippling muscles or his Lego figures. He never wanted a yellow face and boxy pants. I understand the need for diversity in toys but I just can’t understand why there’s a need to personify a toy like that. Cabbage Patch Dolls don’t look like real babies and no one is complaining about that like they are Barbies (who don’t look like real women).
The picture of the Barbies doesn’t show any soccer cleats. They show skirt lengths that are getting girls kicked out of school. There are no scabby knees from falling out of a tree or a tool belt to help their parents fix the bathroom. Their makeup is perfect and their hair is on point. Still not realistic, guys. They are still, primarily, fashion dolls for fantasy play and that is fine.
I dunno, I think there’s a lot of pressure put on others to teach our own kids about stuff that we should be telling them. Of course, looking back I guess I did wish I had Barbie’s hair sometimes so I would just put my tights on my head and let my imagination take over….y’know…play 🙂