Clueless Barbie
Some of the major stores are already advertising their holiday toy sales. This made me think of Barbie and her friends.
Some say the Barbie doll was the most influential icon of late 20th century American culture. In fact, she rated no. 43 on the 101 most influencial people who never lived (Click here).
Some say Barbie had it all: perfect body, perfect boyfriend and perfect everything.
Many little girls still think Barbie is the definition of beauty and a great role model, after all she has been a presidential candidate, an astronaut, in the arm services, in the business and entertainment worlds. Barbie didn’t even need a phone booth like Superman, all she had to do was change her shoes. In 2009, Barbie brought in $1.2 billion in annual revenue for Mattel.
But in my opinion, Mattel missed a powerful opportunity to be a leader for inclusion and community building–a real chance to make a difference in the world.
Mattel captured the feminist and toy market for “perfect” dolls, but it didn’t do as well with the non-white, “non-perfect” market. In the 1980s Barbie went multiracial and Mattel introduced Black Barbie, Hispanic Barbie and other dolls in their International Collection.
But these new “culturally diverse” dolls still had European features, and to me, seemed to be basically the original Barbie in costumes, with darker hair and skin.
Instead of becoming a leader, promoting sensitivity and understanding, Mattel reinforced the dominant cultural stereotype and dismissed the natural beauty of other races and cultures. A lost opportunity for all of us. Certainly a lost chance to teach tolerance and respect for people with disabilities.
In 1997, Mattel ignored even the basic “People First” language (click here) with Wheelchair Becky. When a little girl with cerebral palsy complained, they renamed the doll Share-a-Smile Becky. Most advocates would say, “Becky” would have been enough.
Good intentions aren’t enough.
Like many perfect people, Barbie and Mattel didn’t get past their good intentions. When everyone learned Becky’s long hair got caught in the rungs of her wheelchair, and Barbie’s Dreamhouse and expensive cars were not wheelchair accessible, Mattel folded.
Rather than make Barbie’s perfect world accessible and promote universal design and inclusion, Becky disappeared from Barbie’s neighborhood, er… store shelves.
Who wants to be perfect anyway?
But like many people with disabilities, Wheelchair Becky was resilient and found her own friends and adventures.
Last week someone sent me a web update on what Wheelchair Becky has been doing. Click here to join her for a beer and enjoy her wild ride– with Perfect Barbie nowhere in sight.
(Exaggeration is part of humor and comedy. If the pendulum moves a little too far for your taste, remember this is about making Becky more human. I liked that she is shown as an adult…for good or bad. Attitude and change are not child’s play.)
Seeing her here, there and everywhere, the Wheelchair Becky adventures reminded me of the building community activity I did with several classes around the book, Flat Stanley.
photo credit: davidwatterson
Flat Stanley doing it right
Like Wheelchair Barbie, Stanley had an accident that resulted in some physical challenges. But Flat Stanley was also resilient, clever and he uses his unique physical condition to his advantage. Because he can now fit into an envelope he doesn’t have to worry about crowded flights and paying extra for luggage.
If you go to the Hall of Fame (click here) you will see Stanley has been in space, to the Academy Awards, to the White House and many exciting places.
In the picture we see Flat Stanley with a new friend in Kenya. Wouldn’t it be neat to have a pen pal from the other side of the world? Many teachers and school children think this personal connection is the best way to teach about different life styles and cultures.
The Flat Stanley Project is an international literacy and community building activity for students of all ages, teachers and families.
Check out http://FlatStanley.com for student and teacher testimonials, a phone app, templates for Flat Stanley and other characters including Flat Pilgrim, Flat Santa and the newest Flat Mrs. Claus.
For a history of the Flat Stanley project, click here.
My class used Flat Stanley and other Flat characters like Flat Pilgrim, Flat Santa, and the new one, Flat Mrs. Claus to become pen pals to let the children share their cultures with different people as well as practice their literacy skills.
Literacy and Service Learning Project
One group of preservice teachers was tutoring primary students with learning problems. They made the Flat Stanley Project into a literacy experience and a service learning project. We all donated a couple dollars and sent copies of the Flat Stanley books as well as art materials, disposable cameras and mailing supplies so our pen pal classes could exchange letters and pictures. We even found colored markers and pencils which allowed more diversity in colors and shades of skin tones. We included scissors which could be used by students who were left or right handed.
We paired the students in the literacy practicum from our small college town, with a class in an inner city in Charleston, SC and on an Indian Reservation in Montana. The project was a great success.
