The evolution of Barbie will shed a positive light on diverse body types for young girls
Jan 29, 2016, 5:15 PM | Updated: 5:17 pm
Mattel, the makers of Barbie, announced this week they will soon unleash a new line of dolls to the public.
Barbie will now come in four body types and seven skin tones, with 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles.
Look, as a dad, I get it. I remember when my daughter was born and I declared there would be no Barbies in the house because I didn’t want my daughter considering Barbie’s body type to be ideal.
I will admit it: I lost that battle about five years in. Barbie is everywhere. It’s been an American icon since its original launch more than 50 years ago.
Mattel could have just rested on that success and ignored public pressure to make changes, but they didn’t. They stepped up and I applaud them for it.
There have been people in my life who have struggled with body image. I have never placed the blame on a store shelf doll.
Whether we can draw a direct line between unhealthy body image and a Barbie doll is above my pay grade, but as a father I can see where parents would be sensitive in this matter.
Mattel’s response wasn’t measured, it was a complete overhaul. Basically, it was the corporate equivalent to screaming, “FINE, We’ll do it your way and your way and your way,” to the tune of 33 different options!
They say that you can’t please everyone. Well, Mattel just took a pretty good shot at it, and the daddy in me couldn’t be more proud of this staple of American culture.
Now, if we can just get Ken to come with a “Dad Bod” option. (Ha!)
