Evolution of the Well-Known Barbie

By Elizabeth Thach ’18

White, skinny, and youthful has been the iconic look for Barbie dolls since they were released in 1959. However, this will no longer be the case, as Mattel, a U.S. multinational toy manufacturer, has released a new line of Barbie dolls that aims to break these narrow beauty standards.

“Girls everywhere now have infinitely more ways to play out their stories and spark their imaginations through Barbie. Along with more overall diversity, we proudly add three new body types to our line,” the company stated on its website.

Barbie dolls will now be sold in seven skin tones, 22 eye colors, 24 hairstyles, and three new body sizes: petite, tall, and curvy. The new versions will be sold alongside the original Barbie doll, making this one of the most drastic changes in Barbie history.

Mattel’s action also represents a cultural shift in the American society as citizens have become more tolerant of body diversity and sexuality. The U.S. toymaker recently created an Abigail (Abby) Wambach doll, based off the retired U.S. soccer player who is a lesbian. The doll is part of Barbie’s “Shero” collection, dolls that honor real-life women and “like Barbie, have broken boundaries, challenged gender norms and proven girls can be anything they want to be” according to Time magazine.

“This is radical because we’re saying there isn’t this narrow standard of what a beautiful body looks like,” said Robert Best, the senior director of Barbie product design.

In the past, Mattel has received negative criticism due to their dolls having exaggerated body proportions. Barbie sales fell by four percent in 2015, and the company’s stock price plummeted by nearly 43 percent in 2013. According to a British study conducted by the University of Sussex, Barbie dolls have contributed to the development of low-self esteem and poor body image because they are not an accurate representation of the female body. Children are strongly affected by their surroundings, especially when children see dolls as role models which in this case is a beautiful, fresh-faced American woman.

Mattel has received many comments on Twitter and Facebook. There were even a few comments that mentioned a possible change to Ken, the male counterpart of Barbie. Changes to the Ken doll could also be a positive decision, because the dolls can create a broad perspective of male body standards and demonstrate that dolls are not exclusive to girls. Not only does the company hope the new dolls will influence children to grow and accept diversity, but also to bolster Mattel’s financial bottom line.