What do you think about the release of the new Barbie(s)?

[Slojo]

The release of the new Barbies came across my FB newsfeed, so I investigated. They are making Barbies in different body types (curvy, tall and petite in addition to what they are calling "original", and greatly diversifying her "look" to a range of skin tones, ethnicities, hair styles (there's a Barbie with a side-shave hair style).

 

Here's a Time article (http://time.com/barbie-new-body-cover-story/) on the decision, the background R&D and field testing, the politics/controversies around Barbie dolls over the years, etc... and, of course, you can go to the Mattel site yourself (I won't link that here as I'm not a shill for the Barbie brand ;-).

 

Curious about people's thoughts and I'd be curious about whether you grew up with Barbie, liked her/didn't; give Barbies to your children or consciously don't; have tried to find alternatives to Barbie; and what you think of the new line in line of your general perspective on Barbie.

 

I'll start. I have one daughter who is only three, so this is really the first year "fashion dolls" have been a thing for her. (My oldest two are boys, and while they played with dolls, it was more baby dolls occasionally but not Barbies). So we didn't have any Barbie or Barbie knock-offs until this year. I'm ambivalent about traditional Barbie, and had kind of softly decided not to buy Barbie (kinda not opposed if she got one from a relative, but not gonna make sure it was a part of her girlhood either). I am not opposed to doll play with "fashion dolls" but was attracted to alternatives that didn't have such an unrealistic body type (as well as the over-marketing of the toy and the overemphasis on pink associated with Barbie). I had gotten my daughter a Lottie doll, which had won awards partly based on it being based on an eight year old girl's body, and she got two Princess type Barbie dolls from grandma this Christmas. I do not think Barbie is the worst. I hate Bratz dolls even more, and am not "soft" about buying those or having them in my home. 

 

But I ended up liking the new Barbie line, and got a "Curvy" for my daughter today to add to the princesses. What do you think?

 

[Joker]

My dds played with Barbies and Bratz. I played with Barbies. None of us thought anything at all about the dolls' body type and how we didn't look the same. None of the dolls affected the way I, or my dds, wanted to dress, look, or act. They were just dolls.

 

That said, I think it's a good thing for them to have dolls that represent the many different types of girls. 

Edited January 29, 2016 by Joker

[TechWife]

I like the new Barbies. I think I had a hand me down Barbie as a kid, but I'm not totally sure. 

 

ETA: I think they will be very popular. 

Edited January 29, 2016 by TechWife

[umsami]

I like the new Barbies. I'd totally buy all of the new ones.  I bought a Lammily(?) doll for my daughter when there was that kickstarter.  My daughter is thin right now (10th percentile for weight)., yet was teased last year in 2nd grade for being fat.  I don't blame Barbie, but I want her to have dolls in more than one body type, skin tone, etc.  I want her to see that its the diversity that makes us so beautiful... different sizes, skin tones, hair types, eye colors, etc.  Life would be so boring if we all looked like original Barbie.

 

My Mom wouldn't buy Barbies for me growing up.  I had a Bionic Woman doll.  I was so jealous of my friend who had a gazillion Barbies and accessories. 

 

Bratz dolls remind me of the Kardashians come to life.

[Vida Winter]

I love Barbies, but only certain ones....

 

These have been favorites:

 

Barbie Sydney 2000

 

Barbie Sandy from Grease

 

Midge 1997 35th Anniversary Reproduction

 

I'd have to see the new ones in person to tell if they were up to my quality standards. There is a huge range in quality among Barbies.

 

My daughters also loved Only Hearts Club dolls.

 

[Tap]

quote from article:

 

“I brought my daughter to a Christmas-tree lighting with Santa and Barbie the other day,†says a mom in one of the focus groups. “If a black woman or a redheaded woman or a heavyset woman had shown up, my daughter would have been like, ‘Where’s Barbie?’†If Mattel takes away everything that makes Barbie an icon, is she still that icon? Companies work decades to create the sort of brand recognition that Barbie has. When people around the world close their eyes and think of Barbie, they see a specific body. If that body changes, Barbie could lose that status.

