There is certainly a part of me as a grown man that has at least a tiny fraction of toy envy for today’s kids. At least, I know there are moments when I catch an ad and have to wonder, “Where was this when I was a kid. That thing looks awesome.” Mind you, we also had lawn darts before they were outlawed, so it’s not like the bar was very high.
That feeling of seeing cool toys today has to be even more profound for folks who were never able to see themselves represented in the toy aisle. It’s only getting better and better.
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In 2019, Barbie turns 60, and although she hasn’t aged, she’s definitely looking different from the unrealistic image she started out with.
Recently, she’s been getting even more diverse looks thanks to Mattel’s Fashionista line of dolls, introduced in 2016.
To date, she has more than 100 new looks that make her much more relatable to the diverse kids who want to play with Barbie dolls.
And, on the occasion of her 60th, the Barbie Fashionista line is introducing a Barbie who uses a wheelchair, and another doll with a removable prosthetic leg.
And it all comes down to what people were asking for. “[There will be] additional body sizes — a Barbie with a smaller bust and less-defined waist. A wheelchair or doll in a wheelchair was one of the most requested items through our consumer…hotline,” Mattel’s vice president of Barbie design, Kim Culmone, told Teen Vogue . “It’s important to us to listen to our consumers.”
During the design process, Mattel’s toy experts consulted real people with disabilities, including a team at UCLA and 12-year-old Jordan Reeves, who has a prosthetic arm.
Culmone says that Jordan’s input was vital, especially for something like making the prosthetic removable.
“That was one of our first big ahas,” she said. “That’s not necessarily something we would have realized how important it would be to someone living with this experience.”
Judging by the reception the new line of dolls has received online since it was announced, Mattel is doing something right here.
Folks online love these dolls. The representation is a huge deal for people with disabilities especially.
The Twitter account for the Paralympic Games tweeted its appreciation to Mattel, saying “You’ve made our week. Can we be first in line to purchase these?!”
Regardless of age, the response has been pretty glowing from Barbie fans.
And when it was revealed that Mattel was also making a ramp that’s compatible with the Barbie DreamHouse, well, that level of representation was clearly appreciated.
The push for increased representation will only continue for Barbie as well.
It’s part of a program Mattel has undertaken called Closing the Dream Gap .
Recognizing that research has shown that girls as young as 6 “stop thinking they can be and do anything” and “become less likely than boys to see themselves as ‘really, really smart,'” the toy maker is trying to create things that encourage girls to reach their potential through play.
h/t Teen Vogue
