Mattel, the famed creator of Barbie has recently come out with something innovative for kids to play with. Their new doll can be a boy, a girl, no gender specification, or both. They have come out with the world’s first gender-neutral doll to redefine which gender gets to play with girl or boy labeled toys, completely eradicating traditional taboos children have been used to growing up with.
Senior Vice President of Mattel Fashion Doll Design, Kim Culmone said: “Toys are a reflection of culture and as the world continues to celebrate the positive impact of inclusivity, we felt it was time to create a doll line free of labels.”
These versatile dolls can be found with different types of skin tones. They can be dressed up and styled with long hair wigs, skirts, shorts or pants and three different pairs of shoes and other accessories. Time Magazine commented that these 11-inch dolls’ “lips are not too full, the eyelashes not too long and fluttery, the jaw not too wide. There are no Barbie-like breasts or broad, Ken-like shoulders.”
In recent years, millennial parents have tried to go against gender stereotypes when it comes to their children’s toys, and this time, major companies have listened. Their buying power has already convinced Disney to eradicate boy-girl labels from their children’s costumes, making girl costumes for Captain America and boy costumes for Belle in Beauty and the Beast.
In 2018, Mattel also let go of differentiating toy divisions and replaced them with non-gendered sections, like for example – cars or dolls.
These new Barbies will sell at $29.99 along with a slogan that says: “A doll line designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in.”
With this new move of theirs, they know that they will be alienating a huge percentage of this previous buyers. According to a survey completed by Pew Research, 76% of the public support parents that allow their daughters to play with toys traditionally associated with boys, while only 64% of the public endorse boys to actively play with girl-associated toys.
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