Quantcast

Should There Be an 'Afro' Barbie Doll?

SodaHead Living 2011/12/14 17:00:00
You!
Add Photos & Videos
Most little girls love Barbie dolls. But sometimes, they don't resemble her at all. Especially when it comes to hair. Candace McBride found an online tutorial that uses pipe cleaners and boiling water to give Barbie natural-looking curls, the Ledger-Enquirer of Columbus, Ga., reports. And now, she and the rest of her natural hair group plan to give about 40 Barbies "makeovers" and hand them out to curly haired girls this Christmas.

barbie

Though Barbie comes in 50 different nationalities, most of the dolls, even the African-American ones, have straight hair, the Ledger-Enquirer reports. "When you look for dolls, they all have straight hair," McBride told the Ledger-Enquirer, adding that many of the dolls also have blue or green eyes. "It’s tricky even to find ones with brown eyes."

Jennifer Henderson, a member of the natural hair group and mother of a 2-year-old girl, is also involved in the project. "We wanted to show the girls that basically, it’s OK the way God made you," she told the Ledger-Enquirer.

According to the Barbie website, the doll has had more than 108 careers and worn approximately 1 billion fashions since 1959. So why hasn't she had a greater variety of hairstyles? We think McBride's idea is totally genius. Only question is, why hasn't Mattel thought of it yet?



+31
Add a comment above

Top Opinion

Sort By
  • Most Raves
  • Least Raves
  • Oldest
  • Newest
Opinions

  • xifidieyoung 2012/04/17 23:55:44
    Yes, great idea
    xifidieyoung
    Why shouldn't there be?
    reply
  • Beccy 2012/01/22 00:01:04
    Yes, great idea
    Beccy
    I think children should have dolls that look like them
    reply
  • jennifer_55 2012/01/18 20:12:14
    Yes, great idea
    jennifer_55
    afro ken doll
    reply
  • SILLYTJ 2012/01/14 15:40:47
    Yes, great idea
    SILLYTJ
    be your self and there should be a doll like tht it would be a hip hop doll


