Yes, you read that correctly. I think the world needs more Barbies. But not just any run-of-the-mill blond-haired bombshell; a Beautiful & Bald one. The campaign for Ms. B to go bald started online, the result of a conversation between two longtime friends who have both battled cancers and recognized the limits of Barbie’s iconic power on girls and women who are dealing with hair-loss from tough treatements.
The Facebook page that launched the idea has attracted nearly 100,00 likes, catching the eye of media outlets and Barbie’s manufacturer, Mattel. While the company shared a statement that they are “honored” by the request, they refrained from mentioning if a B&B Barbie could actually make her way to shelves.
I’m someone with the extreme fortune of never having someone close to me deal with a cancer diagnosis or any of its effects. Still, I can acknowledge that Barbie is a Super-Hero to little girls all around the world. It’s easy to dismiss a petition like this, after all, it’s been a long time since any of us could identify with Barbie. Her perfect appearance is one of her deepest flaws. But that doesn’t make her any less appealing to the chick-a-dees who lovingly comb her hair and accessorize her with mismatched shoes every day. Considering how those girls would feel playing with a Barbie who looked like them, is a bald Barbie really so far-fetched? It’s more real than 80% of the rest of her parts.
And why stop with a Beautiful & Bald Barbie? I think we could use a variety of spins on the Super-Successful, Power-Coiffed style we’ve come to expect from the lady’s 100 years in the spotlight. Unemployed Barbie? Organic Farmer Barbie? Unsure-of-how-she-feels-about-Shopping Barbie?
Find out more about the online campaign to make Barbie Bald here.
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