 

 

 

I thought this comment was particularly interesting.  What will happen to the icon of Barbie? Will Barbie have to come with a "my name is" sticker now, so you know it is Barbie?

Edited January 29, 2016 by Tap

[SKL]

The Barbies of different races and ethnicities are not new.  The diverse shapes are new.  But honestly, I think we make too much of the presence or absence of "curvy" images for children.

 

I never liked Barbie as a kid, and I never bought my kids any.  My reason was that I don't see why little girls need to play with grown-up dolls.  But other people bought my kids Barbies, and they liked them, so they have a bunch.  They also have a bunch of Everafter High dolls, which I think are weird, but whatever.  My kids mostly like the clothes/accessories aspect of the dolls.  I have explained that the dolls are made much skinnier than a real person because that allows the clothes to easily go on and off.

 

Would I buy the new Barbies?  Not unless my kids asked for them.  And honestly, I don't think they are going to be that popular with kids.  But I could be wrong about that.

[momto10blessings]

It's an interesting idea, but how annoying would it be to keep track of all the different size barbie clothes for the different sized barbies?

[LucyStoner]

What I thought was nice about them is that the facial features are more realistic to the different skin tones. I always thought it was oddly disconcerting to see exaggerated Northern European facial features on dolls intended to be black or Asian.

 

Barbie has lost market share in recent years, some of that to other Mattel lines but much of it to people just not buying them. They have faired especially poorly with affluent parents lately. These new dolls are the result of years of careful market research and product testing. They didn't do this because of non-sales related pressure to change, they did this because they want to reach/regain customers. Judging from the number of people I know who posted that they'd never bought a Barbie for their daughter before today but that they have ordered xyz doll(s) today, I am guessing the launch is going to be fairly successful. My brother opened his wallet and he's never bought his girls (ages 7 and 9) Barbies before today.

[KarenNC]

It's an interesting idea, but how annoying would it be to keep track of all the different size barbie clothes for the different sized barbies?

 

I don't think it would be that big a deal. I managed to keep track of clothes for Barbie and Skipper (Barbie's little sister) growing up, and my daughter managed to figure out which clothes went with Barbie, Kelly, Ken, the grandparents, Stacie, and Monster High dolls quite well. She also managed to deal with the shoes that the flat-footed Barbies could wear but the permanently high heel Barbies couldn't.

 

I like the idea, but I don't know how long they will last on the market. I grew up with Barbie. Ken we kept around for the wedding, then he either went to work or died (depending on how bloodthirsty we were that day, I suppose ;) ). I was okay with my daughter having Barbie, but I did try to make sure I got some of different skin tones and the grandparents (who had a different body shape). When the Fashionista Barbies were introduced, my daughter loved how articulated they were (much more so than a typical Barbie) because then they could do aikido like her. I'll be curious to see the level of articulation in these.

 

It seems to me that Mattel is trying to bring some of the individualization of their American Girl doll line into Barbie in an effort to turn around flagging sales. It's also worth noting that they aren't getting rid of the original Barbie body shape, just expanding the line.

 

Bratz were an absolute no around here, Monster High an absolute yes (though she was a preteen by the time they came out, we'd have likely gotten them when she was younger if they had been available). :) 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

My mom forbade Barbies for me, but it probably wasn't necessary because when going to friends' houses, I never understood how to play with dolls anyway.  

 

I have not forbidden them per se, but I don't buy them and no one has offered them to my girls.  I don't think they'd know what to do with them either.  

 

Will this change the way girls see "normal" body types, or will it just serve to further put people into categories?  "Oh, you look like a curvy petite."  "You are a tall original." etc, etc.  

 

 

[Ottakee]

My girls are way behind Barbies but I knowany of the moms in my transracial adoption group are very excited as they will have more options for dolls that look more like their children....hair, skin tones, facial features, etc.

[Ausmumof3]

I like the variety although it's about 10 years to late and the average barbie is still unrealistically thin. Curvy barbie is actually kind of average not really really plus sized. Of course if there was plus sized barbie people would probably think it was encouraging unhealthy eating habits or something.

 

I do like their current career doll range with a vet, a nurse etc.

 

Mostly I think kids with plenty of free play time take their toys to places way beyond what the manufacturers anticipate anyway. It's less about the toy and more about how they use it.

