Barbie gets curves
But will modern girls fall for her?
FOR 56 years she has been loved and loathed, her blonde hair, chiselled cheekbones and impossibly tiny waist the source of passionate debate about young girls’ role models.
But Mattel, which makes Barbie, is confident that 33 new dolls unveiled yesterday will evoke a more positive image of girls’ body shapes and better reflect diversity in the real world.
The new models feature seven different skin tones and a variety of hair colours, type and lengths. But crucially, there are three new body shapes – curvy, tall and short.
The curvy one is likely to attract the most attention as the furthest removed from the traditional version.
She has larger buttocks and a slightly protruding stomach – although her thighs and waist are certainly not chunky – and her arms and legs remain long and lean. For the first time, not all clothes and shoes will fit all dolls, as there will be wardrobes to match each size.
The new models also appear to be wearing less make-up and have feet suitable for flat shoes as well as heels.
Kim Culmone, the vice-president of design, said: “Right now when you say ‘Barbie’ to someone, a very clear image of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, slim doll comes to mind. In a few years, this will no longer be the case. We’re exploding a system that’s been in place for 56 years and a heritage that’s been passed down from generation to generation.”
Caroline Nokes, the Conservative MP and chairman of the all-party group on body image, welcomed the biggest overhaul in the doll’s history.
“It’s great that Mattel has finally woken up to the fact that Barbie would not be able to stand up as a real woman,” she said. “This gives young girls a more realistic view of body image and, importantly, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes.”
Development of the new range was carried out amid tight security. Project Dawn involved top-secret focus groups of mothers and daughters, and prototypes were transported in carefully sealed containers.
The change of direction came after research found mothers were reluctant to let their children play with Barbie as she lacked depth and purpose.
However, concerns that giving a short or fuller doll to a young girl could create its own problems prompted Mattel to create a range that avoided accusations of insensitivity.
Tania Missad, director of global brand insights, said: “There will be people who say we haven’t gone far enough. Barbie is a lightning rod for conversation, and of course there will be a backlash.”
More than one billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide, with an estimated three sold every second.
The fall from grace came in 2012, when sales began to decline, plummeting 20 per cent in two years.
In 2013, a study concluded that if Barbie were a real woman, the width of her ankles meant she would have to crawl on all fours, her neck would be unable to support her head, and her stomach would have room for only half a liver and a few inches of intestine. In 2014, she was replaced by
Frozen’s Queen Elsa as the best-selling girls’ toy. Evelyn Mazzocco, Mattel’s vicepresident, said: “We have a responsibility to girls and parents to reflect a broader view of beauty. These new dolls represent a line that is more reflective of the world.”
The new dolls will be available in the UK in February.
Chris Calland, a behaviour and body image consultant who works in schools, gave the change a cautious welcome.
“The body shapes are still fairly narrow, with the curvy doll seeming to represent a Kardashian or Beyoncé look rather than reflecting real natural shapes and sizes of women,” she said.
“It’s easy to be cynical about a multimillion-pound industry trying to sell more dolls, but any change to the Barbie image is welcomed. Hopefully, parents will be able to talk to children about the fact that healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes.”
‘We believe we have a responsibility to girls and parents to reflect a broader view of beauty’