If you haven't seen already, a whole new line of Barbie dolls has recently been released by the popular toy company, Mattel. Now, these Barbies are unlike any Mattel has released in the past. It isn't the disproportionate, unrealistic body shape that young girls have been exposed to previously. Barbie no longer has a humungous head in relation to her shoulders or an unhealthy-sized waist. This was the body type that consumers everywhere desired to have. Now, Barbies come all shapes and sizes.
Growing up, I'll admit that I had the most extravagant collection of Barbie dolls of all of my friends. I loved playing dolls with my little sister every night before bed. It didn't ever occur to me that I wanted to look like the Barbies I had in my possession for so many years. I wanted the big blue eyes, the long blonde hair, big pink lips and, most of all, that notorious hourglass figure. No one ever told me it unusual to look like her. No one ever told me it was unlikely or unhealthy to look like her. So I accepted that society not only was okay with this, but they EXPECTED it. Luckily, as I grew up, I realized it was a ridiculous expectation. Not only is it ridiculous, but it is also somewhat insulting. OF COURSE NOT EVERYONE WILL LOOK LIKE THIS, but I digress.
Pictured above is a representation of what Barbie proportions would look like on an actual person.
The classic Barbie doll was small, blonde, blue-eyed, with a large head. Today, Barbies are much more diverse. Today, Barbies are created tall, petite, skinny, curvy, and with all different ethnicities. THIS IS GROUNDBREAKING! We've seen Barbie earn jobs usually held by men. We've seen Barbie break that gender barrier. Now, she can do so in a body America's proud of. Now young girls won't look at Barbie dolls, then take a look at themselves. No longer will they compare the contour of their bodies to those made of plastic. No longer will they set an expectation for themselves to look like the beautiful dolls they love so much.
So, I'd like to thank you Mattel. Thank you for creating this new line of Barbie.
