On March 9, 1959, Barbie made her debut at the American Toy Fair in New York City. It was the first of its kind—a doll with adult features that allowed little girls to imagine their own future while playing with the toy. So many young girls have fallen in love with Barbie, hoping that someday they too might be as happy, successful and beautiful as she was.
As it turns out, however, that dream is physically impossible. With her over-sized head, lengthy legs and tiny waist, Barbie’s body proportions are entirely unrealistic. While little girls idolize Barbie as perfection, aspiring to be thin and pretty just like her, they will never truly be able to attain that figure. Barbie has young girls yearning for an “ideal body” that is not at all achievable, healthy or normal.
But that’s all about to change.
On Thursday, Mattel released three new body shapes for the beloved doll: curvy, tall and petite. These new versions of Barbie, which also sport a variety of skin tones and hairstyles, will be sold alongside the original.
The impossibly thin blonde reigned supreme for 57 years, but now, these new and diverse Barbies have entered the scene, and they have the potential to make a huge change in how young girls define beauty.
They reflect the notion that beauty comes in all shapes, colors and sizes. They mirror the changing look of American women in the 21st century. They show that you don’t have to be skinny and blonde to be beautiful.
Now, little girls can play with a doll that perhaps looks a bit more like them. These dolls can help girls embrace their own body types, instead of trying desperately to meet that cookie-cutter standard of beauty. Girls who are a little more “curvy,” “petite,” or “tall” can now play with a doll that won’t make it so hard for them to feel good about themselves.
And if girls everywhere can grow up with confidence and self-love, ready to become strong, intelligent, ambitious women, that’s when we can really start changing the world.
