by ANNETTA RAMSAY
Mattel’s Barbie next to Nickolay Lamm’s rendition of ‘normal’ Barbie IMAGE/Nickolay Lamm
Mattel came out with Barbie in 1959, when full-figured women defined beauty and thinness wasn’t glorified. Barbie was big, but Marilyn Monroe and other Hollywood stars were bigger. Ever since Twiggy, she’s been dangerous.
I have worked with eating disorders for 29 years, and my clients often cite Barbie as an early trigger. So I’d be happy to see Barbie slip off the toy shelves and fade into nostalgic mass memory.
Since she turns 56 in the spring, maybe her next accessory should be a luxury retirement house.
It could happen: Barbie’s sales have been suffering while Disney Princess, American Girl, and Zombie doll sales seem to be getting stronger.
Or maybe Barbie just needs new contours.
Look what happened earlier this year when artist Nikcolay Lamm offered a virtual rendition of Barbie with the proportions of an average 19-year-old woman. The 3-D model went viral. Lamm, who at one point struggled with an eating disorder, set up a Kickstarter account and raised $109,000.00 in the first 24 hours, enough money put the doll into small-scale production in November.
Womens E News for more