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Barbie Unveils 17 New Dolls Based On Inspiring Women Like Frida Kahlo And Chloe Kim, And We Want Them All
Barbie dolls have been introducing girls to beauty and fashion trends for 58 years, but recently the company decided to switch things up. To better understand what the current society needs, Barbie surveyed 8,000 mothers. It found out that 86% of them are worried about what kind of role models their daughters are exposed to, so the company created 17 dolls of real and famous women.
“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 female historical figures and famous athletes to remind them that they can be anything,” senior vice president and general manager of Barbie, Lisa McKnight, said in a news release.
Each “Inspiring Women” doll comes with educational information about the way each of the female heroes shaped society. The lineup consists of both historical and modern-day figures. Amelia Earhart, the first female to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and Frida Kahlo, the famous artist, and activist, is among them. Although the series has only three dolls so far, the lineup is set to grow with the release of new ones, a spokeswoman for Mattel said.
Barbie also made new additions to its Shero program, which began in 2015. The initiative has already honored such history-making women like Ibtihaj Muhammad, Misty Copeland, Ava DuVernay, Eva Chen, and Ashley Graham. Now, it’s celebrating even more modern-day female heroes: gold-winning Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim, world-renowned chef Hélène Darroze, and others.
More info: mattel.com
RELATED:
Barbie surveyed 8,000 mothers and found out that 86% of them are worried about what kind of role models their daughters are exposed to
In response, the company has released a series of empowering women dolls from both the past and present
Frida Kahlo, Artist
Amelia Earhart, Aviation Pioneer
Martyna Wojciechowska, Journalist
Hélène Darroze, World-Renowned Chef
Ashley Graham, Model And Body Activist
Patty Jenkins, Filmmaker
Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician And Physicist
Yuan Yuan Tan, Prima Ballerina
Sara Gama, Soccer Player
Leyla Piedayesh, Designer and Entrepreneur
Ibtihaj Muhammad, Fencing Champion
Bindi Irwin, Conservationist
Xiaotong Guan, Actress And Philanthropist
Chloe Kim, Snowboarding Champion
Gabby Douglas, Gymnastics Champion
Ava Duvernay, Film Director
Hui Ruoqi, Volleyball Champion
Nicola Adams Obe, Boxing Champion
Some people applauded the new dolls
While others thought they shouldn’t exist in the first place
What do you think?
Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
Libssuc 7 years ago
I think I used to play with the Barbies 50 years ago and grew up fine. I mean really this is ridiculous I mean I don't mind the dolls I think they're really cool but the original Barbie didn't screw with my head didn't make me want to look like her I didn't look to wear as a role model I just played with her. The s**t is out of control. If you're worried about your Children's role model than maybe you should just be one for them and stop relying on a Barbie doll.
A Ghost 7 years ago
Someone could make the case I was impacted by Barbie. For a time I wanted to be a tall, big breasted white woman. However I also wanted to be Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, a lamp and a cat. I don't think Barbie was the worst of these.
Load More Replies...
Alia Ris 7 years ago
Barbie company would still makes Barbie dolls as close as their old ones, it's the branding, the signature. Of course not all of it looks like the real heroes, but at least when girls see it, they would wonder who these are, google, and hopefully, inspired by it.
Daria B 7 years ago
This. Also, it's technical reasons. I believe it's not easy to make more complex molds for those plastic doll faces meant to be mass-produced.
Load More Replies...
stellermatt 7 years ago
there are many great women in the world both then and now. focus on the positive and the negative can be replaced.
Emily Hall 7 years ago
But why no Jane Goodall??😢 I would have LOVED to have a Barbie of her when I was little! I dressed up as her for every dress up day at school and kids made fun of me because they didn’t know who she was, but I didn’t care because she was my role model and hero💕
John Seidel 7 years ago
Jane Goodall was the first one that came to mind when I saw Science being represented in this group.
Load More Replies...
Pamela24 7 years ago
I mean...I could whine and point out how it could have been done better but I feel that this is a huge step forward. Especially from such a big company; a company that has had major influence over the years and could easily care only about its income and forget about any diversity. I say - congrats. :)
Carrie Cottle 7 years ago
While I applaud the concept, why do mothers make Mattel responsible for who their daughters have as role models? My mother provided me with Barbies as a child and never did I wish to grow up to be Barbie. Not any version of them. I wanted to grow up to be a strong independent woman because that's who my mother was. The mothers should be teaching their daughters about these women, not handing them dolls to play with and expecting them to aspire to be them. It's who they are that is inspiring, not their outfits.
Jeny Kennedy 7 years ago
I agree but I'd add that the PARENTS, not just mothers, have a responsibility to teach their CHILDREN, not just daughters, about integrity.
Load More Replies...
Mária Dusová 7 years ago
As a Czech I have to say it - I need Ester Ledecká as a barbie doll for my daghter.