Dolls, Books, and People teach about diversity.
Inclusion is a way of life. And it includes Wheelchair Becky, Flat Stanley and yes, even Perfect Barbie.
Comments: What are the lessons of Barbie and Friends vs. Flat Stanley? What could have been different? Can we use toys for social change?
Becky looks like she is going to do some social networking on her laptop. What do you think she would write? What about Flat Stanley and Flat Mr. and Mrs. Claus? And what recommendations do you have for Barbie and other toy manufacturers? Are there some lessons for the holidays? Tell us what you are thinking?
Keep Climbing: Onward and Upward
All my best,
~Mary
Very helpful and learning tutorial for disabled people. Normally the disabled people can not get any opportunity to travel outside the house but your step helps them to enjoy their life as a free public.
Great job. You are the real expertise that gives me such post like who are disabled. Your explanation is great & awesome.
To add a video it is not a more popularity?.
Great articles which is help the worldwide disabled people to travel any country without any hesitation.My little brother sons had surgery on hydrocephalus disease & spinal cord operation in my backbone.I think this post helpful for such patient.
This is such a good post! The more I read the more I got hocked. I believe that if everyone could have a barbie that looks like a normal person maybe some of the crazy things girls do to themselves will stop. It will make girls hat are considered “normal”, and not “barbie like” feel better about themselves. Also if barbies could come out with disabilities, then little kids that feel un-normal can have the experience to play with a barbie and not have to wish they were like the skinny “perfect” barbie. Yes, i know there are some barbies that are black, and as we see there is a wheelchair barbie, but do you think stores try to promote those barbies? No, because it is not the “norm” in society at this time in our generation. I wish barbies could come out like normal, curvy, a person with a disability, or even a different race. I know if a barbie came out with Down Syndrome my boyfriends little sister would not look at the barbie and wish she was someone else. She could see the barbie and realize how beautiful she is, and she cn not wish she was like a barbie anymore.
Stephanie, you have such a common sense approach. I hope your vision and wishes come true. I know my granddaughter just ask me why none of the Barbie’s have brown hair like her–how tough would it be to make dolls of different colors and hair? Thanks for your thoughts.
This article has some really good and true points. The fact that you used dolls to discuss how society views “perfect women” to be. I agree 100% with that statement. Also it is terrible why that had to classify Becky as wheelchair Becky or anything except Becky. Someone shouldn’t be named by the act they are in a wheelchair, it is a terrible way to name someone.
You’re right Kyle. In hindsight, I think they know they messed up.
I liked the intentions of this guy. He tried to bring new races and all types of people into the Barbie world. Yes, I think he could have done a lot more and made it so that everyone could’ve stayed and have wheel chair accessibilities. I think he should still be doing that. But, at least he tried and put in some sort of effort in changing it.
Every time I hear the words, “Wheelchair Barbie” I laugh. It just sounds funny to me. Hope they learned. We’ll talk more about this in the cultural diversity module. 🙂
Mattel’s intentions were good, they were trying to show diversity, but their downfall was the way they the presented her. I know that barbie is very culturally diverse, when I was younger I got Chinese Barbie, yes she was extremely stereotypical, but that is what my aunt got me. That was/is still an issue. The fact of the matter is that even though Barbie is diverse she is also a stereotype. I think that it would be a good idea if Mattel started making their doll cars, and doll houses wheelchair accessible, they could then bring back Becky, the girl in the wheelchair.
We have to give Mattel credit for trying. Let’s hope they learned some things. And an accessible car and house would be “universal design” which they could help teach to others. 🙂
Barbie and other dolls that young children play with do often play an important role in their life. When I played with Barbie when I was younger it showed me that all young girls should wear dresses and be perfectly “pretty.” If we made kid’s toys different we could start inclusion and other values at a young age. I think that the younger the child is taught about inclusion the more they understand it.
You are so right Megan. If only we could start the children at a young age. There are more diverse dolls now, and many children are going to school with people with disabilities, so maybe the change is happening. We can hope.
This article was very insightful. I have heard of Flat Stanley before but never Wheelchair Becky. The thing that is upsetting about the article is that when the girl with Cerebral Palsy complained, the renamed it to Share-a-smile Becky. That is really upsetting to hear that they had to put a description in front of her name. Barbie’s name doesn’t have a description in front of her; like Pretty Barbie. They had to point out that she was in a wheelchair which is just wrong. Her name is Becky so she should be called Becky.
