{"id":15676,"date":"2018-03-19T20:16:12","date_gmt":"2018-03-19T18:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/responsive.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents\/?p=15676"},"modified":"2022-06-21T12:37:07","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T10:37:07","slug":"mommy-this-barbie-looks-like-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/lifestyle\/toys\/mommy-this-barbie-looks-like-you\/","title":{"rendered":"“Mommy, this curvy Barbie looks like you!”"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s now a Barbie with flat feet and thighs that touch each other. A Barbie with a magnificent afro. A petite Barbie with Asian eyes. A Barbie with a dark West African complexion. An albino Barbie.\u00a0And a Ken with a man-bun.<\/span><\/p>\n

Almost 60 years since the first blonde, blue-eyed, tiny-waisted, long-legged Barbie appeared on the market in 1959, is this too little too late\u2026or should we applaud toy-maker Mattel\u2019s recognition of a broader view of beauty; one that better incorporates racial, physical, and other manifestations of diversity?<\/p>\n

A huge chunk of me is thrilled with Fashionista\u00ae Barbies. A small chunk of me is irritated that it\u2019s taken so long and that we\u2019re still not quite there.<\/p>\n

But my girls are largely pleased. So I find myself in two minds on this issue.<\/p>\n

My daughter’s take<\/h2>\n

My six-year-old daughter is impressed that there\u2019s now a Barbie who \u2018looks more like Mommy\u2019 (Doll 65 Powder Pink Lace \u2013 Curvy). Like Mommy, \u2018Doll 65\u2019 has long dark hair that\u2019s slightly frizzy at the ends, brown eyes, long eyelashes, and what my daughter calls \u2018a curvy body\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Curvy Barbie, AKA Doll 65<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I asked her, \u201cDoes Curvy Barbie look like a real person?\u201d She said,\u00a0\u201cThe curvy bits, yes. And she doesn\u2019t have too much make-up on, unlike the blonde one. But if you take away the curvy bits, the \u2018new\u2019 Barbie looks like the \u2018old\u2019 one. No freckles or beauty spots. No bendy knees.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the other hand, then, Curvy Barbie may have minor curves, but she remains perfectly toned, smooth-skinned, and unable to sit, kneel, or squat.<\/p>\n

Why so long?<\/h3>\n

We all deserve to see ourselves reflected in pop culture; to feel celebrated for our body type, features, hair, skin tone, and personal style. So it\u2019s encouraging to see some<\/em> changes (even though Mattel\u2019s Fashionista\u00ae dolls are probably based as much on profit as they are on principle).<\/p>\n

What I can\u2019t help wondering is: Why did this take 57 years? And what else is coming? Because, until very recently, Barbie\u2019s physical dimensions were (and, in the case of \u2018original\u2019 Barbies, continue to be) completely unrealistic. High heels and long hair were the default, with no nipples to speak of.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d sincerely applaud \u2018Truly Chubby Barbie\u2019, \u2018Shaven-Headed Barbie\u2019, \u2018Barbie with Big Feet\u2019, and \u2018Widespread-Freckles Barbie\u2019 \u2013 all fully articulated and super-stylish. But, to find out if all this actually matters to those who count, I decided to interview, separately, the two kids who live in my house:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The interview<\/h2>\n

Background<\/em><\/strong>: My 6-year-old daughter is White, short, and very much a pig-tailed Grade 1. Our 13-year-old is Black, tall, elegant, and wears braids. Together they own 12 Barbies, and play with them up to five times a week.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Does the blonde (traditional) Barbie look like a real person? <\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    6yo:<\/strong> Her make-up, yes. But her legs, no. Her legs don\u2019t have freckles and dots and beauty spots, and she doesn\u2019t have bendy knees.
    \n13yo:<\/strong> No. She\u2019s a bit too stiff. And her legs are too long when you compare them to her arms and to the rest of her body.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Does the curvy (Fashionista) Barbie look like a real person? <\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      6yo:<\/strong> The curvy bits, yes. And I do like that she doesn\u2019t have too much make-up on. But if you take away the curvy bits, she looks exactly like the blonde Barbie. No dots and spots.
      \n13yo:<\/strong> No. Her hips are wide but her legs are still skinny. She\u2019s not able to move properly. Her skin is also not dark enough to be Black. She\u2019s too brown.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. What do you like about the way blonde (traditional) Barbie looks? <\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        6yo:<\/strong> I love her accessories, her clothes, and the beauty spot on her chin (which is actually a dirty mark).
        \n13yo:<\/strong> Her blue eyes are very pretty, and her pink lipstick is nice.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. What do you like about the way (Fashionista) Barbie looks? <\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          6yo:<\/strong> I love her hair in two buns \u2013 because sometimes I wear my hair like that. I love her clothes and her accessories. She\u2019s also more tanned than most Barbies. I like that.
          \n13yo:<\/strong> Her face is really beautiful, even though she has big cheeks. I really like that she wears takkies and not high heels.<\/p>\n

          \"\"<\/a>
          Soccer Barbie<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
            \n
          1. What do you like about the way (fully articulated) Made to Move Soccer Player Barbie looks? <\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            6yo:<\/strong> She\u2019s bendy. She plays soccer, and she can do yoga, ballet and karate, because she has bendy knees and hips.
            \n13yo:<\/strong> She\u2019s cool. She can fit into takkies and<\/em> high heels. She\u2019s always slouching, though, because she\u2019s fully articulated. So she never stands up straight.<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. What do you think is Barbie\u2019s most exciting and inspiring career so far? <\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              6yo:<\/strong> She went to the moon.
              \n13yo:<\/strong> Definitely going to space.<\/p>\n

              The bottom line<\/h2>\n

              Beloved by kids big and small, Barbie\u2019s not going anywhere. Plus, there are loads of dolls on the market both more and less anatomically correct.<\/p>\n

              The problem for me \u2013 and the reason I can\u2019t wholeheartedly embrace the changes and abandon my verkrampte<\/em> sense of \u2018But it\u2019s not enough\u2026\u2019 \u2013 is down to the fact that Barbie is the world\u2019s best-selling toy. A Barbie doll is sold every three seconds, totalling 10.5 million unit sales per year. Now that\u2019s A. LOT. OF. INFLUENCE.<\/p>\n

              This article was originally written for Jozikids by Tiffany Markman in 2018.<\/em><\/p>\n

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