[Bluegoat]

I don't really mind about Barbies, my kids have some, even my son has, I think, two Ken dolls.  (Which look nothing like traditional Ken, we call them "Metrosexual Ken.)  I had some as a kid too.  I never had much sense that they were some kind of ideal.  I had some Jem dolls as well, which had a more realistic figure (skinny still but more proportional bust and hips.)  The difficulty with them was that the boobs were too small to hold their clothes on well.

 

I wasn't ever convinced that kids would replace them with the childish fashion dolls like Lotties - the point always seems that kids are using them to pretend about grown-up life, not kid life.

 

I don't mind about the different figures, and I am sure it is an attempt to improve sales.  I do wonder about the clothing sizes issue - in the past, the different Barbie types like Skippers were pretty obvious - Skipper was short, Ken's clothes were men's clothes.  These strike me as a little more difficult to differentiate.

 

[kewb]

I was not really a doll kid. I had a barbie but she often was mauled by an animal in my stuffed animal jungle. My dd was the same. Loved her stuffed animals more than the barbies she had.

I don't recall growing up with unrealistic expectations of what my body should look like and Barbie had some great careers. How do you think she was able to afford a plane, a camper, a car, and that Malibu town home.

I think doll diversity is a good thing. I always like Barbie more than those Bratz dolls. I did not allow Bratz.

[Pam in CT]

I grew up with Barbies.  By the time I had daughters of my own, I drew a line more or less like the OP's -- I felt like the Barbie Body was one.more.piece of an overall unrealistic-female-body-ideal that I didn't want myself to feed... so I never myself bought Barbies for my daughters, but OTOH didn't object if they received them as gifts.  As the girls got older, Barbie bodies served as useful object lessons in conversations we had about unrealistic-female-body-ideal images in the media and elsewhere.

 

And now my girls are past that stage.  And while there are other little girls in my life -- my brother just had a baby daughter -- I can't, personally, imagine ever giving Barbie as a gift (not that there's anything wrong with giving dolls, just that there are so many other gifts I'm more interested in sharing).

 

All of which to say: I don't think I am, or ever was, the target market.

 

 

 

What I thought was nice about them is that the facial features are more realistic to the different skin tones. I always thought it was oddly disconcerting to see exaggerated Northern European facial features on dolls intended to be black or Asian.

Barbie has lost market share in recent years, some of that to other Mattel lines but much of it to people just not buying them. They have faired especially poorly with affluent parents lately. These new dolls are the result of years of careful market research and product testing. They didn't do this because of non-sales related pressure to change, they did this because they want to reach/regain customers. Judging from the number of people I know who posted that they'd never bought a Barbie for their daughter before today but that they have ordered xyz doll(s) today, I am guessing the launch is going to be fairly successful. My brother opened his wallet and he's never bought his girls (ages 7 and 9) Barbies before today.

But I agree with Katie -- this decision is neither some nod to PC, nor some lucky out-of-nowhere Cabbage Patch fluke, this is a long-researched marketing decision, based on what Mattel's research demonstrates potential buyers want.  

 

It's not an agenda being pushed; it's a business response to what the market is pulling.  And in that sense, I count it as good news.

 

 

 

 

 

:lol: re: momto10's point about keeping track of all the different-sized clothes.  Shoot me in the head.

[Dmmetler]

I admit, one of my thoughts is "all those beautiful dresses that won't fit". My grandmother made beautiful, intricate Barbie dresses, mostly wedding dresses of a kind that had they been for an adult woman, would have been thousands of dollars. Think hand beading, lots of embroidery, no two alike.

 

My DD never liked Barbies (the only Barbie she ever wanted was the Dolphin trainer one) or got into the clothes, (she's never liked dolls much, although she did like the American girl books) and I still have a lot of beautiful, handmade dresses, that I love pulling out along with my dolls and the ones DD got as gifts to play with when I have a child around who does like them.

 

It kind of makes me sad to think that Curvy Barbie will be too curvy for those gowns, and petite Barbie too short. Maybe because as a curvy, petite woman, that's the story of my life!