You’re right Drew, it would be funny if it wasn’t true. I think “Clueless Mattel” might be the best name. And then I could sign it “Smile-a-lot Mary” or some other adjective that my mother wouldn’t approve of. 🙂
Glad you got the irony.
I think this is a very interesting article. Growing up playing with Barbie dolls, you never realize the difference between the dolls. They actually life sized what a regular Barbie would look like in real life and it turns out with the dimensions of a Barbie doll, the life size Barbie could never exist because of the waist and bust measurements. The Barbie’s spine would snap because her waist issn’t large enough to support her body, So the ‘perfect’ doll they strive to create, isn’t so perfect. Why not create dolls for all different walks of life? These little girls play with them everyday and maybe if Barbie introduced kids at that age to the differences between girls, it would be easier for them to practice inclusion later on in life.
You made a great point Jess. Barbie’s perfect body wasn’t perfect at all. Yet, she was voted one of the most influential women of the last century–go figure.
I have to be honest and say that I never knew there was ever a wheelchair Becky. I think that maybe Mattel was trying to do a good thing by making this particular Barbie but their execution of this was poorly done. I agree that there is no need to title this particular doll anything other than her name, Becky. She does not need to be referred to as wheelchair Becky. I cannot think of a time when someone was called wheelchair and then their name. Barbie has come under a lot of scrutiny over the years but I never knew that this particular incident occurred which is very interesting.
Becky, er, Smokey Woods will be coming to class soon. You’re right Sophie, hopefully Mattel learned some lessons.
Many things aren’t simple, buy I have yet to see objective evidence that proves that _nothing_ can ever be as simple as it seems. If “there are lots of sides to every question,” then there are at least two sides to the question of whether there ARE “lots of sides” to every question …
Indeed I mean those issues of language — and I hope you’ll include the issues raised by the writer whose link I provided. Viewpoints like his are too often excluded within, as well as beyond, the disabilities community.
Point taken. But as you know there are many opinions on language. I’ll write a blog post on this some time.
In the meantime, I’ve written about three posts on Rosa’s Law and the efforts that went into removing the term “retarded” from the statutes and law. You might find them interesting.
Nothing is ever as simple as it seems. There are lots of sides to every issue.
For a great, in-your-face take on “People First” and cluelessness … as presented by an advocate who daily challenges the terminology issues as they interact with others’ perceptions of his disability :
http://tinyurl.com/Person1stLanguage
Thanks Kate, I’m hoping to do more on the “people first” language. Glad you are here.
When you write further on that issue, please let me know. I look forward to seeing how you deal with issues raised in the article whose link I provided.
HI Kate, I’m assuming you mean the “people first” issues? The whole point of this article was to bring up Mattel’s insensitivity to “Wheelchair Barbie” and “Sign Language Barbie” etc. You’re right, they didn’t get it. I have another post in the works where Barbie joins a writer’s group. I think it will be fun.
Lol that well be the day. Yeah they learned it all right. Their answer is to drop it entirely.
Jackie you bring up a good point. Toys have always been used to teach a society’s children. What to value and what the myth or other stories are. What we need perhaps is a new set of stories that can be turned into the toys of teaching the value of genuine inclusion and thus respect for all persons and things that the Creator made.
That would make a great project. I know Toys ‘R Us has tried to add toys to their shelves that promote diversity. I know Fisher Price has people like Doris Bergen on their advisory boards. So I hope in the future there will be progress.
I really think that kid’s toys can be used to help change people’s views on certain important thoughts/ideas. However, calling toys things like “Wheelchair Becky” is not the best or most sensitive way to go about making such change! Kind of surprising that that comes from a major company :S
You’re right Jackie. Hopefully they learned from their action. But they could have done so much more.
Hi Mary. I don’t think that even a friend of Ken’s could unperfect. Besides I don’t think they would even have the guts to even try. Besides then they would have to explain How this blind doll character became blind and why he or she is even allowed in Mattel’s perfect fantasy that only a truly hypnotized human being could even enjoy.
My goodness you really have me going with this post and subsequent conversation.
Yes there are lots more than the dolls to think about.
Have a great day.
Oh Lord, Mary, there’s a book’s worth of material just in this post.
I am not familiar with Barbie, I’m not sure why. I just never had, or wanted, one. She is more an American cultural phenomenon even if she has European features. I’m not sure I feel qualified to comment although I do feel that people want perfect and ‘normal’ despite the evidence of the world around them. And to the exclusion of the ‘imperfect.’
