The Unconditional Love Barbie

A role model for young girls everywhere or an unrealistic, sexist stereotype? A waif-esque, miniaturized representation of the female form sans imperfections. Is Barbie merely a toy both retro and modern? Or do her features and lack of a meaningful existence beyond the gates of her perfect, pink dreamhouse send an enduring, startlingly troubling message to children? As you likely already know, Barbie lives with the love of her life, Ken. He's toned, has a neat crew cut, and hasn't revealed much to the public about his inner nature of the years. Barbie also has equally girlish friends and intangible, mysterious lifestyle. Since her inception in 1959, she's voiced having practically zero problems and somehow manages to live large despite having no known income. Although issues such as finances and her education fly under the radar, Barbie has finally revealed some hidden aspects of herself via her own personalized, @BarbieStyle. But are her struggles similar to your's and mine? Not exactly.

Let's take a look at Barbie's identity and inevitable evolution according to her online persona. Now, is her account raw and candid? Not at all; in fact, @BarbieStyle more resembles a perfectly glossy magazine site in lieu of an actual account belonging to a young woman, albeit fictional. Firstly, her account images are organized to fit into the following categories: Fashion, Travel, Lifestyle, Art & Culture, Q&A and Role Model. Right off the bat, this indicates that Barbie definitely lives an elevated lifestyle, above and beyond the trials and tribulations of regular life. I mean come on, if Barbie was human, I'd expect to be reading sections with names like Taxes & Bills, My Horrible President, Body Image Issues, Loneliness, and some sort of Mental Health struggle. Speaking of the latter, SNL did a hilarious sketch poking fun at @BarbieStyle, wherein a man (the insanely talented Donald Glover) responsible for crafting her online persona decides she has severe PTSD and adjusts her quotes accordingly. (check it out by clicking this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blcKeLDDzSM) 

What's weirdly fascinating is that her vapid, cliché comments offer hardly any actual revelations about this beloved doll. All fans learn after stumbling upon her page, is that Barbie lives large in Malibu, simply loves her friends, enjoys snapping selfies, taking foodie photos of macaroons, lounging in her pool, and sharing her impressive repertoire of cheesy, rhyming catchphrases. "I see the world through rose-colored glasses" accompanies a close-up of Barbie wearing (you guessed it) rose-colored specs. Next to a shot of a teacup is the trite blurb, "got the shot, but the tea's not hot." She even quotes herself as a purveyor of inspirational wisdom. I mean, who else could possibly coin the slogan, "dreams are always in style." 

So really, who on earth is Barbie? And why isn't there more to her than meets the eye? Come on Mattel, what ever happened to spiritual depth? Or having a purpose and life aspirations that go beyond the self? Barbie's supposedly classy and elegant, yet there's nothing classy about showcasing wealth and taking cellphone pics of one's own face is a far cry from elegant. Surely she does things for others out of the kindness of her heart, right? How was Barbie's childhood? Who are her parents? Where was she born? And what on earth does she do all day besides organize her dream-house or attend hypothetical events? I don't know about you, but I definitely have an array of un-answered questions about Barbie. She is, at heart, one of our nations primary enigmas for the younger set. Indeed, as we grow up and learn some of the most important life lessons, Barbie could always be counted on to stay by our sides. For me, she was more than a toy. She was a character, one whom I instilled with a distinctive personality and voice.

Sure, Barbie may seem to look perfect (albeit the fact that her proportions are scientifically impossible for real women to achieve), but what mainly draws children to her is how effortlessly she can become a template for their imaginations to run wild. Taking a step back, I couldn't help but wonder how a single icon can possibly be representative of the every-woman? How could one no-nonsense product manage to sell out across multiple generations, time and again? Well, the answer revolves around the art of projection. Simply put, Barbie is whom ever the user desires her to be. In this sense, perhaps Mattel purposely leaves so many questions wide open to interpretation so that consumers have no choice but to fill in the blanks that comprise Barbie's identity in a manner that pleases them. In fact, I just checked the back of the box of a new "Made to Move, The Ultimate Possible Barbie," and turns out this concept hits the nail on the head in regards to the toymaker's intentions. "When a girl plays with Barbie, she imagines everything she can become." This poignant one-sentence description summarizes the more modern Barbies' empowering MO; yet upon closer inspection, one gleans that there are some flagrant limitations, seeing as the doll's one-size-fits-all visual appearance is rather limiting. How can Barbie teach children about taking care of themselves and proper nutrition if her severely anorexic proportions indicate she'd have an 18" waist, 33" hips and a size 3 shoe in real life?  

