BARBIE: The iconic doll and classic children’s toy receives a new transformation.
By Michelle Boulos, Staff Writer
Whenever any person hears the name “Barbie,” four words instantly come to mind: childhood, pretty, skinny, and perfect. For decades, the iconic white-skinned, blonde-haired doll has conditioned the minds of young children around the globe to believe that the perfect body type is this entirely unachievable standard.
But soon, when young children play with the classic doll only three of the previously mentioned words will still remain in association: childhood, pretty, and perfect.
In a recent press release in late January 2016, Mattel, the parent company of Barbie, announced that they now will be selling dolls in four different shapes, twenty-two eye colors, and seven different skin tones. This is a massive change from only one shape, two eye colors, and three skin tones.
The shapes now include curvy, tall, skinny, and the classic, welcoming all different shapes and sizes of women. The multiple skin tones encourages diversity and depth beyond what they had crafted beforehand.
People have long criticized the toy company for its lack of diversity and failure to reinforce young girls with the right idea of perfection. “Barbie teaches children that girls can be that chef, that lawyer, or that astronaut, but which girls? The poster face for Barbie is tall, thin, blonde, and white,” Emily Tracy (12) said. “When little kids see that lawyer, that chef, they don’t always see their mom, their aunt, their sister, or even themselves,” she continued.
Barbie has started a social media campaign promoting the new changes with the hashtag #thedollevolves. Celebrities such as Queen Latifah, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Kat Dennings, and Chrissy Teigen all tweeted their support for the campaign, gladly welcoming the evolution of the new toy.
“As children get older, they start to compare themselves to this specific doll, which is hardly realistic. By not having the ‘ideal’ body of that Barbie doll, teenagers and even younger children can become insecure,” Karina Damien (10) expressed. “Self-love needs to be taught from a young age, and through the popular toy, it will hopefully be more common than it was in mine,” she added.
This new move allows a vast representation of minorities, teaching children to be comfortable in their own skin, regardless of their appearance.
In the societal evolution and movements for body positivity, diversity, and equal rights (just to name a few), this step toward changing something as simple as the physical appearance of a children’s toy is necessary to break the barrier and stigma behind only one type of person being perfect.