ART & ILLNESS: Mattel Makes Hairless Barbie for Cancer Patients

Well done, Mattel! (Kind of)

Toy-making titan Mattel has just created the first ever Bald Barbie, to be distributed exclusively to hospitals across Canada and the US in support of cancer patients. My congratulations to them comes with a bit of an exasperated eye-roll, as Mattel was founded in 1945 and have only just created Bald Barbie as a response to a Facebook group. The group, titled "Beautiful and Bald Barbie! Let's see if we can get it made!" gathered 'likes' numbering over 150k, and is filled with inspirational/heartbreaking stories and photos of cancer-affected women. Inspired especially by a young girl who had just lost her hair following her cancer treatment (4-year-old Genesis Reyes, who announced that she did not feel like a princess without her hair), Mattel followed the example of MGA Entertainment's Bratz Dolls, who announced in February that they would be creating a line of bald dolls called "True Hope Bratz". Their initiative, too, was prompted by a social media petition for a bald doll. 

While I think it's wonderful that both Mattel and MGA Entertainment heeded these social media campaigns and created the bald doll, you'd think they could have thought of it on their own. Barbie has had over 108 careers but her makers have never thought to inflict her with cancer - the leading cause of death in economically developed countries. 

Sure, I suppose it's sort of morbid to give a doll a disease, but she totally could have fought it and survived, providing girls with renewed inspiration to fight their own battles. I know it's not like Barbie, with her pink convertible, Dream House, and hot pink shoe closet, is supposed to be a realistic portrayal of women, but in this era of social awareness I'd hope that influential, far-reaching companies like Mattel would strive to be relatable to all their customers - including those minorities affected with life-altering diseases. 

The bald dolls are a big step forward:  

not only do they raise awareness for the plights of those battling cancer, but they also redefine the rather stagnant ideas of femininity, beauty, and sexuality that Barbie represents.  

(Learn more about cancer statistics here and more about how you can help fight, prevent, and raise awareness  here!)