Mattel has rarely remarked on its Barbie dolls' controversial body proportions, but a new interview with FastCo Design finds one of its top designers defending the exaggerated shape. "Barbie’s body was never designed to be realistic," Barbie design VP Kim Culmone tells FastCo Design. "She was designed for girls to easily dress and undress." Beyond just allowing the clothing to come on and off the doll, Culmone also says that Barbie' tiny figure helps Mattel sew and shape common fabrics at such a small scale. That's a lesser concern though: "Primarily it’s for function for the little girl," Culmone says.
"Girls' perceptions are so different than grown ups'."
Though Barbie's shape has changed slightly over the years — even making its proportions modestly more realistic — Culmone suggests that Mattel would prefer not to change its design all that much. "Everything may not always be able to fit every doll, but it’s important to me that the majority of it does," Culmone tells FastCo Design. She says that the doll's "heritage" is important, and that she wants older Barbie's clothing to fit on newer dolls. "There’s an obligation to consistency," she says.
Culmone dismisses concerns that Barbie's unhealthy shape could hurt young girls' body perception or encourage bad dieting habits. "You have to remember that girls’ perceptions are so different than grown ups’ perceptions about what real is and what real isn’t, and what the influences are," Culmone tells FastCo Design. Culmone doesn't believe that girls compare their body to the doll, saying that peers and parents are what kids find truly influential. "Girls view the world completely differently than grown-ups do."
Critics of the doll's shape obviously disagree. Though there's been little research to prove the point, Barbie's shape has been widely criticized for years: in the mid-'90s, the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders calculated just how wildly out of proportion the Barbie doll was — according to Rehabs.com, it found that the average woman would have had to grow two feet to match a Barbie's shape, just for starters. The doll's design has changed a bit since then, but it hasn't been enough to make it appear much more lifelike.
Barbie designers have previously dismissed concerns over the doll's shape, suggesting that Mattel views it as a toy without capacity to impact a person so broadly. Though it doesn't sound like Mattel is eager to change the doll's design anytime soon, its success has been waning. On Friday, Mattel revealed that global Barbie sales had fallen 13 percent year-over-year for its holiday quarter, according to The Wall Street Journal. "The reality is we just didn't sell enough Barbie dolls," Mattel CEO Bryan Stockton said.
For now, Culmone points to concerns over fit and creation of the doll's clothing as a major holdup for making changes, but it's hard to imagine that concerned parents wouldn't be happy to buy new dolls and accessories if given the option. If sales continue to decline, it's an option that could be increasingly appealing to Mattel.
FAQs
Notably, when asked why they would not want to play with her, at least 25 percent of the girls said it was because curvy Barbie was fat, chubby, or "big." The tendency to idealize thin bodies and show negative attitudes toward fatter bodies has implications for how children treat each other.
What is the controversial history behind Mattel's Barbie? ›
Particularly controversial dolls Mattel released over the years included a pregnant version of Midge, the "Earring Magic Ken" clad in a lavender mesh shirt and purple pleather vest, the "Teen Talk Barbie" who said phrases like "Math class is tough," and 1965's "Slumber Party Barbie" who came with a "don't eat" diet ...
Is Valeria Lukyanova still alive? ›
She currently lives in Mexico.
How tall would Barbie be if she was a real person? ›
✓ If Barbie were an actual women, she would be 5'9” tall, have a 39” bust, an 18” waist, 33” hips and a size 3 shoe! ✓ Barbie calls this a “full figure” and likes her weight at 110 lbs.
Why is Barbie losing popularity? ›
Because other playline doll lines like Monster High, Bratz, Rainbow High, and Shadow High are just more aestheticly interesting, more mature, more trendy, and much higher quality than Barbie. The quality on playline Barbie dolls and their clothes has also been going downhill for years.
How does curvy Barbie compare with an average woman? ›
The 1:6 calculations reveal that Curvy Barbie would have a UK size 6/8 waist (63cm or 24.8in) and size 8 hips (91.2cm or 35.9in). Her waist-to-height ratio, which is considered by many a more accurate health measurement than Body Mass Index (BMI), is 0.38 - slim indeed.
Why was pregnant Barbie banned? ›
Midge's run as the youthful, freckled sidekick has been sporadic and at times turbulent, with only a handful of releases in the '60s, before she resurfaced in the '80s and '90s. Then, a pregnant version of the doll was unceremoniously pulled from store shelves in 2002 amid fears she was promoting teen motherhood.
Why was Growing Up Skipper discontinued? ›
Mattel introduced the Barbie in 1964 with the intention of creating a character that portrayed a girl's journey through puberty by giving the doll the ability to grow breasts. While the aim was to educate young consumers on the natural process, the doll was discontinued 10 years later due to increasing criticism.
What is the controversy with the Oreo Barbie? ›
As popular as Oreo cookies are, using the concept to market a Barbie doll caused problems back in 1997. The cookie-themed doll caused uproar due to its link with a racial slur.
What is Barbie's real name? ›
Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts and her parents' names are given as George and Margaret Roberts from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin, in a series of novels published by Random House in the 1960s.
Ruth Handler's Inspiration Behind the Barbie Doll. Barbara, Handler's daughter, served as the muse for Barbie's creation after Handler observed her playing with paper dolls. Driven by a desire to inspire children to envision their future dreams, she sought to innovate beyond the common plastic baby dolls of the time.
What does Valeria Lukyanova eat? ›
A Ukrainian model who lives her life as a “human Barbie” hopes to become a “Breatharian” who survives off nothing but light and air. Valeria Lukyanova reportedly stopped eating and drinking water and claims to solely subsisting off “cosmic micro-food.” Valeria Lukyanova poses in a bathing suit.
What size is Barbie's bra? ›
Raw measurement-wise, Barbie's bust measurement is 6", with a 5 1/4" underbust. Barbie is a 1/6th size doll, so multiply those by six... Bust measurement of 36", underbust of 31.5", rounding up to 32". I worked this out to snug underbust 32", tight underbust 31", standing bust of 36".
What is Barbie's weight? ›
A world-renowned little girls' plaything, Barbie is supposed to be 5 feet, 9 inches tall and 110 pounds, so underweight that she could not menstruate, the website reports.
Is Barbie anatomically possible? ›
How realistic is the body of a barbie doll? Not very. If you scale her up to the height of the average American woman, her waist is about half the size. Plus, her feet are so tiny that she'd likely lose her balance and be forced to walk on all fours.
What is the controversy with the pregnant Barbie? ›
This was the first time an African-American Midge was ever produced. Midge was sold "pregnant" with Nikki, who was a tiny baby inside Midge's magnetic removable womb. This led to some controversy with some consumers saying that the doll was inappropriate for children, or that it promoted teen pregnancy.
What is the Girl Scout Barbie controversy? ›
"Holding Barbie, the quintessential fashion doll, up as a role model for Girl Scouts simultaneously sexualizes young girls, idealizes an impossible body type, and undermines the Girl Scouts' vital mission to build 'girls of courage, confidence and character,'" Susan Linn, director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free ...
What is the Barbie body image controversy? ›
The majority of studies have been conducted in Western countries, primarily focusing on white young girls. These studies have identified that exposure to Barbie or similar thin-type dolls can contribute to lower body esteem and a greater internalization of the thin ideal.
What is the new Barbie trend about? ›
Barbiecore Today
"And like many of us, her style evolves to be reflective of today's trends and culture." Today, it's Barbie's authentic playfulness and bright, bold color palette that people are trying to inject into their daily routines.
