Barbie has handled discussing racism better than most real people do in a new post on the famed doll’s vlog. After existing for more than sixty years, it would make sense that a character as popular as Barbie would have been through many different turbulent eras.
The Mattel toy has had numerous incarnations, allowing kids to imagine what it’s like to do everything from going on safari to walking on the moon. And although the years have not always been kind to her and controversy has been a part of her evolution as a toy, Barbie continues to be a relevant part of the lives of many children. In recent months, lives around the world (even those of children) have been heavily impacted by the cost of social and racial inequality. The murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests that resulted has been one of the most powerful and tragic reminders for decades that Black lives continue to be disregarded at great cost. It’s quite bizarre, then, that Barbie could have anything to contribute to such a serious issue. However, given the doll’s place in the lives of children and the importance of educating children on racism from a young age, Barbie just might be one of anti-racism’s strongest allies.
Evidence of this force for change has come from a new video on Barbie’s vlog, Barbie Vlogs, which addressed the issues of racism and white privilege. Accompanied by her friend, Nikki, who is Black, Barbie makes the essential first step of allowing Nikki to speak about her experiences with discrimination and racism. Getting kids to see the importance of allowing those directly affected by racism to speak up is something that Mattel is making a strong effort to address with Barbie as of late. In a statement from the company on Barbie and her role in educated children about racism, Mattel said to CNN:
"Barbie is championing gender equality to help close the racial injustice barrier girls face through the Dream Gap and this is one way the brand is addressing it. The goal of the episode is to help girls to understand that there is a huge movement going on in the fight against racism, why people are marching together and the importance of reading and learning more about Black history.”
The Barbie Vlogs channel on YouTube has 9.6 million subscribers, making it the single most popular channel aimed at girls on YouTube. A live-action Barbie movie has been in the works for some time now, with Margot Robbie reportedly set to star as the iconic doll, along with a script from Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. It remains to be seen if this film adaptation will also focus on addressing social and racial equalities, but a feature film is an excellent resource for reaching wide audiences of young people and even adults.
As previously mentioned, Barbie has such a long history that the character has, at times, struggled to keep up with changes in society. Even now, though Barbie Vlogs is doing great work in educating children about racism and gender inequality, directing the message specifically to young girls implies that they are the only gender interested in Barbie. This certainly isn’t the case, as children of all gender identities should be encouraged by Mattel to not feel strange or wrong for having an interest in the brand.
Source: Barbie Vlogs/CNN