Stay updated with breaking news from Devika Sunand. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
There persists a belief that Barbie is a feminist icon in spite of Mattel steering clear of the f-word (feminism). But in reality the doll still stands for dangerously unattainable beauty standards, the deliberate vapidity of feminism and the centering of whiteness. Ultimately the new film is a commercial for an outdated toy.
There persists a belief that Barbie is a feminist icon in spite of Mattel steering clear of feminism. But, the new film is a commercial for an outdated toy.
When I was a little girl, my parents bought me a Barbie — a blonde, blue-eyed doll who I played with for years before I ever met a blond, blue-eyed person. My
Barbie remains what it's always been: a vessel for unattainable beauty standards, the vapidity of feminism, the centering of whiteness.