Bald Barbie - Will Mattel Do It?

Just before Christmas, 2011, two women whose lives have been touched by cancer, created a Facebook page calling for toy-maker Mattel to mass produce, market and sell a bald Barbie Doll. Their intention, it seems, is for such a doll to support children suffering from cancer. It might also prove helpful to children who have family members dealing with hair loss as a result of not only cancer treatments, but other illnesses as well.

When I was a child, I played with my Barbies endlessly. For hours I would dress them and undress them, putting them in this position and then that. I had numerous Barbie Dolls, Barbie cases, a Barbie Dream House, a Barbie car, a Barbie board game and even a few Ken Dolls and Midges to keep Barbie company.

Those early Barbies had ponytails or “bubbles”, which were pale blond, raven black or reddish in color. And while their hair might have differed, they all had the same face. It was adorned with perfect bright red cupid lips, eyes that seemed rimmed with black eyeliner and a whisper of light blue eye shadow and perfectly arched eyebrows. However, with the bubble cut hairstyle, there also came a softer, fuller eyebrow.

The dolls of my day are now referred to as Vintage Barbies. At that time, they hadn’t quite progressed to encompass a wide range of professions or hobbies. They were rather simple and moved only at the shoulder, hip and head. And, more often than not, they were dressed in glamorous clothes...fur stoles, high heels, and ball gowns, the fancier the better. Barbie couldn’t have worn tennis shoes then if she wanted to, as her feet were permanently posed in a “high heel” position. The simplicity of my Barbies was of no concern to me. I was consumed by them, took great pleasure in them and carted them with me whenever I could. My mother must have thought those dolls worth their weight in gold for all the hours of peace and quiet they must have afforded her.

Allowance money, birthday money and Christmas money all had their place in purchasing new clothes for Barbie. In her classic black and white, one-piece bathing suit, she was “the bee’s knees”, as they say. Little girls wanted to collect all the clothes and all the accessories. They yearned to have each Barbie and with only a few to pick from, that wasn’t hard to do.

Over the years Barbie progressed, as did her owners. She has been, among other things, a doctor, a nurse, a rock star, an astronaut, a veterinarian, a lifeguard, a flight attendant and even a Presidential candidate. Why not now, a cancer survivor? If she is to be a role model, of sorts, to young girls, it would only make sense for her to take on this odyssey as well. Mattel could even make available, for a Bald Barbie, a plethora of wigs and a variety of hats and scarves. I think it’s a grand idea!

If Barbie can be a Nascar driver, she surely can be a cancer survivor. Why should a baby doll be the only doll without hair available to a little girl who hankers for comfort? A child that chooses not to play with baby dolls should have others at her disposal, should she seek one out. And if it might ease her pain or provide a kindred spirit, a Bald Barbie could be just the answer.

I think the market is ready and I think the public is ready, but is Mattel ready to make such a bold step? Might they be afraid of something so drastic and non-conforming? I would think that to be a pioneer, once again, might be just the thing to put this toy manufacturer in the spotlight. Surely if Barbie can sport tattoos, she can just as easily make a splash with a beautiful bald head. And if the public complains that her unrealistic body displays an unachievable physical form, how could they not be thrilled with the reality of a Barbie who has lost her hair to chemotherapy?

Whether or not Mattel will return phone calls, comment or address this issue is yet to be seen. Will the pressure, publicity and exposure that these requests must be putting on them force their hand? And if so, will they be brave enough to mass market the doll or will they play it safe and produce them as a limited edition? And if they do acquiesce, will they do the politically correct thing and follow up with a Bald Ken?

If this movement proves to be a success, shouldn’t Mattel then contribute a percentage of the sales to cancer research? In my opinion, the answer to that question is an unequivocally and very loud “yes”. And if Mattel were to donate a percentage, will the amount they settle on be one that the public views as fair and realistic? I would think that should Mattel step up to the plate and bring to the world a Bald Barbie and, in fact, use some of the profits to fight this insidious thing we call cancer, that they would gladly donate a substantial amount and not just little pennies. This is just one woman’s opinion.

So, the pressure’s on. Mattel, all eyes are on you. Will you take a giant step or will you, instead, turn a blind eye and stick your fingers in your ears, hoping that with a little time all this brouhaha quiets down, so you can go back to business as usual? It will be quite interesting, I think, to see where this all goes.

For those of you that might want to keep track of this issue or get involved in some way, check out their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BeautifulandBaldBarbie

or their sister (or should I say brother?) page for a bald G.I. Joe: https://www.facebook.com/BaldAndBraveGIJoe