33 Flavors of Body Positive Barbie

Poor Barbie. Every move she makes is critiqued for its cultural significance. Being under a microscope like that must be stressful. But we can’t ignore the emergence of 33 flavors of body positive Barbie.

If you had any doubts about the body positive movement taking hold, this moment should dispel them. Barbie is now tall, curvy, or petite. She has a wide range of skin tones, hair, and eyes. Mattel’s strategy is earning praise, but it’s not entirely simple, as Kelly Faircloth explains in Jezebel:

For all the criticism that’s been heaped on Barbie, it’s not all Mattel’s fault that girls whose bodies don’t conform are made to feel sh**ty at such a young age. They didn’t create that reality – but they’ve been part of it, and they can’t escape it easily, either.

On top of that, wise guys on Twitter are now calling for a Dad Bod Ken. Sheesh!

Click here to read more from the Washington Post and here to read more from Jezebel.

Barbie Reprise, photograph © Tracheotomy Bob / flickr

Subscribe by email to follow the accumulating evidence and observations that shape our view of health, obesity, and policy.

February 2, 2016