Mattel continues to diversify
A bald barbie, another with a prosthetic limb and a third one with clear signs of vitiligo, a condition that causes patches of skin to lose melanin. These are Barbie’s latest doll additions in an attempt to diversify.
Introducing the first Barbie doll back in 1959, Mattel is still reinventing itself, redefining what it means to “look like Barbie”. This can be seen in their new collection, which the American company has been referring to as its “most diverse doll line” as it includes “more skin tones, hair types and body shapes than ever before.”
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Usually, when someone hears ‘Barbie’ they think of the beautiful and thin blonde icon, which has long been blamed for causing insecurity among little girls, as it distorted their understanding of beauty, body shape and skin tone. However, in recent years Mattel has been working towards moving away from this image by releasing more inclusive and diverse Barbie dolls.
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The Barbie with vitiligo is available for purchase now, while the one with alopecia is expected to hit shelves in June. While announcing the new dolls on Twitter, the toy company revealed that the message of this latest collection is “What makes us different makes us beautiful,”
Even the Ken doll has gotten a revamp with this release, as we now have a Ken doll with long rooted hair and the first-ever redhead Ken.
Speaking of Barbie, it is worth noting that we will soon be getting a live-action movie of the iconic doll, played by Margot Robbie. The film will follow Barbie, a doll expelled from ‘Barbieland’ for not being perfect enough and who decides to explore the ‘real world’. Not only that, but award-winning Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig will be directing this flick, with her husband Noah Baumbach penning the script.
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