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Entertainment > Entertainment
BLACK PARENTS MAD ABOUT BARBIE WITH LONG(49)
Black Barbie, But Why The Long Hair?
Barbie So In Style designer Stacey McBride-Irby with her mini creations. Credit: Mattel/AP Except for the hair. The hair is straight. And that has some parents crying foul. According to a report by The Associated Press, the new dolls have "fuller lips, a wider nose and more pronounced cheekbones" and resemble a black person's features rather then Mattel's 1960s attempt at racial inclusiveness, which "was essentially a white doll painted brown." While parents and pundits are praising many aspects of the new line -- a focus on education and mentoring, for example, and the varied skin tones -- they are also asking about the hair. At first, this may sound silly. But look at the trailer for Chris Rock's new film, a documentary called "Good Hair," that explores the relationship that black women have with their hair. Rock decided to make the film when his young daughter came home and asked her dad why she didn't have "good hair." Good hair, Rock discovered, means straight hair. Two of the dolls have what the AP describes as "curlier hair," and quotes the doll's designer, Stacey McBride-Irby, as saying that she wanted young black girls to "to see themselves within these dolls, and let them know that black is beautiful." If that's the case, some parents ask, then why the straight hair? Mattel also sells a kit that allows girls to straighten and style their dolls' hair. That adds to the problem, according to Sheri Parks, a professor at the University of Maryland. "Black mothers who want their girls to love their natural hair have an uphill battle and these dolls could make it harder," Parks told the AP. One positive, of course, is that no matter what is on their heads, these dolls look a lot more like actual young black women than the original black Barbie doll does. One little girl is quoted in the article as saying "She looks like me!" when she saw one of the dolls, mostly because the So In Style line doesn't stick with just one skin color. Of course, there is still Barbie's impossibly skinny waist and big chest to deal with. But Rome wasn't built in a day, right? What do you think? Is this a real issue or much ado about nothing? ...[Message truncated]
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while i admit that when i saw the dolls i didn't like the hair. but i wouldn't raise a big stink over it. edited to add: a couple of dolls that i own are black elmo barbie. her curly hair was a feature that attracted me. and the brandy norwood doll. it actually has braids. Edited by holla1600 on October 12, 2009 10:43:31 AM
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everyone has various opinions on things, but it looks like one person writing on a blog can cause a "big stink" these days. I mean c'mon its a doll a girl is gonna want to play with the hair, I mean Barbies arms and legs barely move. I don't like the hair either b/c it looks like those bad weaves and the dolls look like they should be on Flava of Love
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No don't raise a stink about it, don't buy the dolls. Instead of buying dolls for their daughters, but them circuit board kits or scientific kits that teach them about science and technology so they can get a head start on the rest of the kids. I received a young scientific magazine in the mail and I sent it on to my sister so my niece can see all of the fun gadgets and contraptions one can build. I looked in the magazine and guess what not a black face to be seen.
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Here is an exclusive interview with So In Style Barbie designer Stacey McBride-Irby brought to you from Black Voices:  Citing her own positive experiences playing with Barbie dolls as a child, Stacey McBride-Irby, a Barbie designer for the past 12 years, has now created her own Barbie line, So In Style. There used to be a time when African American dolls were hard to find; now, there are a number of offerings for black girls to play with, including So In Style, which further diversifies the offering. The So In Style line boasts a "positive play experience," where girls are not only inspired by their trendy playmates but are also exposed to a toy that actually mirrors their African American features. The dolls, with their hip kicks, stylish poses and modern accessories (i.e., hoop earrings and neck chains), offer a contemporary cultural experience for girls. According to a New York Daily News article, though, some of these "modernities" are not being wholeheartedly embraced. Some are arguing that the dolls draw on the wrong things and have too many "rap-inspired details": "Not all black people like hip-hop," said Barbara Mootoo, 15, of Manhattan, looking at Kara's silver rope chain necklace. "They gave her a chain like a 50 Cent video." Another feature being criticized is the long, flowing hair of each doll: Tyaine Danclaire, 15, of the Bronx, liked Trichelle's straight, long hair because it looked like "a weave," but she thought the idea "was sorta racist." Dodging the controversy, McBride-Irby exclusively maintains to Black Voices why her new line of dolls should be the next present to the beloved little girl in your life: Click here to read more. |
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I would love to see a variety in the hairstyles of the dolls -- some permed, some natural.
However, would the naturals sell? Would little black girls prefer the permed dolls like those in that study preferred the white dolls? I was tuned into a show on Nickelodeon where the Afro Latina or black or biracial girl was a huge bully. When the white girl with blond hair kicked her butt, there was huge applause (canned, but still). Even shows aimed at kids teach that those with heavily ethnic looks are not desired, menacing, unattractive. It's sometimes subtle, but true and unfortunate. |
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I was tuned into a show on Nickelodeon where the Afro
Latina or black or biracial girl was a huge bully. When the white girl
with blond hair kicked her butt, there was huge applause (canned, but
still).
Even shows aimed at kids teach that those with heavily ethnic looks are not desired, menacing, unattractive. It's sometimes subtle, but true and unfortunate. Okay but if the girl was a bully what does race have to do with it. maybe that white girl got tired of her messing with her and fought back which is the right thing to do. |
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The pattern is key. Ever heard of the saying that we cannot see the forest for the trees? We must step back to see the bigger picture.
When throughout history in media, the menacing nuisance is the dark, ethnic one, the context of this repeated pattern becomes a continuation of that message for those able to see. There's a reason that kids like those in the video that I posted have the mindset that they do against their own race. The messages are subtle. Edited by Lil_NYC on October 12, 2009 12:08:36 PM
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I think the lady who is holding those dolls looks like the doll on the left ( far left ) , his this a coincidence ? same dark skin , same type of hair. those dolls with good hurr ,came out just in time, what a coincidence. Er... Mamma what does Elmo means though ? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Senegalese Couple circa 1902
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