Accomplished faces to represent iconic doll
Ever mindful of how women are represented, Mattel has launched a new series of dolls in honor of International Women’s Day, which was Thursday. The global day annually marks the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and is observed in March, Women’s History
Month. Barbie announced its “Inspiring Women” series, adding accomplished faces to the iconic doll.
The new line of dolls includes Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot to cross the Atlantic ocean;
Frida Kahlo, the Mexican artist known for her self-portraits and Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who helped with the Apollo 11 flight to the moon.
Ruth Handler, who co-founded Mattel in 1959 with her husband, Elliot, is quoted on Barbie’s website saying that the original doll concept was that a girl could be anything she wanted to be. “My whole philosophy of Barbie was that, through the doll, the litter girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices,” Handler said.
I grew up with Barbie but beyond the straight, blonde hair, we didn’t have much in common. Her eyes were sparkling blue, while mine were green. She was a sun-tanned surfer girl from Malibu. I was a fair-skinned short girl from Bearden. She had a cool car. I had a bicycle. I was 8-years-old in 1976 when Barbie’s smile was widened and she was placed in the bicentennial time capsule to be opened in 2076.
In later years, Barbie released dolls representative of a range of body shapes and skin tones. Though I had moved on from our play-time relationship, I mentally applauded because I knew there was a little girl somewhere seeing herself – not something that she would never be.
And now the “Inspiring Women” series will capture the minds of a new generation, offering examples in doll form of successful real-life women from a cross-section of ethnicities and cultures.
Lisa McKnight, senior vice president for Barbie, said, “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.”
Along with Earhardt, Kahlo, and Johnson, Barbie will add dolls representative of Patty Jenkins, U.S. filmmaker; Helene Darroze, world-renowned chef, France; Hui Ruoqi, volleyball champion, China; Leyla Piedayesh, designer and entrepreneur, Germany; Vicky Martin Berrocal, designer and entrepreneur, Spain; Xiaolong Guan, actress and philanthropist, China; Bindi Irwin, conservationist, Australia; Sara Gama, soccer player, Italy; Chloe Kim, snowboarding champion, U.S.; Martyna Wojciecowska, journalist, Poland; Nicola Adams OBE, boxing champion, United Kingdom; and Yuan Yuan Tan, prima ballerina, China.
So, why does all this matter? Why is it a talking point for a day recognizing women’s achievements and a month devoted to women’s history?
Well, Barbie is an American icon. She has a creative influence on girls as they sort color combinations of clothes and accessories. Barbie has had many careers: nurse, doctor, police officer, firefighter and computer engineer. And she encourages role-playing, which moves a girl’s imagination beyond the “mommy figure” supported by baby dolls.
Barbie has moved away from societal standards of beauty and supported positivity in body image, regardless of size, shape or color. And while keeping up her appearance, Barbie has taught us there are more things to which we can aspire than looks – and that role models can be extraordinarily, ordinary people.
The bombshell from Malibu has come a long way and so has the short girl from Bearden. I am planning on celebrating International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month by purchasing a new Barbie. Martyna Wojciecowska will be my choice. She is an author and journalist.