Scheme to give Barbie dolls to primary school children

@tryingtobeagoodhuman If you are bothered you can consider a more simple childhood for your children, my own have been brought up with wooden toys and a lot of outside natural play. Dolls can be made from grasses, twigs etc. It is hard to be informed about where toys come from, and I have bought lego, though second hand. What concerns me is the idea that parents may buy something they think is feminist in some way, not realising it has been created from the suffering of women. I have no more to say, as I am just too incredulous that feminists, at least on MN, would be uninterested in the exploitation of women in other countries. Actually, you are the only person who even expressed an interest, so thank you for actually considering the contradiction at the heart of 'feminist' Barbie.

Of course I'm bothered. But can you hand on heart say that your children — or their school — have no toys manufactured in questionable conditions? 70% of all toys are manufactured in China. If I boycotted every toy made in these factories, my children would not have anything. Obviously, this does not make it right, but the issue is hardly specific to Barbies.

@tryingtobeagoodhuman Thank you, I won't use the term 3rd world again. I was paraphrasing an article I read, which used the term but I can see it's wrong. All the same, are you not bothered by the idea of women working in terrible conditions to make the dolls? I'm astonished feminists don't seem to consider it relevant to the discussion.

@YetAnotherSpartacus the “new improved diverse ” Barbie range has been around for 14 years. So not exactly “new”.

Thje black barbies all seem to have the same standardised 'European' features which are considered beautiful.

I was thinking that. The new improved diverse range still looks like a lot of thin white dolls with impossible figures (what is with the matchstick legs) some with different skin tones and hairstyles - including pretty pastels!

@anyolddinosaur I remember as a child in the 80s that no one took the body shape of Barbie dolls seriously. We took the piss out of them. We would stand on our tippy toes and walk with our arms in the bent position and push out our (non existent because we were 9) boobs out and strut around going “Look at me…. I’m Barbie”. Not in a flattering way - a taking the piss way.
Children aren’t daft. If they were we would have hundreds believing that as adults they will grow up to be a rabbit living in a half victorian/half modern village (Sylvanian Familes).

Is there any evidence this is actually the case? How are you defining porn?

@Needmorelego You have nicely illustrated that while the skin colour may have changed a bit and hairstyles a little barbie is still largely long haired and anorexic.

Barbie was designed for porn, her creation was all about porn. Sorry you cant see that.

Thje black barbies all seem to have the same standardised 'European' features which are considered beautiful. I saw a photo of Niki Minaj in this morning's newspaper and she looks just like a barbie doll. The article was discussing the music tracks that accompany the film.

@FrancescaContini this was a couple of months ago before the film was released (and any merchandise was available).
There was no reference to the film in the advertising or packaging.

The use of the term “third world” is derogatory and has racist connotations. I’m surprised you don’t know that if it’s a central concern to you.

And?

I imagine that’s why they made it.

@Needmorelego ..which proves that ultimately the film has been a huge success for Mattel.

Everyone I know has loads of different dolls in their kids' collections.

This is what's available now in Argos, a really diverse range of dolls. You're provably far more likely to get purple hair than blonde. https://www.argos.co.uk/search/barbie*/?&_$ja=tsid:11675%7cacid:169-582-1252%7ccid:6753202534%7cagid:80882998233%7ctid:aud-1665189020154:kwd-319885284145%7ccrid:555954297993%7cnw:g%7crnd:8550007110602481401%7cdvc:m%7cadp:%7cmt:e%7cloc:9180798&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=6753202534&utm_term=argos%20barbie&utm_content=text&utm_custom1=80882998233&utm_custom2=169-582-1252&cmpid=GG05X&GPDP=true&gclid=CjwKCAjw8ZKmBhArEiwAspcJ7tk3VhX4FyawJ2CtDkjBUPfwc_14NxvmCGa2qD9uu8q18GrxnDFYzhoC3ZYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

@NumberTheory those photos are from the Argos website. It’s the Barbie Fashionista range. Sold in EVERY toy shop going and EVERY supermarket that sells toys.
They were recently on special offer on Tesco. In a branch I shop in regularly the shelf with the Barbies on was bare within days.

How many parents here honestly have 'diverse Barbies' in their children's toy collections?

Looking through the online collection all I see is a norm of impossibly skinny with long legs and blonde hair peppered with the odd historic figure, wheelchair doll and representations of different cultures. These exceptions prove the rule of white, unrealistic body shape and built for fashion.

Have some posters never looked at a contemporary display of barbie dolls? The idea of a blonde doll dressed in pink is based on internalised expectations. Needmorelego's picture is the standard range you see when you go to a supermarket or toy shop or look online.

Arabella is pointing out that despite Mattel’s (and all the pro-Barbie commentators’) rhetoric about diversity, if you go into a toy shop, there is very little of that diversity actually on the shelves. So the chances of a girl getting given a doll that isn’t blonde and caucasian is probably not that high unless they order it specially. Aspirationally, if you look in shops, Barbie still embodies the white, blonde aesthetic. And that’s still the face of Barbie. If you’re a tall, thin blonde woman, wear enough pink for a fancy dress and people will see Barbie, anyone else is going to have to carry a Barbie sign for people to know.

@LittleBearPad I suppose you are saying that many companies use feminism for marketing purposes, while abusing women at the same time. I don't feel that exonerates Mattel, it simply highlights the need to make ethical choices and pressure companies to be transparent and ethical themselves.

Lots of high street brands promote feminism and female empowerment- they still buy their stock from factories in the third world where women and men aren’t treated well.

@LittleBearPad It isn't another thing to me, I consider it as a central concern. Women in the first world are buying these dolls for children and apparently think they may carry a feminist message. But how can the product promote feminism if they don't address the exploitation of women in other countries for the sake of profit?

This thread does have aspects of ‘and another thing…’

And also reports of using mainly women in 3rd world countries to make the dolls, working in appalling and sexist conditions. I don't know if these practises have improved, but there are reports dating to 2021 of the dangerous and inhumane conditions of the workers.

Like fast fashion, electronics, mining and a lot of other industries we in the West don’t want to think very hard about.

And also reports of using mainly women in 3rd world countries to make the dolls, working in appalling and sexist conditions. I don't know if these practises have improved, but there are reports dating to 2021 of the dangerous and inhumane conditions of the workers. I would hope schools would have some hesitation about this.

@ArabeIIaScott this is the current selection of Fashionista Barbies.
Clearly not all “blond and caucasian”.