I don’t know about you, but as a child born in the 90’s, I loved Barbie. Toys 'R Us was by far my favorite store and I could spent hours going up and down the Barbie aisle fascinated by all the pretty clothes and dolls.
However, one thing I never really thought about was that most of the Barbie dolls looked identical: tall, blonde and skinny. As a child, I really didn’t understand that Barbie had created a beauty standard. That was above my head because I just enjoyed playing, as most kiddos do.
Looking back, I can understand why many parents believe Barbie represents this standard and why it may not be the best toy for children. Personally, I love the Barbie brand since it did represent a huge part of my childhood, and I don’t think kids think about the idea of a “beauty standard.” Kids just want to play and a Barbie doll is a great toy to create make-believe games with.
That being said, apparently enough unhappy parents spoke up. Mattel, the company behind Barbie, has officially started making new dolls in different shapes and sizes, a project called “Project Dawn.” I think it’s great that children can now play with dolls that look like them no matter their size, height or ethnicity.
Barbie isn’t just a toy though; it’s a brand. There have been Barbie movies, Barbie fashion lines, and so much more. Barbie has been around for 57 years. Mattel is very excited to launch this new line of dolls. They released this video in order to explain their idea so the mass amounts of people who have loyally supported the Barbie brand understand why this major change had to happen.
The new dolls come in three sizes: tall, petite and curvy. The dolls have seven skin tone options, 22 eye colors, and 24 hairstyles. The dolls are going to be released throughout 2016. It will be interesting to see how sales of the new Barbie dolls compare with those of the original model when it appeared in 1959.
Another issue that has been discussed is that all of Barbie’s clothes, yachts, cars etc. promoted materialistic standards for children too. That, however, is a battle for another day. For now, kids can be satisfied with playing with the many versions of Barbie that are now realistic.
This promotional video was also released to share the new brand model and the new and exciting changes to the classic doll we have loved over the years.
