Fisher Price, and when did brown hair/eyes = Hispanic?

[Boozy]

For the record, I believe that Kalli was addressing the mysterious Dissatisfied Customer who had commented on the other site. I don't think the "speshul snowflake" comment was directed at you, IDAR.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Honestly, I thought the same thing, too, and got all pissed off on Rum's behalf, but then I re-read the post and thought "Hm. I'm thinking (hoping) she didn't mean to aim that at Rum. I'm thinking that was probably more in reference to the article."

I am guilty of jumping the gun, at least at first.

[Kalli]

My snowflake isn't speshul (well, in my eyes, she's completely special), but she is differently able.

And really, gosh darn it, if I want to complain about baby dolls that are reasonably priced and mass produced, then I'm going to complain!

Crap, yes, Boozy's right. I meant the dude from the article, not you Rum, sorry Now that I re-read it it looks like im talking to you!

/facepalm

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Actually, Kali, I felt like the article writer needed to get a bit of a grip, too. There are as much variety in looks for black folks as there is for white. Not everyone will be represented.

While I agree with Rum that I, too, would really like to get away from the idea that all white girls are blonde and lets have some swarthier options for darker white girls ( I mean, come on, is it too much to ask to have a dark haired barbie doll that isn't, you know, foreign? ), but I see your point, too, that not every single variation of every single race can or even should be represented.

I mean, the black doll in the article looked...well...BLACK. She had beautiful black features. So she had straight hair. A lot of black women straighten their hair. She didn't look like a white doll that someone painted dark. Grousing about her straight hair was just dumb.

There is a black girl in my church with freaking BLONDE hair. And no, she doesn't dye it. It's blonde. Bet her mom (also blonde) had fits trying to fid THAT kid a doll to play with .

[IDrinkaRum]

That's okies kalli ... I love my daughter and will point out that she's completely wonderful and special to me.

There is actually a company called My Twinn that will make a doll that looks like your child and it's expensive. Plus you can buy clothing for the doll and the your child. Interesting, but I don't know if I can justify the money. I just want to be able to grab something off the shelf and hand it immediately to my daughter.

[Boozy]

Grousing about her straight hair was just dumb.

I don't think so. The vast majority of black women do not have straight hair. There must have been a pretty compelling reason to make a Black Barbie without kinky or curly hair. I suspect it's because the manufacturers assumed that people don't find natural "black" hair attractive. That's a subtle kind of racism.

There is intense pressure to make "black" hair look more "white", even among the black community. There is an entire industry built around it. One day, I believe that we will find all the hair relaxers marketed to black women as racist and offensive as the skin bleaches sold in Asia.

[Flyndaran]

I don't think so. The vast majority of black women do not have straight hair. There must have been a pretty compelling reason to make a Black Barbie without kinky or curly hair. I suspect it's because the manufacturers assumed that people don't find natural "black" hair attractive. That's a subtle kind of racism.

There is intense pressure to make "black" hair look more "white", even among the black community. There is an entire industry built around it. One day, I believe that we will find all the hair relaxers marketed to black women as racist and offensive as the skin bleaches sold in Asia.

Selling a product that people buy is not racist. It's called capitalism.
Not selling a product that people won't buy is not sensible.

[BroomJockey]

One day, I believe that we will find all the hair relaxers marketed to black women as racist and offensive as the skin bleaches sold in Asia.

Why? Are you going to extend that to hair bleaching, too? After all, becoming blonde is just the same thing of moving towards that "ideal white-look." I don't think a black woman wanting to straighten her hair is any worse than a brunette bleaching to blonde. And I don't even like blonde hair, usually. It's just a choice.

Now, I'll agree with you in cases where it's not felt to be a choice, but something they "have" to do. But then that's what the beauty industry is built on. Telling women of all stripes they have to look like the genetic freaks which comprise the super model set (and yes, they are genetic freaks, or else there'd be more than 1 in 100,000 who could be one).

[blas87]

I was obsessed with Barbie when I was a little girl (this was in the early 90s)

There was of course, Barbie and Skipper at the time, blonde haired and blue eyed.

Kira....she had darker hair and darker eyes and slightly darker skin....not sure what nationality she was supposed to be.

And I did have a black Barbie, I think her name was Christie.

Teresa was a white Barbie with brunette hair and hazelish eyes. They could have been green, though....it's been a long time.

I'm surprised I remembered all of their names.

[Fire_on_High]

I don't think so. The vast majority of black women do not have straight hair. There must have been a pretty compelling reason to make a Black Barbie without kinky or curly hair. I suspect it's because the manufacturers assumed that people don't find natural "black" hair attractive. That's a subtle kind of racism.

Might have simply been very difficult to make a decent looking doll with that sort of hair texture, due to the materials not cooperating properly for the look.

[DesignFox]

I think the poor doll companies are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

I don't mean to sound like I'm picking on you Rum, or anyone else here, so please do not misinterpret my statements, but this thread is proof that the company cannot possibly make everyone 100% happy.

You want a brown haired/brown eyed doll that isn't labelled Hispanic/Spanish speaking.

Then there's the black parents who will want a black doll with dark hair and blue eyes.

Then there's someone else who wants a blond haired, blue eyed Spanish speaking doll.

Someone else wants an Asian doll.

Someone else wants a red headed doll with blue eyes.

Yet another person wants a short haired doll.

The list goes on.

It just isn't possible. Especially if we're going for cost effectiveness.

Cabbage Patch Kids did a pretty good job of things. But I think they weren't really cheap....and I think the dolls were just random...no two alike or something like that?

I could be wrong of course. But then, this stuff doesn't really bother me. I grew up in the generation of blonde, impossibly skinny Barbie dolls..some of her friends were different. I know I had one of those long-haired ones with the styling gel that had brown hair....but mostly it was all about Barbie if you wanted one from that line.

There is no winning.

[Fryk]

Might have simply been very difficult to make a decent looking doll with that sort of hair texture, due to the materials not cooperating properly for the look.

It's probably a cost issue, too... keep the hair as generic as possible, and you don't have to pay for making different types of hair.

[jackfaire]

I have never met a woman of any race with Curly hair that liked it nor one with straight hair that liked it.

[DesignFox]

I have never met a woman of any race with Curly hair that liked it nor one with straight hair that liked it.

LOL. Too funny.

I'm going to burst your anecdote, though. I love my hair. It's a bit annoying that I've never been able to really dye it, and styling my hair is...an experience...but I wouldn't give it up for that convenience. I was lucky to be granted thick, wavy, dark brown hair that gets natural sun highlights in summer. I only have to cut it once a year. It rarely suffers from split or dry ends, and it's naturally shiny. I literally do nothing other than keep it clean and groomed.

[blas87]

I think jack's right on the money when it comes to most women.

Women with curly hair want straight hair, and women with straight hair want curly hair.

I'd give anything to have thicker hair....my ponytail is maybe an inch and a half thick....it's so fine that I have to tease the ever living heck out of it, or use hot rollers and fry it, on top of blowdrying my hair upside down, to make it look like it has any volume.

Then add to it, IF I curl my hair, the curls wiggle themselves out within hours and they make these awful kinky waves......or just go back to stick straight. If I want curls that last, I have to drench my hair in hairspray and fry them with the iron, like they do at salons for special occasions.

Not many of us are happy with the way we were made, lol.