Barbies have historically been associated with the promotion of harmful gendered norms and stereotypes. Is Mattel seeking redemption?
Mattel released a new range of Barbie dolls this week honouring nine trailblazing women in sport. The recognised athletes include Matildas soccer star Mary Fowler, tennis champion Venus Williams and seven other record-breaking and world champion sports stars from across the globe.
Dolls matter in all kinds of ways: they connect us to our younger selves and are transitional objects that provide us with an early sense of comfort and security. Does this latest range promise something different? Part of answering this question requires us to trace Barbie’s origins. The founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, said there is something uncanny about dolls, in that they mediate between reality and fantasy — a tension sustained by a fear and wish they could somehow come alive.
For instance, Venus Williams’s muscularity – a feature that makes her a powerful tennis player – is missing in her replica.
Corporate Ethics Feminism Mattel Postfeminism
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