Mattel Introduces Black Barbies

AP via its surrogate, CBS ^ | Oct 08, 2009 | AP

[the invisib1e hand]

(AP) Mattel has launched a new line of black Barbie dolls with fuller lips, a wider nose and more pronounced cheek bones - a far cry from Christie, Barbie's black friend who debuted in the 1960s and was essentially a white doll painted brown.

etc.

[the invisib1e hand]

So many ways to go with this. First thoughts: this isn't about racial equality, it's about racial obsession, which describes what "post racial America" is shaping up to be like.

Should they have had a black barbie 50 years ago? Probably, but they probably decided the market wasn't big enough to be worth it.

Finally, all this -- again -- obsession with racial features, i.e. "wider nose, fuller lips, more pronounced cheekbones" is just plain creepy and reminds me of that picture in Life Magazine of the Nazi using a micrometer to measure the width of a German's nose.

Creepy.

[AliVeritas]

Bingo.

Or the aboriginal head measuring.

[freedumb2003]

I assume they will model her butt on Beyonce’s or Serena’s?

[Vaduz]

Obama cult + white guilt + anti america = Racial obsession

[4rcane]

i hope they do asian, indian, arab barbies as well, or they’re racist

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Should she be “Barbie” or “Shanice” or such?

Was Michelle the model? I believe that a German prostitute was the model for Barbie. There must be an analogy somewhere.

[the invisib1e hand]

Yeah. Kinda makes me wonder, has anyone measured Barack Obama’s nose to determine if he’s really black?

[MrB]

Michelle’s...

[humblegunner]

i hope they do asian, indian, arab barbies as well, or they’re racist

I hope they use capitalization and punctuation in the marketing.

Otherwise they are ignorant and illiterate.

[headstamp 2]

How about a Ken Obama doll.

[WakeUpAndVote]

[xsmommy]

and i am fairly certain they wear their baseball caps backwards, as well.

[Disambiguator]

Just think of the naming possibilities.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Given the image projected by Barbie, an unmarried, unemployed “Party Girl” who lives in a mansion she clearly can’t afford and drives a mercedes, will the new doll be called HObie?

[freedumb2003]

>>Should she be “Barbie” or “Shanice” or such?<<

Kanisha Laquana. (That is actually a term used in the ‘hood)

[Gay State Conservative]

I have no problem with this.I think “Barbie”,in general,is kinda silly but it's very possible that the typical girl/woman would feel differently.Just as long as they don't turn Barbie into some ghetto whore it's OK with me.

[nina0113]

The’ve all got “white” hair. And the Holiday Barbie has been available in both black and white for years.

[Towed_Jumper]

This is keeping in line with the phenomenon I've discovered with TV commercials since BHO’s “election”...blacks make up 13% of the U.S. population but represented in about 98% of ALL TV commercials. It appears that now commercials have to have at least one black person in them.

[nina0113]

I hope they use capitalization and punctuation in the marketing.

Electrons cost money, you know - can't be wasting them. When I was a kid, we had to push our electrons barefoot through the copper by HAND, and it was uphill both ways.

[xsmommy]

This doesn’t strike me as new at all. My soon to be 21 yo had a black barbie named Nichelle when she was little among other black dolls. The toystore near our house was going out of business and had deep discounts as they were selling out and while mostly black dolls were left at the end, my kids didn’t care at all and had an assortment of black cabbage patch kids, barbies etc. A doll is a doll to a kid!

[DungeonMaster]

This thread has endless joke possibilities.

[Maverick68]

Smart marketing.
I can imgaine millions of little black girls would want a Barbie doll that looks more like them.

[mlizzy]

Searched and searched for one with a skin tight 3/4 length cardigan covering two or three, or four shirts maybe, replete with boob belt, but was unsuccessful ... maybe they'll update later ... (click photo to enlarge)

[humblegunner]

Degenerate marketing bastards!

[Psalm 73]

"....with fuller lips, a wider nose and more pronounced cheek bones...."

They can DO that, but isn't it a bit rascist to SAY that?

[the invisib1e hand]

A doll is a doll to a kid!

Not in Post Racial America it's not. Nor is a kid a kid.

You may need to be reeducated.

[Buckeye McFrog]

attach the upper body from Stretch Armstrong and you could market it as the Michelle Obama Doll

[xsmommy]

noooooooooooooooooooooooo! not the camp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i won’t go!!!!!!!!!!

[Psalm 73]

"This thread has endless joke possibilities."

THAT'S a rascist statement.

[jersey117]

ACORN Barbie?

[the invisib1e hand]

“They tried to make me go to rehab I said No! No! No!”

[stuartcr]

Gee, maybe they think there may be a market for it??

[DungeonMaster]

This is keeping in line with the phenomenon I've discovered with TV commercials since BHO’s “election”...blacks make up 13% of the U.S. population but represented in about 98% of ALL TV commercials. It appears that now commercials have to have at least one black person in them.

But not drunk driving commercials.

[SaveTheChief]

Now they can phase out all of those racist white ones, and the world will, once and for all, be a safe place.

[the invisib1e hand]

gee guess you didn’t get the point!!

[stuartcr]

gee, guess not!!!

[<1/1,000,000th%]

I believe that they didn’t make this 50 years ago because it would be considered racist to portray blacks this way.

[the invisib1e hand]

can’t win, eh?

[sportutegrl]

http://www.danburymint.com/collectibles/prod/Michelle-Obama-Inaugural-Doll_12568.aspx

The Michelle Obama doll comes with her own Chenille Bedspread.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Wait until this doll gets rejected for being a stereotype.

Obama’s still going to be president for 3 more years.

It will only get weirder.

[the invisib1e hand]

it’s not too late.

[stuartcr]

If I didn’t get it before, do you really think I’ll get it now?

[the invisib1e hand]

we’re all rootin’ for ya~!

[stuartcr]

Right...probably shouldn’t hold your collective breaths.

[nina0113]

I believe that they didn’t make this 50 years ago because it would be considered racist to portray blacks this way.

Fifty years ago, nobody cared if it was racist. I'm not sure anybody even knew the word.

I remember a southern diner chain that was still selling incredibly stereotypical mammy figurines as late as the 80s.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Well, I'm from Chicago.

While the word might not have been in use yet, Chicago's racial problems are plenty ugly and well known.

[Towed_Jumper]

“But not drunk driving commercials.”

The one drunk driving commercial that I HAVE seen blacks represented in...the cop was a Black but the “DUI Offender” was a White Guy.

[the invisib1e hand]

ok. we’ll, i don’t make decisions for the collective. but i’m not turning blue for you.

[the invisib1e hand]

on that we agree.