I hope you enjoy your holidays.
I have something that you're going to like.
Last January, the Toy company Mattel has announced that they have redesigned their most famous doll: The Barbie.
Indeed, the original Barbie will not be created and sold anymore because she has been transformed with new body shapes, skin tones and hair.
Mattel
had to face with changes in beauty ideals. Barbie’s impossible
proportions have been criticized a lot, because we're living in a
society where the perception of the women is changing, so Mattel had to
remake
the iconic blonde. After 57 years of existence, the perfect, tall and
skinny blonde has been replaced and this is great. The new barbies are
white, black, tall, small, skinny, curvy. They have crazy looks and they
have many different colors of hair. They even have beauty spot! This is a great step for the women's fight!
Also, this is much better for the children because their toys may
represent their educations so it's going to be better for them to play with a
Barbie who is realistic and who looks like us. Also, it won't affect
their self esteem anymore, they won't have this impossible model of
beauty and they will feel better, even when they will grow up.The new Barbies are going to be available this spring, so if you have a present to offer to a child, buy these crazy dolls, and you will help to change the world...;)
Thanks and bye!!
Eléa C.
Well that is cool. I had heard that they wanted to change the barbies a little to represente more how women really are and that every one is perfect in their own way. It might help kids see that we don't all need to have the perfect body to be beautiful. It might change the way kids will see other girls.
ReplyDeleteI thought this would never happen, and yet... I'm so glad now, it's a big change from the previous mattel dolls that were created (the Monster High ones, yes yes they're also by mattel), they've completely changed directions, and for the best !
ReplyDeleteI do not think it is that much of a news. They just really made a thing out of it. Because when I was younger, I clearly remember having a latino-looking official Barbie. It was just another Barbie, different from the blonde one.
ReplyDeleteNow, don't get me wrong, I find it awesome to see toy brands considerating changing their products with their time, and it is always great to see an evolution in the image of women.
But I do not think Barbie looking thin and blonde is that big of a deal. At least not enough to have the entire internet bragging about it.
I remember seeing a great article on a tumblr blog a while ago telling this : Barbie is not about how you look, it is about who you are and want to be.
Sure, Barbie is often seen as a pin-up in her car with her boyfriend, but she has had many versions : each version being a different profession. With Barbie, you could be a doctor, you could be a flight attendant, you could be a teacher, or whatever ! That was her goal.
So of course, it is great to see her body evoluting into something more realistic. Maybe it was needed. But people seem to forget the good things about her.
She is actually not just a stupid good-looking blonde... this is just the way people see her. Barbie was supposed to be a woman, with the job you wanted, and the life you wanted.
In case anyone is interested, here is the tumblr article : http://theartofbeinginvisible44.tumblr.com/post/131569190334/jazzhands04-ninjagurlftw
DeleteMaybe it will explain better than me with my ridiculously long comment ^^
Whereas I agree with you about Barbie not always being blonde (I mean, I had an entire collection with every imaginable hair colour - even blue, pink, and if I remember correctly, green - and some latina or even black dolls), and okay, her job could be anything, they still ALL had the exact same body type, a body type which, to be honest, does simply not exist. So that change, which, in my four-year-old mind, seemed impossible, is, I think, very important. (Sorry I'm exhausted, I think my argumentation is quite bad... sorry)
DeleteAs told in the comments of my tumblr article to which I'm holding on, Barbie's body was not intented to be realistic in the first place. She was actually designed so it would be easy to change her clothes.
DeleteThe subject might seem a bit """""superficial""""", but I think it is so important to remind people how important this is to be who you are, and that there is no specific way to be. Society is improving. I'm glad to read your article Eléa, thanks ! (:
ReplyDeleteThis is great that the image spread of the woman change and more that it touches children directly! But I think for the women themself the Barbie isn't the major problem (even if it is a problem)... Anyway this is indeed a great step in this fight and it might change things.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a big step forward for feminism and for the fight against society and how society imposes on us the images of perfect women. Since our childhood we're “trained” to think that if we are not like the girls in the magazine we are ugly, or that our barbies are the only possible representation of beauty. It's still a really sexist society we live in. Of course, it's changing, people are fighting for freedom of thoughts but we can't change in ten years what we have been told for 1000 years.. Everything is not lost, there's hope, and the New Barbies show that we move forward towards gender equality.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a big step forward for feminism and for the fight against society and how society imposes on us the images of perfect women. Since our childhood we're “trained” to think that if we are not like the girls in the magazine we are ugly, or that our barbies are the only possible representation of beauty. It's still a really sexist society we live in. Of course, it's changing, people are fighting for freedom of thoughts but we can't change in ten years what we have been told for 1000 years.. Everything is not lost, there's hope, and the New Barbies show that we move forward towards gender equality.
ReplyDelete