LIFE

Curvy Barbie needs to up glamour game

Margie Fishman
The News Journal

When I was a kid, I used to concoct various scenarios leading to Barbie's demise.

There was the one where the impossibly perfect princess tripped and fell off a skyscraper (i.e., my tulip-covered twin bed). Or the other where she guzzled way too many pina coladas and ended up in a coma (17-inch waist equals no tolerance for alcohol).

Looking back, perhaps I had some deep-seated resentment toward my fairy-tale friend with the stick-straight peroxide mane, pert nose and ample bosom. She was the girl everyone loved to hate.

Now, a quarter-century later, behemoth toy maker Mattel has released a line of what I affectionately call "every woman" Barbie, which hit stores Tuesday.

New realistic Barbie body types like curvy, petite and tall were released in stores Tuesday.

There's "curvy" Barbie with fuller cheeks and sturdy, trunk-like legs who looks vaguely pregnant in her empire-waist frock. There's petite, dark-skinned Barbie with a bouffant and platform patent leather boots. There's the Barbie with almond-shaped eyes, or spindly legs, or an ambiguous ethnicity or a teased-out coif resembling Sandy from "Grease."

"It's about time," proclaimed Sireeta Siler of Wilmington, who I cornered at the Christiana Mall Target Tuesday. Facing a rack of slightly hefty Barbies with electric blue hair and trendy peplum tops, Siler praised Mattel for jumping on the "big girl" bandwagon.

Her friend, Shonda Priest, recalled how the homogeneous Caucasian Barbies of her youth inspired self-hatred.

Sireeta Siler, of Wilmington, holds a new curvy Barbie doll Tuesday afternoon at the Target at the Christiana Mall.

Today, Priest's five-year-old daughter will only accept African-American Barbies because they look more like her, but finding them in stock is a challenge. With Mattel expanding the options "the kids know they don't have to be a certain way," mom said.

Part of Mattel's more diverse "Fashionista" line, Barbie now comes in seven different skin tones, 22 eye colors — is fuchsia an option? — 24 hairstyles and three new body types: Curvy, petite and tall. Check out the full selection at Barbie.com.

"By introducing more variety into the line, Barbie is offering choices that are better reflective of the world they see today," Mattel said on its website. #YouCanBeAnything #TheDollEvolves.

Sean Citino, of Bear, holds his four-year-old daughter, Emma, as they look at the new Barbie line at Target in the Christiana Mall.

The toy maker is also looking to boost four straight years of declining Barbie sales, particularly with the arrival of sassy Bratz, gritty Monster High dolls, and Disney heroine Elsa, who is alternately fetching and chilling.

Research from BAV Consulting in New York indicates that the 57-year-old Barbie brand is less relevant today than most of its direct and indirect competitors. A separate study from the University of Sussex in the UK links body dissatisfaction among 5- to 8-year-olds to Barbie exposure.

If beauty brand Dove can launch a phenomenally successful "Campaign for Real Beauty" and Sports Illustrated can put a full-figured Ashley Graham on its swimsuit issue cover, Barbie can certainly rock a round booty. Target has even partnered with Mattel to have the new socially acceptable Barbies wear Target 2016 swimwear.

This photo provided by Mattel shows barbie dolls wearing high heel and flat shoes. A new line of Barbie dolls has the 56-year-old fashionista rocking flat shoes for the first time. Toymaker Mattel said flats are an effort to accessorize street styles Barbie wears in the new line. (Mattel via AP)

(Now, if the world's biggest-selling doll were trotted out with cystic acne, frizzy hair and a bleach-stained T-shirt, that would really spark a revolution.)

After battling anorexia as a teenager, Kelly Snyder of northeast Maryland said she appreciated an alternative to the much-hyped 36-24-36 measurements, which are even bigger than Barbie's. Snyder was at Target Tuesday shopping for a bow-and-arrow set for her 10-year-old daughter's birthday. (Basically, the antithesis of Barbie).

According to a 2013 study by addiction website Rehabs.com, Barbie's measurements on a real-life human wouldn't leave enough room for all her vital organs. With a waist four inches narrower than her head and emaciated ankles, real-life Barbie would be a human quadruped, the website found.

Other Target moms declined comment, explaining that their kids haven't taken a principled stance against Barbie — they just don't like her.

"It's not cute," pronounced Chau Nguyen of Wilmington, when confronted with the $9.99 full-figured Barbies.

Mattel said it wants to make dolls that girls and their moms can better relate to.

Similarly, two girls — a five year-old and a four-year-old — appeared unimpressed when they were asked to pick their favorite Barbie of the bunch. One snatched a box featuring a traditional Barbie and her glam convertible. The other picked a curvy Barbie just because she had blonde hair.

Sean Citino of Bear, the dad of four-year-old Emma, said his daughter chooses Barbies of all colors and sizes to play in her judgment-free society at home.

Citino is not worried that curvy Barbie promotes obesity or that Emma will experience body dysmorphic disorder in the future. Parental guidance is the antidote to unhealthy weight obsessions, he said.

"She'll make up her own mind what she wants to be," he added.

Barbie, after all, has more than 150 careers on her resume, from aerobics instructor to presidential hopeful.

Ken is more one-dimensional. He now comes in different skin colors and hair textures, but has retained his Abercrombie & Fitch six-pack and cargo shorts under the Fashionista line.

Perhaps one day we will see the Barbie hunk with removable hair and a paunch.

Until then, we can all rejoice in a not-exactly-plump but not-exactly-waifish Barbie who has no trace of love handles, flabby arms or Spanx.

"I'll take what I can get," Priest said, diplomatically.

Contact Margie Fishman at (302) 324-2882, on Twitter @MargieTrende or mfishman@delawareonline.com.