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Barbie Gets Real
In case you haven’t heard, Barbie is about to get a makeover.
Just this past Thursday, toy company Mattel announced that the world famous doll will soon come in a variety of body types – specifically curvy, tall, and petite, in addition to the original. This seems like the obvious next step after last year’s release of new hairstyles and skin and eye colors.
The latest diversification is a huge step forward for the company, which has faced years of criticism over Barbie’s unrealistic proportions.
The announcement comes with a cover story in TIME along with a huge amount of publicity and warranted excitement from the general public.
But the company acknowledges that everything isn’t going be all sunshine and rainbows just yet. They’ve set up a call center for the parents of children who now own clothes and accessories that won’t fit the new dolls. As anyone who has a hard time finding clothes that fit can testify, this is a legitimate problem found in the real world. Different body types exist and clothes (doll or otherwise) need to reflect that.
But parents aren’t the only ones expected to have a hard time adjusting. The TIME article briefly mentions a focus group wherein girls as young as six didn’t quite know what to make of the new Barbie, even whispering that she was “fat” or making fun of her. This is an unfortunate consequence of growing up in a world where body types that stray from the “typical” are not as easily accepted. Greater representation in kids’ toys may be just what the world needs to flip that idea on its head.
Controversial or not, the dolls hit store shelves this March and are expected to be a huge success for the company.
The transition to accepting the new Barbies may be difficult for some, but it’s a transition that needs to be made. I, for one, am glad that my little cousins, along with the next generation of girls, now have the option of playing with realistic dolls that actually look like themselves and the people around them. Nice work, Mattel.