Aleksandra 7 years ago
I love this idea! And there's even Polish woman here! I like Martyna Wojciechowska a lot! Lovely!
Ana T. 7 years ago
well i from mexico and i dont get why american millennial said that frida khlao was a feminist , she was not a feminist in the Mexico of her youth indigenous people were abused by everyone the catholic church was like a goverment , the church have more power over people that the own goverment and Spaniard people were benefit of it , the church manipulate poor mexican farmers to give up their houses and land and those property's ended in hands of Spanish colonizers, she tough that was injustice she believe MEN AND WOMAN deserved same rights as the colonizers. she was not a feminist unfortunately her views were took as communist she hide lenin in mexico. as a mexican i want Americans to leave all Mexicans things alone just leave it alone no need to make a doll out of frida khlao her family dont agree Mattel just took her image and making money out of it.
Belle Plummer 3 years ago
Trotsky is who she hid Lenin's operatives were pursuing Trotsky and eventually killed him. You can see the house with all the bullet holes in Mexico. Incidentally, both she and Diego Rivera considered themselves ethnically Jewish. So, for all the accomplishments of Jewish women in world, the only one represented by Mattel is Frida. Who is also represented without her medical corset or leg brace
Load More Replies...
Libssuc 7 years ago
I think I used to play with the Barbies 50 years ago and grew up fine. I mean really this is ridiculous I mean I don't mind the dolls I think they're really cool but the original Barbie didn't screw with my head didn't make me want to look like her I didn't look to wear as a role model I just played with her. The s**t is out of control. If you're worried about your Children's role model than maybe you should just be one for them and stop relying on a Barbie doll.
A Ghost 7 years ago
Someone could make the case I was impacted by Barbie. For a time I wanted to be a tall, big breasted white woman. However I also wanted to be Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, a lamp and a cat. I don't think Barbie was the worst of these.
Load More Replies... Alia Ris 7 years ago
Barbie company would still makes Barbie dolls as close as their old ones, it's the branding, the signature. Of course not all of it looks like the real heroes, but at least when girls see it, they would wonder who these are, google, and hopefully, inspired by it.
Daria B 7 years ago
This. Also, it's technical reasons. I believe it's not easy to make more complex molds for those plastic doll faces meant to be mass-produced.
Load More Replies... stellermatt 7 years ago
there are many great women in the world both then and now. focus on the positive and the negative can be replaced.
Emily Hall 7 years ago
But why no Jane Goodall??😢 I would have LOVED to have a Barbie of her when I was little! I dressed up as her for every dress up day at school and kids made fun of me because they didn’t know who she was, but I didn’t care because she was my role model and hero💕
John Seidel 7 years ago
Jane Goodall was the first one that came to mind when I saw Science being represented in this group.
Load More Replies... Pamela24 7 years ago
I mean...I could whine and point out how it could have been done better but I feel that this is a huge step forward. Especially from such a big company; a company that has had major influence over the years and could easily care only about its income and forget about any diversity. I say - congrats. :)
Carrie Cottle 7 years ago
While I applaud the concept, why do mothers make Mattel responsible for who their daughters have as role models? My mother provided me with Barbies as a child and never did I wish to grow up to be Barbie. Not any version of them. I wanted to grow up to be a strong independent woman because that's who my mother was. The mothers should be teaching their daughters about these women, not handing them dolls to play with and expecting them to aspire to be them. It's who they are that is inspiring, not their outfits.
Jeny Kennedy 7 years ago
I agree but I'd add that the PARENTS, not just mothers, have a responsibility to teach their CHILDREN, not just daughters, about integrity.
Load More Replies... Mária Dusová 7 years ago
As a Czech I have to say it - I need Ester Ledecká as a barbie doll for my daghter.
Aleksandra 7 years ago
I love this idea! And there's even Polish woman here! I like Martyna Wojciechowska a lot! Lovely!
Ana T. 7 years ago
well i from mexico and i dont get why american millennial said that frida khlao was a feminist , she was not a feminist in the Mexico of her youth indigenous people were abused by everyone the catholic church was like a goverment , the church have more power over people that the own goverment and Spaniard people were benefit of it , the church manipulate poor mexican farmers to give up their houses and land and those property's ended in hands of Spanish colonizers, she tough that was injustice she believe MEN AND WOMAN deserved same rights as the colonizers. she was not a feminist unfortunately her views were took as communist she hide lenin in mexico. as a mexican i want Americans to leave all Mexicans things alone just leave it alone no need to make a doll out of frida khlao her family dont agree Mattel just took her image and making money out of it.
Belle Plummer 3 years ago
Trotsky is who she hid Lenin's operatives were pursuing Trotsky and eventually killed him. You can see the house with all the bullet holes in Mexico. Incidentally, both she and Diego Rivera considered themselves ethnically Jewish. So, for all the accomplishments of Jewish women in world, the only one represented by Mattel is Frida. Who is also represented without her medical corset or leg brace
Load More Replies... Related on Bored Panda
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