Lauren Jones
Rose Ayling-Ellis announced via Instagram that she has collaborated with Barbie on a new campaign ‘Rose, Barbie & Friends’ to celebrate the launch of a new, diverse line of Fashionista Dolls. The diverse range of dolls is a huge step for Barbie manufacturers Mattel, Inc., who have previously been criticised for negatively impacting body image and “perpetuating gender stereotypes”.
ROSE, BARBIE & FRIENDS: THE CAMPAIGN
Ayling-Ellis’ Instagram post shows her and three other models posing with the new Barbie Fashionista Dolls, which “reflect, and celebrate, their differences”. The new line of dolls includes a Barbie doll with a hearing aid, a Ken doll with vitiligo, a Fashionista doll with a prosthetic leg, and a Barbie doll in a wheelchair.
“part of a more diverse range that focuses on inclusivity and representation”
The Barbie Fashionista Dolls are a divergence from Barbie’s iconic blonde bombshell look: instead, they are part of a more diverse range that focuses on inclusivity and representation. The newest additions to the Fashionista range further expand on the already diverse range of dolls, which include different skin tones, hairstyles, and body shapes.
“a commitment to portraying diversity”
Mattel Inc, worked with experts such as educational audiologist Dr Jen Richardson to ensure that the behind the ear hearing aids were “accurately portrayed”, marking a commitment to portraying diversity in a way that extends past marketing and money-making ploys. Dr Jen Richardson said she was “honoured to have worked with Mattel Inc., to create an accurate reflection of a doll with behind-the-ear hearing aids” and that she was “beyond thrilled for my young patients to see and play with a doll who looks like them”.
A HISTORY OF RAISING AWARENESS
Actress and activist Rose Ayling-Ellis has worked hard to increase deaf awareness in pop culture and British society. Ayling-Ellis, who has been deaf since birth, was the first deaf actress to use British Sign Language (BSL) on UK soap EastEnders. She is also widely known as the first deaf contestant, and eventual winner of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing 2021. Ayling-Ellis and Strictly Come Dancing partner Giovanni Pernice won the Virgin Media BAFTA Must-See-Moment 2021 with their silent dance, bringing further attention to deaf awareness among hearing viewers.
Ayling-Ellis commented on the creation of the new Barbies, saying that “it’s really, really important and such a big deal”. She couldn’t be more right. Well known as an iconic children’s toy, Barbie has been criticised in the past for negatively impacting young girls’ body image. The launch of these new dolls frames differences positively and brings attention to them in an important and understandable way for young children.
“The introduction of the new dolls tells an important story: that beauty is diverse”
THE IMPORTANCE OF REPRESENTATION
For deaf children, children with prosthetic limbs, vitiligo, or those who use wheelchairs, these new dolls normalise and help celebrate diversity by providing a wide range of representation. They help these children to feel included through representation in a line of dolls known for their beauty and glamour.
The introduction of the new dolls tells an important story: that beauty is diverse, and differences do not exclude someone from being beautiful, pretty, or glamorous. Mattel Inc.’s move to launch the Rose, Barbie & Friends campaign using real-life models who look incredibly similar to their new dolls also shows young children that this representation extends past toys and exists in real life too – there really are people out there that look like them.
For children who are as of yet unaware of what ‘deaf’, ‘prosthetic limb’ or ‘vitiligo’ mean, or children who have never seen someone use a wheelchair or hearing aid, these new dolls can be used as a tool to normalise differences through play. The dolls also provide opportunities for children to ask questions, to learn about all kinds of diversity in our society, and to learn that their experience as hearing or able-bodied isn’t the only one.
While there is still room to further increase the range of diversity shown across these dolls, the latest launch by Mattel Inc. is powerful and will hopefully contribute significantly to furthering inclusivity and increasing children’s confidence, as well as continue to challenge fixed, narrow ideas of beauty.
Featured image courtesy of shatishira on Pixabay. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
Lauren Jones
Lauren is an Au Pair and a recent languages graduate. She is an aspiring journalist and is particularly interested in politics, social issues, and the arts.
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