I'm a Barbie Girl

2019 must be the year of reinvention because after celebrating 60 years in business, Barbie is now coming out with new dolls that have disabilities, ranging skin tones and weights, and even varying professions. Hooray!

The new dolls come after years of pestering Mattel, the company that manufactures Barbies, to move on from their 1950’s beauty ideals to those that reflect current times. To put it into perspective, Barbie and Ken looked like this way back when:

(Image Credit: Mattel)

This is problematic in the lens of today, as it focuses on just a small percentage of a very diverse and unique group of people. It wasn't until 57 years after the company started that dolls with different skin tones and builds appeared, and their line with Barbies that have permanent physical disabilities only came out in February of this year. So, unfortunately, some of these changes came a little too late, making it seem as though there wasn't a need to have these types of people in the public eye.

Luckily now, though, young kids everywhere can now see themselves represented in a medium that was once dominated by an outdated supermodel stereotype. Their new “Shero” campaign includes dolls that resemble famous women who embody what it means to be unstoppable, as well as becoming role models for the many types of children who need them most. Hijabs, tennis rackets, and t-shirts saying “Girl Power” are all the rage now according to Barbie, and I couldn't agree more.