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FEATURESaturday 30 January 2016

For the world’s most scrutinized body, Barbie has a new look

BETH J. HARPAZ Barbie Fashionista Dolls from Mattel are displayed at the TTPM Holiday Showcase in New York.
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Poor how girls and women play with Barbies. Barbie bie brand as being “less (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Barbie. She had plastic sur- should look.” sales fell 14 percent in the relevant” than 80 percent
gery to become more so- Aside from whether Bar- most recently reported of 3,500 brands in 200 cat- when it comes to social re-
cially acceptable. But a lot bie’s looks will ever mea- quarter, with worldwide egories BAV studied. sponsibility but in the top 2
of her critics still don’t like sure up to society’s chang- sales falling every year BAV’s data analysis also percent when it comes to
her. ing expectations, another since 2012. A study by BAV found that consumers per- being traditional.
Barbie’s manufacturer, question worth asking is Consulting found that con- ceive Barbie as being in the Mattel said it will still sell
Mattel, announced Thurs- whether kids still want to sumers perceive the Bar- bottom third of all brands the original 11.5-inch Bar-
day that the doll has three bie. The new versions will
new body types — curvy, This photo shows a group of new Barbie dolls introduced in January 2016. Mattel, the maker of begin arriving on U.S. store
tall and petite. the famous plastic doll, said it will start selling Barbie’s in three new body types: tall, curvy and shelves in March and will
Barbie will also now come petite. She’ll also come in seven skin tones, 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles. roll out globally after that.
in seven skin tones, 22 eye They are available for pre-
colors and 24 hairstyles. (Mattel via AP) order at shop.mattel.com,
Mattel spokeswoman Mi- and will ship in February.
chelle Chidoni said the Quiana Agbai, an African-
product is evolving to “of- American mother of two
fer more choices” to make who has written about
“the line more reflective of “the effects of dolls not
the world girls see around looking like my 5-year-old
them.” daughter” on her blog,
But Kris Macomber, who www.harlemlovebirds.
teaches sociology at Mer- com, said Barbie’s new
edith College in Raleigh, look is “a step in the right
North Carolina, says she’s direction” but noted that
“reluctant to celebrate “there are brands already
Barbie’s new strategy be- filling this need in greater
cause it doesn’t change detail.” Agbai’s husband’s
the fact that Barbie dolls family is Nigerian, so she
and other kinds of fashion found a Nigerian princess
dolls still over-emphasize doll for her daughter from
female beauty. Sure, all a line called Queens of Af-
body types should be val- rica. Agbai herself grew up
ued. And, sure, all skin playing with the American
colors should be valued Girl doll Addy, whose sto-
equally. But why must we ry line involved escaping
keep sending girls the mes- from slavery.
sage that being beautiful is Some, however, sa-
so important?” luted the new Barbie
Josh Golin, executive di- wholeheartedly.q
rector of the Campaign
for a Commercial-Free
Childhood, said Barbie’s
changes are a testament
to activists who for years
have challenged her “un-
realistic and harmful body
type.” But body type “was
only one of the criticisms,”
he said.
“The other was the brand’s
relentless focus on appear-
ance and fashion.”
Kumea Shorter-Gooden,
co-author of “Shifting:
The Double Lives of Black
Women in America,” has
said in the past that Barbie
has a bigger impact on
black girls struggling with
messages about skin color
and hair. Shorter-Gooden
applauded Mattel “for di-
versifying the size and look
of Barbie,” but noted that
“European-American hair
still prevails,” and that the
dolls’ outfits still “convey a
traditional and constrain-
ing gender norm about