[luuknam]

I played with Barbies as a kid, made some clothes for them as a kid, bought the Barbie Around the World: India one as a teen, and have bought my sons the Barbie & Ken snowboarding set (and some extra clothes) for xmas 2014.

 

I probably wouldn't buy the curve/short/tall Barbies because of clothing not fitting issues. It's hard enough for me to buy clothes in the store; I don't want to have to struggle putting clothes on Barbie as well (though my kids' Barbie and Ken have cross-dressed plenty, which sometimes is a bit of struggle to get the clothes on (as in, they ask me for help instead of doing it themselves), but not too bad, so not sure how big of a deal it'd really be). That said, I only have two boys, and they don't play with Barbie and Ken very often... if my kids were really into Barbie I might consider it (side note - are we also going to get different Ken shapes at some point?).

[My4arrows]

It's an interesting idea, but how annoying would it be to keep track of all the different size barbie clothes for the different sized barbies?

This is what I was thinking. We always had barbies growing up, my aunt had her originals that we played with and we never thought about the size. I feel like size is such a Focus now that it may make kids even more aware of it. I don't have girls though so I guess I have a different perspective than those who do

[gardenmom5]

big HUGE eye roll.  it feels mattel has gone the way of political correctness.  or maybe desperate to generate new interest because disney moved all their princesses to hasbro.

[Slojo]

What I thought was nice about them is that the facial features are more realistic to the different skin tones. I always thought it was oddly disconcerting to see exaggerated Northern European facial features on dolls intended to be black or Asian.

 

Barbie has lost market share in recent years, some of that to other Mattel lines but much of it to people just not buying them. They have faired especially poorly with affluent parents lately. These new dolls are the result of years of careful market research and product testing. They didn't do this because of non-sales related pressure to change, they did this because they want to reach/regain customers. Judging from the number of people I know who posted that they'd never bought a Barbie for their daughter before today but that they have ordered xyz doll(s) today, I am guessing the launch is going to be fairly successful. My brother opened his wallet and he's never bought his girls (ages 7 and 9) Barbies before today.

I agree. I was one of those people - first Barbie purchase ever. If they had kept the original doll and never changed it, I probably would not go out of my way to buy them.  I think the launch will be fine -- original Barbie is still as available as ever, and they might capture a demographic that actually cares and thinks about the "body image" stuff as it relates to the dolls their kids play with. They may not ever regain the market they had at the peak, but really don't think that's a bad thing (I'm not a big fan of the model that says sales must grow every flipping year). 

 

They paid big bucks to product test before going to market. They had the "McDonald's" problem on their hands -- others entered the market with fresher products that speak to contemporary values for important segments of the market (especially college educated, high income families). And like the McDonald's problem of having high-income, highly educated folks saying no to the fat and the salt for their kiddos and going for places that specialized in salads, organic chicken, etc (even if those places don't really live up to the hype), Barbie had an image problem as well with pretty much that same demographic -- but, in this case, lots of college-educated moms who DO think that even subtle body image messages count, who are "pickier" about the toys they have in their home, etc... and who quite frankly are the ones going to BUY the dolls. 

 

As for if little girls will buy into Barbie looking like a lot of different sizes and looks, I think like anything else, the world keeps changing. Your 11 year old might think "that's not Barbie," but my 3 year old will know nothing different other than Barbies can come in several sizes. 

Edited January 29, 2016 by Slojo

[vonfirmath]

It's an interesting idea, but how annoying would it be to keep track of all the different size barbie clothes for the different sized barbies?

 

THIS is the big problem I see. Finding clothes to fit. and because they are all called "Barbie" Even the terminology is going to be difficult.

[LucyStoner]

big HUGE eye roll. it feels mattel has gone the way of political correctness. or maybe desperate to generate new interest because disney moved all their princesses to hasbro.

Mattel's problem appealing to buyers goes much further back than losing the princess dolls, as does the development cycle for these dolls. This is more like McDonalds adding fries, yogurt and oranges to the happy meals than just some random or hastily decided thing. Times have changed. They want to sell to educated buyers and to Oregon trail generation and millennial generation parents.

