The issue over Barbie’s figure being considered an unrealistic version of a woman’s body has been debated for the past several decades. Numerous studies have been done and shown that were Barbie a real person, her proportions would be horrifically off. This however, is all about to change. In late January, the creators of Barbie, Mattel, announced that they were putting forward three new body types, curvy, tall, and short. Along with the proportion adjustments, Barbie now comes in a variety of skin tones and eye colors.
According to the doll’s description, “...the Barbie® Fashionistas™ dolls offer real-world diversity and fashion options for endless styling fun! Just like your friends, these cool dolls — each with a unique style — have a wide variety of hair colors and styles, eye colors, skin tones and face shapes.”
“I never had a problem with [the original doll] but I think that it was a good idea to make the new ones. I personally never wanted to be Barbie but this was definitely a good idea,” NHS Art teacher Carol Pelligra said.
Two years ago, Nickolay Lamm designed “Average Barbie,” a doll based on the average nineteen year old girl’s measurements. There is a distinct difference in the body types when looking at the dolls in a side by side comparison. Average Barbie is significantly shorter, with a wider head, and more realistic proportions. This new line of dolls only elevates the body positive image and was created with the purpose of making Barbie an even more inclusive toy, giving young girls dolls that looked like them.
“I actually got a glimpse of [the dolls] at Target this weekend, and I have to say, I was a bit disappointed. I thought the idea itself was great, but when I saw them at the store, I was bothered by a couple things. First, they really didn't look all that different from the original Barbie doll, and second, why do they have to mark them as curvy, tall, or petite? They're not women's pants, tailored to fit specific body types. They're dolls. Nobody's trying them on! I would argue that someone is less likely to buy a doll that's labeled curvy. I would also say that if you have to label them as such, then they're probably not distinct enough to really make a difference to a child who might want a doll that resembles them a little more than the original. So, a great idea in theory, but in practice, it just looks like an opportunity to bolster sales,” NHS English teacher Kristin English said.
It is not just adults who believe that Mattel is using this to promote their own sales as shown by students who expressed similar doubts about the company’s true motives.
“I think the new Barbie’s have been a long time coming. It’s good that they’ve included more diverse dolls but this is something that should have happened years ago. I think that the only reason they changed was to increase sales. At this point it was done just to catch up with other brands who were providing more diverse dolls,” NHS sophomore Tallie Nikitchyuk said.
They are not the only ones who believes that this is really a new marketing strategy taken to another level. The belief comes from the fact that with the new dolls, all of Barbie’s old clothes will no longer fit, meaning Mattel can now release a new line of accessories and clothing, thus making them more money. The new dolls also deflects criticisms that Barbie is unrealistic and not a good role model for girls.
The doll does seem to be making young girls happy, their reactions to the doll are mainly positive, many of them commenting that they can now relate to the dolls due to the new designs. Whether this is a money grabbing scam made by a greedy businessman or a genuine attempt to make little girls happy, the reimagined Barbie is here to stay.
Image Courtesy of teachingkidsnews.com