I can't deny that at first glance, Barbie appears pleasantly feminine in an exaggerated, old-school sort of way due to her delicate facial features and slender, hourglass physique. But in this day and age, this feat is unimpressive. Whereas before the influx of the feminism in America it was considered an automatic win for female characters and toys to be created, children of today are expecting a whole lot more than a cutesy plastic figure priced at thirty bucks. I mean ask yourself, would you rather have a cheeseburger from your favorite fast-food restaurant every day for the next month, or would you choose to purchase a mass-produced, somewhat mindless female toy lacking in personality as well as any semblance of wisdom?

This brings to the LGBTQ movement, which continues to amass a lot of attention and acclaim. Almost everywhere you look in Los Angeles, there will be a rainbow banner representing the universal love mindset of no discrimination nor exclusion of various sexual orientations. This is why it's especially noticeable that Barbie et all hasn't successfully addressed youg, LGBTQ customers whatsoever. There was only one meager, failed attempt in 1993, when Mattel attempted to release a more gender-fluid Ken doll named Magic "Earring" Ken. He was quirkier, more colorful, wore slightly revealing clothing and even had a signature earring, which later garnered immense critique. Statistically, Magic Ken's sales were very impressive. However, after only a brief amount of time, the toy was pulled from the shelves. If the numbers were so high, what was the problem? Moreover, how could Mattel merely give up all-together at satisfying the LGBTQ after only one try? The company is one of America's largest doll manufacturers, so it's disappointing that executives chose to opt out and ignore modifying their product so that LGBTQ children have to settle with being excluded from having a doll that could possibly represent their messages and beliefs. 

Unfortunately, social media proved to be the primary culprit behind Earring Ken's early disappearance. On Twitter and Instagram, he was mocked so severely that it started to damage the Barbie brand's idyllic reputation. Weary of bad press and publicity, CEO's let the public's cruel online dismissal dictate Magic Ken's fate. For my final project, I analyzed the statistical data and tried to come up with a product that would satisfy LGBTQ consumers across the nation, while still managing not to severely stress out more conservative, straight-laced parents. Don't get me wrong, I believe that American families shouldn't be afraid of a more gender-neutral doll. But realistically, I had to take into account that sans profit, Mattel would have no incentive to release a new LGBTQ doll anytime soon. At the end of the day, no matter how liberal or generally accepting Mattel may be, they still have millions of customers mostly interested in buying a traditional Barbie doll and a macho-man Ken. This challenge, of striking a delicate balance in the heart of the nation between liberal and conservative, old-fashioned and modern, straight-laced and fluid, is not one to be taken lightly. And given Mattel's dire track record, this doll's marketing campaign alone will have to go above and beyond expectations in order for it to succeed in the public eye.

So without further adieu, I introduce to you, The 'Unconditional Love' Barbie, available to be customized and special-ordered for all children whose sexual orientation deviates from the majoriry. Unconditional Love isn't meant to be provocative; in no way, shape, or form am I attempting to shake up Barbie just to stir up controversy. As the name suggests, this doll carries a larger, more enduring message of what love truly means for all, so it would be a toy relevant for any child's development and maturation, regardless if they may be straight, gay, bi-sexual, etc. Plus, since the majority of children purchasing Barbies are most likely too young to be able to confidently voice their sexual preferences (somewhere around age 9-12, most girls begin losing interest in the toy), the love at the forefront isn't sexual. It's not about binary notions of female or male, but rather it's about mindset. For this reason, the Love doll's proportions are somewhere between traditional male and female aesthetics--they fade into the background because Love's identity is far more important than her/his/their facade. So having ample cleavage or ripped muscles is not the goal here; instead, it's Love's inner characteristics and qualities that make her stand out.

Now given the fact that this is still a toy (which means that looks really do matter) the doll will be available for purchase online with numerous options of customization so that each version is unique to suit the buyer's preferences. From various hair colors, skin colors, eye colors, accessories and attire, everyone will surely create a version of Love to make them happy. Finally, children will be able to select a unique name for their doll upon ordering. So that when it arrives and they open the package, Love can either be wearing a backpack or t-shirt with the customized name on it. This name could be the child's name or it can represent a component of their identity, be inspired by a real-life role model, stand for some aspect of themselves in transition, be an imagined alter-ego, the possibilities really are endless. This puts the power back in the child's hands so that they set the terms and collaborate with Mattel to design a Barbie that's truly one-of-a-kind.

