Barbie's Transformation

For many years, Barbie has been idolized. Girls fantasized about the life of Barbie because it seems to be the ideal lifestyle. She has the “perfect” body and pretty hair. She has the dream house and the dream man, Ken.

However, Barbie portrays a body image of proportions that aren’t realistic. Mattel has received criticism for many years because Barbie created a beauty standard that is almost impossible to obtain. So recently, Mattel has released a new line of Barbie dolls that are more realistic.

The new Barbie dolls will now be available in numerous varieties. The line of new dolls will imitate a more realistic girl. Mattel stated that the new dolls will come in “four body types and seven skin tones, with 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles.” These features will create an assortment of 33 new dolls. Every girl doesn’t have the same body type and that is what Barbie was portraying. A variety of tall, curvy, and petite Barbie dolls will create a more realistic image for girls, unlike the original tall, skinny and busty Barbie doll. I interviewed a student, Lauren House, she thinks “it is a good thing because everyone is different.”

The new diverse assortment of dolls shows that every skin type, body shape, eye color, etc. is beautiful. Mattel is now presenting a broader view of beauty. The new and improved dolls will be available in stores March 1st.