What I can’t understand (and forgive me if I’ve expressed this before) is why disabled people are not seen in the community in the US. Round here I almost never see them. At home in the UK, they go on day trips to the mall, amusement parks, municipal swimming pools. They are taken out in groups often by their daycare staff. They are just *seen.* That would seem to be a first step to inclusion surely? Here they seem secluded. Is that a true state of affairs or a local one?
I write today on intentions too although from a less challenging viewpoint. We mirror one another’s thoughts again but your material is far more complex and thought provoking. Scary (our mirroring of each other.)
Allison it is a national phenomenon I think. Here where I grew up I never saw other disabled children. The only time I did see them was at a now famous campground for the blind. Called Camp Bloomfield. I only learned of the existence of adult day programs at my last year of high school. It seems that we are very much ashamed of those who don’t fit into the proscribed characteristics that a person is supposed to do.
Personally I think that how the elite in this country control the masses. They hypnotize them into seeing the world in this manner. You must drive X car(actually drive period), live in Y type of house, where designer clothe, and on and on. This set of criteria to live by apparently includes do not display any abnormal children or adults. Maybe they think that those of us who have physical and or mental impairments are subversives simply because we don’t fit the mold they want the rest of the world to live and die by???
For whatever it’s worth that is my take on your question.
Have a great day.
Gary you have a unique perspective on this whole topic. What would you think of a Blind Ken doll?
A blind Ken doll, Well that would be interesting indeed. Should one go for the stereotype blind person that is completely blind? This ken would see absolutely nothing. This is much rather than most people think. I have heard that there is maybe 10% of the blind community has no usable vision.
You could go for a legally blind Ken with Coke bottle bottom glasses? This type of glasses is becoming rather rare. The type of vision loss that require it is not too uncommon. But with better surgeries and thinner materials the kind of heavy weight glass glasses is nonexistent.
Of course all this purely speculation. As I’m pretty certain such a marketing challenge is not for the one size fits all world of Mattel.
Allison and Mary on the notion of invisibility of the disabled in the US. It is not just a lack of service(private or governmental) that is the problem. It is the lack of understanding that no matter how we are incarnated into this physical world we are nonetheless have the same self ownership of our minds and bodies as everyone else. That we are just as worthy of respect along our private property(ies) such as they are. But the current mindset see those with severe disabilities as somehow unfit to be treated like any other human being.
For better or worse that is how it currently hits me.
Hope everyone has a great day.
Appreciate your thoughts Gary. The picture of Ken with the coke bottle glasses was brilliant. Bet the marketing dept. really would throw up their hands.
In fact, they would probably have to make that person a “friend” of Ken. Ken could not be unperfect.
There is certainly lots to think about.
Hi Alison,
You raised some great points. Actually this would make a great post sometime.
If inclusion was really in your community, not being seen would mean the 10% of the population that had disabilities were blended into the neighborhood. That would be great.
But probably instead, not being seen, means there are no services and the people have no support to be out in the community.
Oh I almost forgot. I really do think that children with various disability do need role models. Not just in toys but in cartoon/kid shows as well as adults in their communities.
Thanks for all your thoughtful comments Gary.
You are right. We give messages in advertising, on TV, on the web and even with toys we don’t even know we are giving. And they usually don’t support diversity.
Hopefully we can each be more aware in our purchases and conversations.
Well I didn’t even notice the wheelchair Becky when my brother’s daughter Ashley was little. Strangely enough I vaguely remember the black barbie though. So here is my take on little miss perfect. Her creator is a big corporation. Like all such corporation they are a pet of the government. Those who run both the toy company and the government are largely white males. The idea of respect for others individuals of any other variety is not likely.
They apparently want the image of themselves and their notion of the good life to be spread around the world like a virus. Once little girls are infected by the very expensive ad campaigns they then in turn infect other children. This includes boys so then you are likely to see boys insisting on this anorexic body build in their girlfriends.
Now I’m not familiar at all with flat Stanley. Hmmm There is not a barrage of hypnotic advertising on the idiot box. That explains it.
From what you put in this thoughtful post sounds like flat Stanley is a very different sort of childhood experience. I like the way you folks did the pen pal thing in a mutual supportive fashion.
Just so there is no confusion. I am not against business and entrepreneurial activity I an just against gaintism supported by any coercive government. Mattel I’m sure has the usual large number of lobbyist and lawyers making sure they can get as many breaks as they can while maintaining the governments sanctioned monopoly in their sector of the economy
once again I’m grateful for a thoughtful post Have a great day.