 

The thing that got most of the people commenting that they bought one on my FB? Not so much the body shapes. The dyed colored hair. Purple. Blue.

 

That's not political correctness- that's demographics and market forces.

Edited January 30, 2016 by LucyStoner

[TechWife]

It's an interesting idea, but how annoying would it be to keep track of all the different size barbie clothes for the different sized barbies?

 

The shoes, oh the shoes!!! :willy_nilly:

[Squawky Acres]

Barbies were very popular in my neighborhood in the 1980's.  I remember having to beg and beg to get one (I think mine was called "Pink and Pretty").  My mother didn't want me to have one because she thought I might grow up with unrealistic body image and be disappointed when I didn't end up looking like one.  As a five-year-old, I thought that was ridiculous.  I understood that Barbie's proportions were more of a caricature, and of course I wouldn't want to look *exactly like* Barbie.  She was really just a frame for all of those beautiful ballgowns; but we did have a lot of fun plotting all of her adventures.  The American Girl dolls were also just starting to come out, but they were prohibitively expensive for the girls in my little suburban ranch-house development --- so we knew not to even ask for one.  Barbies were inexpensive and plentiful, and a lot more egalitarian.  

 

I eventually had a small box full of Barbies, along with the clothing and accessories.  It is still in a closet in my childhood home.  As much as I fondly remember playing with Barbie, I haven't brought it out for my girls, or bought them any of the newer Barbies, as they are interested in other things, and I haven't felt that they would be particularly enriched by having Barbies.  I am not offended by Barbie's proportions, or worried that my girls will feel inadequate.  I just don't think they would find Barbie very interesting with everything else that is available to them.

 

 

[Seasider]

I'm waiting for the Exhausted/Sometimes Depressed Mother of Four Barbie.  That's when it really gets real.

[mamiof5]

Bratz dolls remind me of the Kardashians come to life.

Lol!!! After many years of disliking these dolls you finally gave me the reason why! Other than the name of course, it always baffles me...who would like their dds to play with a Brat? Thanks for the chuckle :)

[mamiof5]

I'm waiting for the Exhausted/Sometimes Depressed Mother of Four Barbie. That's when it really gets real.

Add to it a homeschooling mom and I might buy her :)

[Janie Grace]

Add to it a homeschooling mom and I might buy her :)

Here you go... (from a blog that no longer exists, sadly)

 

 

As homeschooling has grown in popularity, there's a Barbieâ„¢ to meet every need. The Protestant Christian version comes with a miniature Bible (the complete King James version!) and will recite Scripture verses when her hand is pressed. Catholic Homeschool Barbieâ„¢ wears a crucifix, chapel veil, and can lead your children in praying the Rosary (in your choice of Latin or English) when her hands are placed together. Secular Homeschool Barbieâ„¢ comes complete with a grain mill and Birkenstocksâ„¢, and shares her favorite home remedies & recipes with a pat on the back. All three dolls include a variety of Math curricula with manipulatives and chalkboards with tiny real chalk! And what would a teacher be without students? Children for Homeschool Barbieâ„¢ are available in a variety packs of seven girls & boys ranging in age from four to ten, in your choice of matching or non-matching outfits. (Cloth-diapered infants & toddlers sold separately.)

 

 

ETA: Awww, bummer, the picture didn't post. 

Edited January 30, 2016 by Janie Grace

[KungFuPanda]

I played with Barbies and so did my daughter. We both reached adulthood without any body issues. I think we got the placebo Barbies. DS played with action figures and harbors no unrealistic expectations about flying.

[Guest]

Ok, are we the only family with all nekkid Barbies?? Those hussies are all over this house and not one of them is wearing a stitch. We have clothes for them, boxes of clothes, they just can't be bothered.

[LucyStoner]

Barbies were *everywhere* when I was a kid and I was a mega tomboy. But every Christmas and birthday I got them from someone. Every party I attended for a girl usually had at least 1-2 Barbies in the mix Likely in part because people assumed all girls liked them and in part because they were pretty accessibly priced if you're looking for a gift that doesn't cost a lot and comes in an easy to wrap box. I think the basic ones were about $5-6? My long distance relatives often sent them.

