“What happens when girls are free to imagine you can be anything?” That’s exactly the question that this genius video from Mattel answers!
Barbie.
She’s the iconic image of femininity. Right? Um, kind of. Yeah, we get it—Barbie’s got big boobs, an itty bitty waistline, a perfectly little button nose and those long blond locks that fall just so. She’s got a dream house, a dream guy and is often seen driving a pink Corvette.
So, maybe she’s not the poster girl for what a woman should be (more like the poster girl for what the media would make you think a woman should LOOK like).
Well, Mattel is aiming to change this feminine over feminist image. Throughout the years Barbie has gotten a few major upgrades (and gone through a seemingly countless number of changes). In the 1950s Barbie made her debut. Billed as a “teenage fashion model,” the doll was a glamour girl for the age. Even though Barbie may have always looked like a surfside vixen, with her ocean blue eyes and sunshine blond hair, her lengthy resume reflects a lifetime of careers (many of which fall into male-dominated categories).
In 1965 Barbie joined the space race and became an astronaut. Almost a decade later the doll became a surgeon and an Olympic athlete. As times changed, Barbie grew too. She took on jobs such as naval petty officer, business executive, army medic, firefighter, pilot, computer engineer, racing car driver and presidential candidate.
Even though Barbie’s climbed the corporate ladder, learned how to code and held plenty of top-notch positions, she still has that “Oh, she’s just a pretty face” image. This video turns the Barbie ideal around and shows young girls that you can be anything they want to. Instead of focusing on Barbie’s curves or her pretty face, it captures what it would be a like if girls could open themselves up to any possibility.
The video features young girls in jobs such as college professor, veterinarian, business professional, museum guide and football coach. The adults around them snicker with surprise, but also realize that these girls are pretty awesome at their “jobs.”
What’s the point of all of this? It’s certainly sweet. These little girls are completely cute and what they have to say is absolutely adorable (watch for the veterinarian to ask a pet owner if her cat can fly). But, the video isn’t just about, “Aww”s. It’s about imagination, and having the power to be anyone and anything they can dream up. And, who’s going to help these girls to use their imaginations and imagine the possibilities?
Of course—it’s Barbie!
