Why Barbie should not bother anyone!

Almost every young girl fantasizes about having a Barbie. The most popular doll ever, Barbie was manufactured and launched in 1959 by American toy company Mattel. Before the introduction of Barbies of all body types, Mattel's creation was heavily criticized for the unrealistic body of the dolls. Several experts had said it reduced body esteem among young girls.

The company's attempt to introduce Barbie dolls of different shapes, colors, and sizes, which was a big detour from the original Barbie dolls, is in itself a bold move towards inclusivity. The introduction of tall, curvy, petite dolls of various colors is believed to have addressed these shortcomings.

Mattel has stepped into inclusivity with its doll Barbie by making it more diverse. "Barbie has changed over the years to be more inclusive and mirror the world around us," Mattel says. It had also launched a pregnant Barbie, Midge, in 1963. She had freckles, red hair and was launched with an aim to help parents teach kids about babies. However, it was discontinued soon because parents felt it promoted and glamorized teen pregnancy.

In April 2023, Mattel partnered with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) in the US to launch Barbie with Down's syndrome and said the attempt was to "enable all children to see themselves in Barbie”. Mattel had consulted medical professionals to make the design, face and body sculpt to be more illustrative of women with Down’s syndrome.

Mattel took another step into inclusivity by unveiling the first Barbie with a hearing aid. During the launch event Mattel’s Global Head of Barbie Dolls, Lisa McKnight told the media that it is important for kids to play with dolls that don't resemble them so that they understand the importance of inclusion.

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Now coming to the row over Juhi Parmar's post criticizing the movie. Barbie movie is a fantasy comedy based on the Barbie doll in which Margot Robbie plays Barbie and Ryan Goslin as Ken. The film entails existential crisis, mental health and lot many things that really need to be discussed and portrayed on mainstream cinema.

The 1 hour, 54 minute movie is a PG 13 rated movie, as per the MPA film ratings, which strongly cautions parents as some material in the movie is inappropriate for kids below the age of 13. This rating is the third most rating in terms of adult material and restrictions after NC-17 adults only and R ratings. The ratings say that movie is not entirely fit for children to watch.

The movie can have meaning for adults who have grown up with the doll. The movie can appeal to the grown-up adults who have spent their childhood playing with the doll as they can easily understand the references to the doll and the deeper mental health topics that the movie has covered.

For kids, even those who are teenagers for which the movie has been rated to be fit to watch, the movie may not be entirely understood. Parents should therefore take a genuine call before heading to the theatres.