 

My dislike of Barbie as a girl wasn't because of my hippie parents (they let us have them) or any body image stuff but rather because I just was interested in other things. Baseball, basketball, baseball, reading and uh, um, more baseball. When I was little the Barbies tended to end up factoring into play funerals or other hijinks. When I was about 9 I realized KMart would let me return them and I would exchange them at the store for...baseball cards. I found a Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card in a pack and that was a BFD. The last Barbie gift I recieved was when I was 11 or 12.

 

That said, I have only very rarely seen them unwrapped at birthday parties in the last decade plus of going to parties.

[mamiof5]

Here you go... (from a blog that no longer exists, sadly)

 

 

As homeschooling has grown in popularity, there's a Barbieâ„¢ to meet every need. The Protestant Christian version comes with a miniature Bible (the complete King James version!) and will recite Scripture verses when her hand is pressed. Catholic Homeschool Barbieâ„¢ wears a crucifix, chapel veil, and can lead your children in praying the Rosary (in your choice of Latin or English) when her hands are placed together. Secular Homeschool Barbieâ„¢ comes complete with a grain mill and Birkenstocksâ„¢, and shares her favorite home remedies & recipes with a pat on the back. All three dolls include a variety of Math curricula with manipulatives and chalkboards with tiny real chalk! And what would a teacher be without students? Children for Homeschool Barbieâ„¢ are available in a variety packs of seven girls & boys ranging in age from four to ten, in your choice of matching or non-matching outfits. (Cloth-diapered infants & toddlers sold separately.)

 

 

ETA: Awww, bummer, the picture didn't post.

Lol! I tried looking for it, but I think it was never made :p

[LucyStoner]

Ok, are we the only family with all nekkid Barbies?? Those hussies are all over this house and not one of them is wearing a stitch. We have clothes for them, boxes of clothes, they just can't be bothered.

I have a friend who has a daughter with a toy box full of naked Barbies. I opened it up and thought it looked like a mass grave. Creepy, besides "indecent". :P

 

ETA- it's not just Barbies. It's like every random posable fashion and princess doll. Some of the newer ones have undies printed on them. I thought that was hilarious.

Edited January 30, 2016 by LucyStoner

[MercyA]

Ok, are we the only family with all nekkid Barbies?? Those hussies are all over this house and not one of them is wearing a stitch. We have clothes for them, boxes of clothes, they just can't be bothered.

 

:laugh:

 

That's why I like these:

Palm Beach Barbies (always wearing a bathing suit)

Easy for Me Barbies (always wearing a cami and undies)

 

Mock if you will, but they're great. Some mothers also take a do it yourself approach with Sharpies and nail polish. Of course, my daughter would much rather play with her stuffed animals (no clothes required).

 

I like the new Barbies. The curvy one with blue hair is my favorite. I had dozens of Barbies as a child, and spent many happy summer days playing with them with my neighborhood friends.  

[FO4UR]

I think they are marketing to a new generation.

 

I'm not rushing out to buy any. 

 

 

 

I'm waiting for the Exhausted/Sometimes Depressed Mother of Four Barbie.  That's when it really gets real.

 

I know, right!?!  :lol:

[Dmmetler]

Barbies were *everywhere* when I was a kid and I was a mega tomboy. But every Christmas and birthday I got them from someone. Every party I attended for a girl usually had at least 1-2 Barbies in the mix Likely in part because people assumed all girls liked them and in part because they were pretty accessibly priced if you're looking for a gift that doesn't cost a lot and comes in an easy to wrap box. I think the basic ones were about $5-6? My long distance relatives often sent them.

 

My dislike of Barbie as a girl wasn't because of my hippie parents (they let us have them) or any body image stuff but rather because I just was interested in other things. Baseball, basketball, baseball, reading and uh, um, more baseball. When I was little the Barbies tended to end up factoring into play funerals or other hijinks. When I was about 9 I realized KMart would let me return them and I would exchange them at the store for...baseball cards. I found a Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card in a pack and that was a BFD. The last Barbie gift I recieved was when I was 11 or 12.

 

That said, I have only very rarely seen them unwrapped at birthday parties in the last decade plus of going to parties.

