There is a new “It” girl in town here to give fashionistas like Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner a run for heir money, and her name is Barbie.
Mattel just introduced the new Barbie doll, but it is not her occupation that gets a makeover this time. She got a full-body workup, and here soon people everywhere can purchase Barbie’s that look a little bit more like humans.
The new doll includes four body types, seven skin tones, 22 eye colors, and 24 hairstyles. For all the sentimentalists who think Barbie is worth historical preservation, there is no need to worry. The Original Barbie will still be sold with her classic blonde hair, blue eyes, and her not so anatomically correct waistline.
This is Mattel’s third or fourth surprising look for Barbie within a year. Just a while back, actress and singer Zendaya got inducted into the “I Have a Barbie of Me” club, with a doll replica of her locked-up Oscars look. And let’s not forget about Moschino, a designer line not known for its subtlety, giving Barbie a hardcore fashion transformation which included black leather and gold chains. Mattel is finally realizing its reach and the immense popularity of Barbie, and with this new line, they are testing the true limits of her fame.
Many people combat this new announcement with “it’s just a doll,” belittling the importance of this evolution. However, in a world that has its beauty standards plastered on every billboard, magazine, and TV screen, girls are subjected to what they “should” look like a very young age. We have all read them; the frightening stories of 7-year olds going on diets. How could it not be a product of what our children see and hear? Representation is pivotal, especially for a young audience with such pliable minds. New Barbie is a change for the better and hats off to Mattel for recognizing that.
There is another argument, one a bit more understandable, that says while Barbie’s new makeover includes various new shapes and shades, it is not enough. When I heard this I agreed, but then took a second to rethink it. To ask one doll to become the representative for the female race is a big task. An impossible one. It should not be Mattel’s job to teach our daughters and sisters that they are beautiful no matter what they look like. It is our job, as women who set the standards for ourselves, to make sure little girls grow up feeling loved by others and in love with themselves.
This is not just a lesson for the children, however. Women of all ages can take something away from this Mattel power-move. It is an example that we are more than some prototype the world views us as. Barbie used to carry around a diet book and whine “Math is tough” when you pressed a button. Now, she can be a curvy black president or a blue-haired Asian rock star.
Who is there to say women cannot be what they want to be and get praised for it? Barbie is kicking down barriers one at a time. I think we should all follow suit and continue kicking down barriers of our own. From the runway to the toy aisle to cooperate America, women are being empowered in ways we have never experienced before. Barbie has been judged for her size, color, and job her entire life just like every woman to have lived. Maybe once we stop breaking apart a doll, we can do the same for ourselves.
