Despite Barbie’s problematic history when it comes to body image and lack of diversity, it seems as though things are starting to change.
And her latest youtube vlog, which addresses white privilege, has Twitter rooting for this new and improved Barbie.
Keep scrolling for the video that’s gone viral…
And her latest video surrounding the black lives matter movement has got everyone talking.
Although Barbie hasn’t always been viewed as the best role model, in fact, she’s had a pretty problematic history.
The Barbie Doll is one of the most iconic children’s toys, with the blonde-haired, blue-eyed figurine dating all the way back to 1959.
Ruth felt inspired after she noticed her young daughter, Barbara, playing with makeshift paper dolls.
And thus designed a 3D doll, suitable for young girls far and wide to play out their dreams with.
“My whole philosophy of Barbie was that, through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices.”
To date, it is estimated that over a billion varieties of the Barbie doll have been sold across 150 different countries – This makes her the most successful fashion doll to ever exist.
And Ruth’s pro-feminist philosophy when creating the doll, there have been many issues surrounding the fashion figurine.
And they have given her a variety of impressive and aspiring job roles, such as scientist and doctor, in the process.
And no amount of impressive job titles would change it.
Barbie has consistently had a ridiculously unattainable appearance that seriously lacks in diversity.
And her minuscule cinched waist all contribute to a rather unrealistic beauty standard amongst young girls.
The doll has been put under more and more scrutiny regarding her undiverse and, quite simply, unrealistic appearance.
And this has ultimately put a strain on Barbie’s iconic, yet obviously overdone blonde-haired and blue-eyed aesthetic.
And the doll’s manufacturer, Mattel, clearly under pressure, has been working hard to broaden their diversity range amongst the dolls.
And a range of different, yet realistic, body shapes that represent all types of women.
Muslim women far and wide rejoiced when the hijab-wearing Barbie was unveiled in 2017.
“Barbie in a wheelchair” and “Barbie with a prosthetic leg” were added to the Fashionistas range in February 2019.
Kim Culmone, Vice President of Barbie Design, told Teen Vogue that one of the most frequent requests Mattel received was for a doll in a wheelchair. So, the company worked alongside people with disabilities to bring the dolls to life in the most accurate way possible.
And they became the 2 best selling Barbie Fashionista dolls last year, the company claimed.
And she isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Barbie has a YouTube-style vlog that reaches over 9.7 million subscribers and is run by the official brand.
In her most recent video, she starts by addressing the importance of the BLM marches and the movement in general, saying, “this stuff isn’t easy to talk about, which is exactly why we have to talk about it.”
She talks about 2 different occasions where she has had to deal with racism, in a way that children and adults alike will understand.
And discusses a time where she scored high on her french exam, resulting in her teacher telling her she “got lucky.”
And another where Nikki and Barbie were selling stickers on the beach only for Nikki to be stopped by security 3 times, while Barbie got away with it.
Nikki explains, “Usually when I talk about these things, people make excuses. They say things like, ‘Well, maybe you should have had a permit for selling on the beach.’ But those are just excuses. People did these things because I was Black, and they made the wrong assumptions about me.”
They both explain white privilege isn’t just being handed more opportunities, but also not having to “prove people wrong” or defend yourself before you’ve been given a fair chance.
And says, “That’s not fair, because that means that white people get an advantage that they didn’t earn, and Black people get a disadvantage that they don’t deserve.”
What a statement.
Addressing these topics on a kids’ channel is the perfect place to start teaching and explaining these often overlooked but essential subjects.