I had similar experiences. Of my DD's friend, one was really into Barbie until about age 10, but the only Barbie DD ever wanted was the Sea World Aquatic animal trainer one-which came with an Orca, dolphin, and sea lion. The animals got played with for years. The Barbie joined mine in the box under my bed.

[Carrie12345]

I know my sisters and I had Barbies, but I have no idea where they came from. I remember playing with them, but they weren't any sort of big deal.

 

My daughters had a few, but I have no idea where most of them came from, either, lol.  One dd requested the Holiday Barbie every year for about 3 years, so we got her those.  They both played with them, but they never asked for anything but those 3.

 

I think it's nice that there's a variety, but it's no more interesting to me than various Bratz or American Girls.  On the other hand, my kids have always been, and still are, very specific about which MLP and LPSs they want *soooo* bad!

[wapiti]

I had one Barbie when I was a kid, Airplane Barbie.  I preferred my brothers' Adventure People.

 

My dd6 has a number of barbies that were presents from other people.  It never occurred to me to buy them for her.  And yes, they're in a toy bin with no clothes on.  I think she plays with them that way - IMO the clothes are way too hard to get on.  Maybe we have fine motor issues in our house; I hate trying to put clothes on a barbie!

 

I haven't looked at the new versions.  The body image thing had no impact on me so I don't care much one way or another.

[Bluegoat]

Ok, are we the only family with all nekkid Barbies?? Those hussies are all over this house and not one of them is wearing a stitch. We have clothes for them, boxes of clothes, they just can't be bothered.

 

Ours are usually nude, and many are also missing hands and feet, they look like they have been through a minefield.

[BigMamaBird]

I think it's nice, but not earth shattering.  

 

My oldest DD got 4 Barbies for her Birthday one year and has a large dollhouse full of neighbor's castoffs, consignment store GI Joes and her new ones.  She plays with them maybe once a week.  If I got her one of the new ones, she'd play with it, but I don't see it as something we must run out and get Right Now!!

 

It's a doll.  I've always thought the whole kerfluffle over "Barbie is ruining our daughter's self-confidence!" do be sort of weird.  It is a toy.  Not a declaration of self-worth.  

[Outdoorsy Type]

I might actually buy one if I had a child who wanted one. I hated Barbie when I was younger because she represented unattainable sexist standards towards women. My mom might have ingrained that in me, but I still don't like the image that Barbie brings to mind for me. I don't have the same strong feelings toward a group of Barbie brand friends with different facial types and sizes.

[Rosie_0801]

Add to it a homeschooling mom and I might buy her :)

 

There's a Fulla doll for that. Though I have read enough homeschool blogs to know her pink and green homeschool room isn't the norm. :p

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W3iMQLLmo9k/UQE1kMA466I/AAAAAAAAA5E/9dV8IUEq_Kc/s1600/fulla-teacher.jpg

[mamiof5]

There's a Fulla doll for that. Though I have read enough homeschool blogs to know her pink and green homeschool room isn't the norm. :p

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W3iMQLLmo9k/UQE1kMA466I/AAAAAAAAA5E/9dV8IUEq_Kc/s1600/fulla-teacher.jpg

Cute!!! I have green, but no pink in our room :)

[heartlikealion]

I had Barbies. I don't think I gave the size much thought. I always thought it was annoying her feet were posed to fit in high heels at all times lol. One of my fondest Christmas memories as a kid was getting a Barbie camper. I don't think I had extra clothes for any of them.

 

I'm glad to see more dolls to choose from, in general. I heard that Bratz dolls are being changed to have a more mainstream look (not sure what the wording was) but I can't find the link so now I'm wondering if that was even true. It was basically a petition to ask them to keep the old style even though they were releasing the new ones. There were side by side images. I agree the Ever After dolls are weird lol. But they also look kinda cool I guess.

 

Really I was more excited this past year to see the line of dolls with "disabilities" and a birthmark. I don't know what term to use for the line but here they are: http://www.today.com/parents/british-toymaker-makies-includes-disabled-dolls-t21676 Too bad they are so expensive. My niece got some doll with a wheelchair over the holiday. I think the wheelchair was an American doll accessory (she owns an AG knock off). My niece does not use a wheelchair and I don't know if she asked for it, but happily showed off her doll and accessories.

