It should bring diversity into the nursery: The "Curvy Barbie" by Mattel, a doll with curves. Now the disillusionment: Nobody wants to play with her.
It should bring nothing less than a new body awareness into the nursery. Since 1959, the Barbie doll has only been standardized, ultra-slim, with a wasp waist, miserably long legs and a huge bosom. A figure that doesn't even come close to that of a normal woman, yes, not even that of a Victoria's Secret model.
Since 2015, however, the doll manufacturer Mattel has been trying to bring more diversity into children's rooms: The Barbie range has been expanded to include 23 dolls with different skin colors and even a model with a flat foot (so that the slave doll does not only have to wear high heels). In the previous year there was another revolution in the silicone doll country: The first "Curvy Barbie" came on the market, a doll that has something like hips, buttocks and slightly shorter legs - so it has more curves overall than the blonde original.
"We have a responsibility to present a broader view of beauty to girls and parents," said Barbie General Manager Evelyn Mazzocco at the time - and we all applauded vigorously. Finally away from the unrealistic ideals of beauty, towards a new body image, a post-feminist breakthrough …
But: wrongly thought. Mattel has been in a real crisis since the introduction of the "Curvy Barbie". Instead of new sales heights, the group suffered the biggest loss in 17 years in the first quarter of 2017. The new range of dolls: they just don't sell.
Instead, a new heroine has conquered the playroom and is considered the best-selling doll in recent months: Elsa, the ice princess from the Disney movie "Frozen".
Lo and behold: like the great Barbie, Elsa is also blonde, super-slim and long-legged. The difference is their personality. In the film "Frozen" is portrayed as a sensitive, but also self-confident and energetic young woman, as a mature character.