So what's happening right now with Barbie? Is Mattel getting closer to arriving at a new normal? Well, a couple weeks ago, I perused a local toy-store to check out what Barbie has to offer and I was a bit thrown off guard. Of course, on the top shelf there were the standard glamorized dolls you'd typically expect to find (wearing gowns and heels with long, glistening hair and a fancy clutch) but underneath was a row of dolls that I can only image were Mattel's best and only attempts at finally addressing the issues I'm mentioned prior--albeit indirectly and very vaguely. There was no natural sense of experimentation nor play; instead, placed directly under (yes not next to, but under) were two or three independent-esque Barbies who were a little different in an expected, not-too-risky sort of way. First, there was an African American basketball player Barbie. Second, an Asian doctor Barbie. I'm not sure if this was a mere coincidence, but it's no secret that the races above have long been associated with having adept skill in those specific professional fields. Maybe I'm jumping the gun here and should simply appreciate that Mattel's at least kind of trying to mix things up, but there's definitely way more to explore here. It's interesting to think about it--only two versions of Barbie on the shelf. As if saying to little girls, "you can either wear a gown or be a surgeon/basketball player." Like the brand's implying something along the lines of, "here are your choices young ladies: do you want to have perfect hair and a 40$ fancy gown or no makeup but a job? It's up to you!" Wow, what a scintillating array of options we have in the 21st century...

To create a my rendition of the Unconditional Love doll, I went ahead and bought a sporty Barbie and as many accessories I could find. As someone who isn't LGBTQ, I was hesitant and unsure where to begin. How could I possibly capture the spirit of what this doll could become? Short answer is, I probably can't. Personally, I think that if Mattel were actually going to move forward in creating this product, they should hire a group of people in the LGBTQ family to collaborate and come up with something they feel accurately represents those of their sexual orientations. And seeing as sales are crucial in this industry, they ought to release test products and poll/interview children as well as their parents to get their opinions. Regardless, it's a sensitive subject and one that should be addressed mindfully to avoid falling into the pit of unintentionally stereotypical notions of the LGBTQ mentality. Hopefully, the customization aspect I outlined could offer a way to solve this complex problem. Universality will always be an issue; for almost everybody contemplating buying a new Barbie, it's imperative to select a product that can encompass select attributes of a themselves. This is why I'm advocating that the Love Doll have as many options and versions to be tailor-made on a person-to-person basis as possible.

Included below are my own photographs of the Unconditional Love doll I've created. Right off the bat I want to clarify that this is merely my personal interpretation, an outsider's perspective. In no way, shape or form do I assert that this doll is a perfect representation of the LGBTQ community; but I am doing my best to expand Mattel's customer's and business executives' mindsets of what Barbie can potentially become. I know it may seem unoriginal, but I think the rainbow is an important symbol to include. As someone living in West Hollywood, I can confidently say that 75% of stores and companies in the area proudly display rainbow banners or incorporate rainbow elements into the products they feature. The concept of pride is very inspiring to me and these colorful designs have a confident air to them, which is why I incorporated it into my doll's backdrop and attire.

This doll is confident in who he/she/they is and his/her/their identity goes far deeper than external factors. Yes, it's a toy to play with, but there's no reason why Unconditional Love can't be a total individual, a well-rounded person. On my poster, I added a lot of index cards with overarching life questions that I feel are uplifting, meaningful and revealing of who somebody is at their core and what they believe in. I emphasized questions that ask the potential buyer of the doll about his/her/their innermost qualities, hopes, dreams, goals and other positive life-affirming elements of their personal identity. Because at the end of the day, this toy is all about how we regard ourselves. How we come across or are interpreted by others isn't nearly as important as the relationship with the self. In conclusion, I believe that positive energy breeds even more positivity because thoughts percolate and solidify to ultimately affect us on a daily basis in profound, subconscious ways. This is why I avoided any pessimistic or overtly critical topics on my poster. This isn't some attempt to dance around life's more painful, difficult dilemmas, but rather my deliberate choice to focus on areas of interest that are more productive, inspiring, engaging and celebratory of who we truly are inside as unique individuals. Ideally, this doll would come with a selection of different products that add depth to his/her/their identity and help enhance quality of life. Five central areas I'd focus on for Love's accessories would be: career, social, spiritual, fun & health. There would be a diverse amount of choices in each; for example, under the heath category children could select a yoga set, basketball set, soccer set, gymnastics set, volleyball set, skiing set, swimming set, healthy kitchen set, meditation station, and more.

So whether one's Unconditional Love doll be a musician or an activist, there would be additional products that come along to support him/her/them along this journey. I wanted the bigger picture of my Barbie concept to remain free-flowing and undefined; she/he/they can have a distinct, evolving life designed by and to compliment the distinctive life of each child. The message here is meant to be transformative; that children have the power to make their own decisions, change their minds, and become exactly who they want to be over time. It isn't like once they purchase their doll, that's the end-all-be-all. Instead, the option is always there to modify and adjust oneself as on matures. Whether this mean changing professions, developing a different sense of style, or learning new skills, Unconditional Love can actively move forward at the same pace of the child who created him/her/them.