Barbie鈥檚 latest designer will visit a Canadian university this week to debate the popular doll鈥檚 feminist credentials.
While the toy is blamed by many for negatively affecting girls鈥� body image, the plastic figure is admired by some as a feminist role model reinvented with a variety of skin tones and body types.
Alison Halsall, assistant professor in York University鈥檚 Department of Humanities, has organized a screening of 2018 documentary 鈥楾iny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie鈥� ahead of a chat with toy company Mattel鈥檚 vice president and head of Barbie design Kim Culmone.
鈥淏arbie has had a changing relationship with childhood from its beginnings in the 60s all the way up to 2019,鈥� Halsall said.
鈥淲e have to ask ourselves about the image she presents, because it is one that used to be a little bit more homogeneous with roughly two ethnic types, whereas now we see a whole range of body types as well as ethnic types, hair colours and skin tones.鈥�
Halsall said the event is important to understand the marketing, brand and creation of Barbie.
鈥淭his reinvented Barbie has an even greater global potential to reach and shape childhoods.鈥�
She questioned Barbie鈥檚 representation of ideal femininity, but believes that the toy helps provoke dialogue about sexism, body image and the idea of young girls being taught that heterosexuality is the norm.
The university credited Culmone with championing 鈥榯he most inclusive Barbie鈥� in the brand鈥檚 history.
Culmone, who has held her role since 2013, started as a Barbie designer at Mattel in 1999.
The event takes place on Monday at .
