The Best Thing That Happened This Week: Barbie Diversified!

Mattel announced its dolls would now come in regular, petite, "curvy" and tall.

Photo | Mattel

Photo | Mattel

Ever since Barbie debuted on America’s toy scene in 1959 — just three years after I made my debut — adults have clucked over whether her bombshell measurements (a real-life woman built like her would measure 32-16-29 and have room for only half a liver) make her a bad role model for girls. I loved my Barbies with passionate intensity; they were way more fun than anything else I ever played with. And my daughter had more than one Barbie-themed birthday party with her crew when she was young. On Thursday, Mattel broke the news that it was diversifying its Barbie line with a range of body types (complete with their own wardrobes) meant to reassure little girls that just because they don’t look like the old Barbie doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them. Which is weird, because, you know, NOBODY looked like the old Barbie, not even that crazy lady who got all that plastic surgery so she would. I mean, who has Barbie feet? Still, the new range of body types and clothing sizes will enable girls to more faithfully re-create the most universal female experience of all: shopping trips where nothing fits.

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