Edited January 31, 2016 by heartlikealion

[Reefgazer]

This is my reaction. It's just a doll and it's always been a doll; it's not a role model.

 

big HUGE eye roll. it feels mattel has gone the way of political correctness. or maybe desperate to generate new interest because disney moved all their princesses to hasbro.

[Slojo]

I think it's nice, but not earth shattering.  

 

My oldest DD got 4 Barbies for her Birthday one year and has a large dollhouse full of neighbor's castoffs, consignment store GI Joes and her new ones.  She plays with them maybe once a week.  If I got her one of the new ones, she'd play with it, but I don't see it as something we must run out and get Right Now!!

 

It's a doll.  I've always thought the whole kerfluffle over "Barbie is ruining our daughter's self-confidence!" do be sort of weird.  It is a toy.  Not a declaration of self-worth.  

I'm not sure that anyone would lay the self-confidence issue entirely at Barbie's (permanent high-heeled) feet. But I do think that there is plenty of evidence to suggest that images in toys, media, and elsewhere, all play their part. It doesn't take much to look at research on black dolls alone, and why having a range of attractive dolls of color might be important. I don't see why body size would be any different. Maybe not THE difference, but A difference. 

 

Certainly, I think the messages girls get from real people, and how they react to body size is more important and impactful than any subtle messages from doll play. But representation is important in all arenas, including toys.

 

It may be that dolls, in general, not just Barbie, are losing market share as more interesting toys flood the market, and kids of all backgrounds are getting less and less free, unstructured time. So this move from Mattel may not make a particular dent in boosting their sales again. I'm on the side of liking the move, in general, and would rather, if we are going to have those dolls in the house, have a variety that IS a bit more reflective of the variety in real people than not. To me, that would go much farther in sending a subtle message that the shape and size doesn't matter because there's no one shape or size.  

 

This is my reaction. It's just a doll and it's always been a doll; it's not a role model.

 

Not a role model, but it is modeling. What is child's play but modeling/mirroring/acting out/practicing activity in the larger world? That is at least one of the functions of playing as the work of children.  

[Lawyer&Mom]

I don't understand the new Tall Barbie. Isn't original Barbie already like eight feet tall?

[KrissiK]

I think it's stupid! Honestly, I played with Barbies all the time as a kid and it never occurred to me to think the doll should resemble me. It's a plastic toy. Perhaps this is an indication that children are becoming more self-centered. Everything must look/be like them. Whatever happened to tolerance? I thought we were supposed to accept people who are different than we are. Apparently not our toys, though.

[Kerileanne99]

I had Barbies. I don't think I gave the size much thought. I always thought it was annoying her feet were posed to fit in high heels at all times lol. One of my fondest Christmas memories as a kid was getting a Barbie camper. I don't think I had extra clothes for any of them.

 

I'm glad to see more dolls to choose from, in general. I heard that Bratz dolls are being changed to have a more mainstream look (not sure what the wording was) but I can't find the link so now I'm wondering if that was even true. It was basically a petition to ask them to keep the old style even though they were releasing the new ones. There were side by side images. I agree the Ever After dolls are weird lol. But they also look kinda cool I guess.

 

Really I was more excited this past year to see the line of dolls with "disabilities" and a birthmark. I don't know what term to use for the line but here they are: http://www.today.com/parents/british-toymaker-makies-includes-disabled-dolls-t21676 Too bad they are so expensive. My niece got some doll with a wheelchair over the holiday. I think the wheelchair was an American doll accessory (she owns an AG knock off). My niece does not use a wheelchair and I don't know if she asked for it, but happily showed off her doll and accessories.

Awesome, thank you for the link:)

Dd6 has an American Girl doll and wheelchair just like her mommy's. When she earned her AG, she laboriously poured over which doll to get, as part of the Truly Me customization. When we got to the store she had chos me to take a friend with DS. Alex was extremely, extremely upset on her friend's behalf that there was not a doll that 'looked like her friend.'

She has always had a very pronounced sense of right and wrong and this has continued to upset her. I can't wait to show her your link:)