Mattel has announced that it will
be adding 17 new Barbie dolls to its lineup. The new Barbies will be based on a
mix of modern role-models and historical figures, and will feature
boundary-breaking women from diverse backgrounds and fields.
Lisa McKnight, Senior Vice President and General Manager of
Barbie, stated via a press release: "As a
brand that inspires the limitless potential in girls, Barbie will be honoring
its largest line up of role models timed to International Women's Day because
we know that you can't be what you can't see. Girls have
always been able to play out different roles and careers with Barbie and we are
thrilled to shine a light on real life role models to remind them that they can
be anything."
You can’t be
what you can’t see? Really? That didn’t stop Barack Obama from thinking himself
a deity. Muhammed Ali informed us that “he can’t hit what he can’t see,” referring to his pugilist foes, but I
thought a person could be anything he or she could dream of being.
The new line
will include such modern role-models as Olympic Gold-medalist snowboarder Chloe
Kim, “Wonder Woman” filmmaker Patty Jenkins, and boxing champion Nicola Adams.
Historical Barbies, part of the “Inspiring Women” series, are modeled after
artist Frida Kahlo, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, and famed pilot
Amelia Earhart.
Other women represented in the
series are: conservationist Bindi Irwin, windsurfer Çağla Kubat, chef Hélène
Darroze, volleyball champion Hui Ruoqi, designer Leyla Piedayesh, pro golfer
Lorena Ochoa, journalist Martyna Wojciechowska, soccer player Sara Gama,
actress Xiaotong Guan, prima ballerina Yuan Tan and designer Vicky Martin
Berrocal.
A YouTube video features some of the women with their dolls, as
part of the #MoreRoleModels campaign. A caption attached to the video states in
part “…believing they can be anything is just the beginning, actually seeing
that they can makes all the difference.”
Judging by their comments, it appears the girls are quite proud of
their dolls. For example, Nicola Adams tweeted: “Proud to partner with @Barbie
this #InternationalWomensDay to show girls – YOU CAN BE ANYTHING!” (Including a
man, now! “Introducing the new Barbie
& Ken Doll. All the parts in a single
doll package! Just snap ‘em on and snap ‘em off. Convenient and versatile! 63
genders in one!”).
Mattel has not announced when the dolls will be available in
stores, but the three “Inspiring Women” historical Barbies can be pre-ordered
online for $29.99.
I’m thrilled to see the introduction of this new series of
Barbies, but surely (Shirley?) this is just the beginning! Mattel has only
revealed the tip of the diversity and inclusion iceberg. Inevitably, there will
soon be a polyamorous Barbie, a public-assistance Barbie, and a Valley Girl
Barbie. Mattel is based in
California, after all.
Which means there will also soon be a Nancy Pelosi Barbie (says
“President Bush” when you tap her knee!) and a Maxine Waters Barbie
(incessantly spouts “Impeach 45!”). Ms. McKnight is right, the possibilities
are endless. Undoubtedly, the company will soon offer dolls based on other iconic
female figures like porn star Jenna Jameson, eugenicist and Planned Parenthood
progenitor Margaret Sanger, and serial prevaricator Hillary Clinton.
The “Inspiring Women” series should quickly be expanded to include
dolls representing Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary), Catherine de Medici (a.k.a. the
“Black Widow”), Ranavalona I, and Ameila Dyer (look them up). There should be
room for the likes of Patty Hearst, and Tamika Mallory, the Louis
Farrakhan-admiring Women’s March leader, as well. The Tamika Mallory doll could
be packaged complete with inane signage
and “pussy hat!”
Angela Merkel, Elizabeth Warren, Joy Reid, Joy Behar, Rachel
Maddow, and Monica Lewinsky are just a few of the nearly incalculable numbers
of women who are also richly deserving of the honor of being portrayed by a semi-inanimate,
synthetic object marketed to children.
(Also see my post of 6/28/2017, “Mattel Introducing Fifteen New
Ken Dolls!”)
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