How Mattel's Mexican Barbie Doll Can Be Changed and Saved
In recent days there has been an outburst of complaints towards Mattel and its new Mexican Barbie Doll from their relaunched line "Dolls of the World". This line of multicultural dolls was first introduced in 1980 and has been recently relaunched in 2012.
Unfortunately, Mattel's choices of attire and accessories have caused a big stir from many who find the doll offensive. The toy maker has spent the last days issuing statements to appease criticism and offering apologies to Mexicans. Check out the article on TIME for the full story.
As I looked at the Mexican Barbie for the first time a few days ago, I couldn't help but to chuckle and wonder what in the world they were thinking. The doll is quite stereotypical, with a Chihuahua dog, a Mexican pink hard-on-the-eyes dress with ruffles, and a passport, that although outraging to some, is still pink, not green. Watch the Mexican Barbie video from newsy to see the doll. In their defense, however, their other Dolls of the World also depict passports and national animals, such as the Chinese Barbie, which carries a baby panda, and the Australian Barbie, which carries a baby koala.
According to several online reports, Mattel has issued a statement saying that they checked with the Mexican embassy to see if it was culturally sensitive to include a Chihuahua with the doll. I don't think this particular embassy realized that this type of dog is not a good depiction of a beautiful nation such as Mexico in the eyes of many. They should have offered another option instead.
Mattel also issued a statement saying that their idea was to teach little girls about multiculturalism through play. Unfortunately, this Mexican doll definitely shows that they have not been keeping up with the news about immigration reform. Having said that, I don't think they did it on purpose. It simply shows that there is still so much to be learned about culture and social issues, and in light of all the criticism shown, I would like to offer some ideas as to how Mattel can use this lesson to realign with the reality of the new multicultural world. I believe that if you are apt to criticize something, at least you should offer a solution.
So here are my three cents:
Pull the doll off the shelves and update its dress
I would definitely say, take it off the shelves and remake. Pick a national dress from the many beautiful choices available and update it to make it modern. For example, there are many beautiful Mexican Charro dresses and a plethora of Southern Mexico dresses that could be used with a modern twist to depict a more modern Mexican woman. Add some nice earrings and a nice Charro hat or hairstyle. I have seen some really good Barbie dolls in Aztec dresses, and others a lot more modern than this particular sample. So it's not new to them, they can come up with something better.
Use a different animal
Technically, the xoloitzcuintli is the national dog, not the Chihuahua. However, a golden eagle or a jaguar would look a lot better in the box with the doll.
Include a piece of "world luggage" instead of a passport
Take out the passport and include a piece of luggage that shows she can travel the world. Using a passport offends people because the immigration status of a lot of Mexican people in the United States is tied to getting their "papers".
Promote diversity
There are always lessons to be learned from this. This opens up the lines to talk about multiculturalism. Mattel enjoys the advantage of having a wide platform to talk about the importance of being culturally sensitive and promote diversity. Visit schools with this theme and bring in the new barbie doll.
These are just a few ideas as to what Mattel can do to create something good from this reaction. I would definitely say that they need to pull the doll off the shelves and come up with a better way to depict a beautiful Mexican doll. This doll is not a clean and clear picture of what Mexican Barbie should be, it only shows the stereotypes that many people hold and need to be changed. In the long run it will cost the toymaker more to fix any damage to its image than to just pull the dolls off the shelves and start again. Mattel has the power to create something good out of this.
Unfortunately, Mattel's choices of attire and accessories have caused a big stir from many who find the doll offensive. The toy maker has spent the last days issuing statements to appease criticism and offering apologies to Mexicans. Check out the article on TIME for the full story.
As I looked at the Mexican Barbie for the first time a few days ago, I couldn't help but to chuckle and wonder what in the world they were thinking. The doll is quite stereotypical, with a Chihuahua dog, a Mexican pink hard-on-the-eyes dress with ruffles, and a passport, that although outraging to some, is still pink, not green. Watch the Mexican Barbie video from newsy to see the doll. In their defense, however, their other Dolls of the World also depict passports and national animals, such as the Chinese Barbie, which carries a baby panda, and the Australian Barbie, which carries a baby koala.
According to several online reports, Mattel has issued a statement saying that they checked with the Mexican embassy to see if it was culturally sensitive to include a Chihuahua with the doll. I don't think this particular embassy realized that this type of dog is not a good depiction of a beautiful nation such as Mexico in the eyes of many. They should have offered another option instead.
Mattel also issued a statement saying that their idea was to teach little girls about multiculturalism through play. Unfortunately, this Mexican doll definitely shows that they have not been keeping up with the news about immigration reform. Having said that, I don't think they did it on purpose. It simply shows that there is still so much to be learned about culture and social issues, and in light of all the criticism shown, I would like to offer some ideas as to how Mattel can use this lesson to realign with the reality of the new multicultural world. I believe that if you are apt to criticize something, at least you should offer a solution.
So here are my three cents:
Pull the doll off the shelves and update its dress
I would definitely say, take it off the shelves and remake. Pick a national dress from the many beautiful choices available and update it to make it modern. For example, there are many beautiful Mexican Charro dresses and a plethora of Southern Mexico dresses that could be used with a modern twist to depict a more modern Mexican woman. Add some nice earrings and a nice Charro hat or hairstyle. I have seen some really good Barbie dolls in Aztec dresses, and others a lot more modern than this particular sample. So it's not new to them, they can come up with something better.
Use a different animal
Technically, the xoloitzcuintli is the national dog, not the Chihuahua. However, a golden eagle or a jaguar would look a lot better in the box with the doll.
Include a piece of "world luggage" instead of a passport
Take out the passport and include a piece of luggage that shows she can travel the world. Using a passport offends people because the immigration status of a lot of Mexican people in the United States is tied to getting their "papers".
Promote diversity
There are always lessons to be learned from this. This opens up the lines to talk about multiculturalism. Mattel enjoys the advantage of having a wide platform to talk about the importance of being culturally sensitive and promote diversity. Visit schools with this theme and bring in the new barbie doll.
These are just a few ideas as to what Mattel can do to create something good from this reaction. I would definitely say that they need to pull the doll off the shelves and come up with a better way to depict a beautiful Mexican doll. This doll is not a clean and clear picture of what Mexican Barbie should be, it only shows the stereotypes that many people hold and need to be changed. In the long run it will cost the toymaker more to fix any damage to its image than to just pull the dolls off the shelves and start again. Mattel has the power to create something good out of this.
I totally agree on this! The suggestions are wonderful and I strongly believe Mattel can come up with something much more representative of our country without being offensive.
ReplyDelete