Mixed Reviews for Mattel's New Black Barbie Dolls
Mixed Reviews for Mattel's New Black Barbie Dolls
Friday, 09 October 2009 09:10
Mattel Launches its newest series of black Barbie Dolls this week to mixed reviews. The "So In Style" line, features Barbie's Best Friends Grace, Kara and Trichelle, each with her own unique style and interests and a little sister sidekick: Courtney, Janessa and Kianna. Noticeable are the variations in skin tones ( light brown, chocolate, and caramel) coupled with differences in hair texture; Trichelle and Kianna have curlier hair. In an effort to encourage young black girls to view themselves as beautiful, Barbie designer Stacey McBride-Irby has created a series of dolls that not only portray black women as inspirational and career-minded, but also resemble them more closely. She admits that her 6 year old daughter is an inspiration.
Sounds like a great move on Mattel's part, right? Well, we are not so sure about this. Apparently, the dolls have received mixed reviews. The New York Daily News showed the new "So In Style" trio of dolls – Grace, Kara and Trichelle – to several girls in New York to get feedback. While many liked the dolls, some felt the toy company overdid it with the shiny bling, big earrings and fancy sneakers. Although many black women are praising Mattel for its efforts,there are still some that are concerned that the long straight hair does not address the beauty issues that many young black girls struggle with. For example, within the black community, long, straight hair is often considered more beautiful than short kinky hair.
Are we being too hard on Mattel? Perhaps. I am all for embracing the natural textures of black hair, but is it feasible for a Barbie doll? Barbies are about make believe. So what if my doll has long straight hair? In my opinion, it will be easier to maintain for playing purposes. I say this because when I was a little girl I owned a black Barbie named Dee Dee. She was from the 1986 Barbie and the Rockers collection. I loved this doll! She was beautiful. Her skin looked mine, her features resembled mine, but that hair! OMG! I could do nothing with her hair. You see, Mattel made her hair so curly that one trip in the bathtub was all she wrote! I ended up with a doll with tangled hair that I could do nothing with; not fun at all. Unless Barbie is going to come complete with Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding or some other Barbie-sized styling aid, no thanks!
Now, I'm not saying that Barbie must have long hair down her back; a short bob will do just fine. Manageability is the key. I know my mother got tired of me dipping into her products to try to tame Ms. Dee Dee's hair!