    reply
  • shindogg 2012/01/11 01:04:08
    Yes, great idea
    shindogg
    sure y not? i can tell u y all the dolls have straight hair. its because mattel only wants to appeal to white girls. thats why you never see asian barbies or any other race's features on their dolls faces or bodies. forget about eye color, (even though brown or "black" eyes would be a good choice for girls' dolls) will we ever see a barbie with a black girl's face and curves? probably not. booty, hips & breasts on dolls complete with belly buttons. sounds nice but wont happen im sure.
    reply
  • Bibliophilic 2011/12/28 06:35:37
    Yes, great idea
    Bibliophilic
    Yes, because most Black women do not have naturally straight hair. Black barbies with any type of curly hair would be a vast improvement over the stick straight hair. I love the curly haired barbies!
    reply
  • kristen 2011/12/27 02:52:46
    No
    kristen
    i think no because there are some people out there that may take it as a racis outbrake if you know what i mean
    reply
  • MsTiff26 kristen 2011/12/28 06:08:39
    MsTiff26
    +1
    Lol.. umm.. kristen, I hate to tell you but... no one knows or for that matter even understands "what you mean".
    reply
  • kristen MsTiff26 2011/12/28 20:05:41
    kristen
    its all good
    reply
  • ed 2011/12/26 13:01:52
    Yes, great idea
    ed
    +2
    but why stop there muslim barbie doll
    reply
  • Akes88 2011/12/25 17:57:18
    Yes, great idea
    Akes88
    absolutely. not every girl has shoulder or mid-back length hair. some have much longer hair, or much shorter. If barbie can have tattoos, y can't she hav dif hair styles?
    reply
  • jackolantyrn356 2011/12/24 19:35:14
    No
    jackolantyrn356
    Been done before and it sold ZERO
    Before asking questions out of your relm. Get ifo from Reality and sales reports.
    reply
  • LoveBug 2011/12/23 18:44:48
    Yes, great idea
    LoveBug
    Sure, whatever sells, I guess. That's what it all boils down to in the end, anyway. Where is the fat barbie, anyway? =/
    fat barbie
    reply
  • Margaret Jacobson 2011/12/22 19:41:47
    Yes, great idea
    Margaret Jacobson
    +1
    Sure why not???? A doll should resemble tjhe little girl. Why should a black girl nuture a white doll?? The doll she nuture's should resemble her!!!!
    reply
  • Woody 2011/12/22 12:43:37
    No
    Woody
    Market a Brandisha Doll!
    reply
  • ««zamboni»»Hellsoldier-BN0 2011/12/21 23:27:30
    Yes, great idea
    ««zamboni»»Hellsoldier-BN0
    And an Asian, and a brunette,etc. For everybody.
    reply
  • INDIGO 2011/12/20 20:38:22
    Yes, great idea
    INDIGO
    its a great idea and I wish I had a barbie like this...
    reply
  • Lydia 2011/12/20 03:50:54
    Yes, great idea
    Lydia
    +1
    I am African American, and it saddens me that this is even a question. Dolls should be made in a realistic light of each race. That includes hair, lips, eyes, hips etc. It is healthy for an African American child to have a doll with hair that looks like hers/his in its original state(no chemicals). There are so many hairstyles that can be achieved with ethnic hair. But my personal opinion is that, a little girl would definitely learn that lesson even more if we as black women did not constantly change our hair so much to fit into society. We do not have to wear Afros. We look unattractive to some people when we wear our natural kinky hair because they rarely see that anymore. But to say it is ugly is to say we are ugly as a people. And if that is someone's opinion then that is fine. But its not a doll company's job to give our children positive images, and good self esteem... that our job.
    reply
  • chuko 2011/12/20 01:26:53 (edited)
    No
    chuko
    +1
    It's just a toy. Since when is a toy a racial issue? C'mon people There's only 1 race The Human Race.
    reply
  • Lyndsay chuko 2012/09/25 00:02:53
    Lyndsay
    +3
    its not necessarily a racial issue nor did anyone make it out to be. the barbie is an example of beauty and with all barbies having straight hair thats teaching all the little girls with curls and kinks that the way God made them is less than beautiful.
    reply
  • MsTiff26 2011/12/19 21:38:29 (edited)
    Yes, great idea
    MsTiff26
    +3
    African American doll should be an accurate representation of black women in her Natural beautiful state. Toys are tools for learning, and these dolls will teach young black girls to appreciate themselves for beautiful Queens that are, despite whatever lies their told. They need to feel proud they come from a rich culture and powerful heritage, and know their skin is beautiful, their hair is definitely beautiful, because of course… Black is
    beautiful.
    Naturalbeauty1

    NaturalBeauty2

    NaturalBeauty5

    NaturalBeauty3

    NaturalBeauty4

    Blackbarbies
    reply
  • Tpem 2011/12/19 10:36:06
    Yes, great idea
    Tpem
    Why not? They could call her Foxy Brown Barbie.
    reply
  • evceleb 2011/12/19 07:29:26
    Yes, great idea
    evceleb
    +1
    It'd make my friend Kenny feel more appreciated.
    kenny
    reply
  • chuko evceleb 2011/12/20 01:36:10
    chuko
    Sounds like a self esteem problem to me. How will a doll make a man feel good about himself
    reply
  • *Mahoga... evceleb 2011/12/27 04:22:22
    *Mahogany Goddess of P.H.A.E.T
    +2
    He has a cute fro going on and avoid the hater at the bottom.
    reply
  • evceleb *Mahoga... 2011/12/27 06:14:51
    evceleb
    +1
    Haha yea :) He's a cutie <3
    And yeah, that guy's a dick >.>
    Here's a (better) picture of Kenny
    car
    Sometimes, he falls asleep on car rides x) (Couldnt resist that picture)
    dance
    Other times, we're dancing together x)
    church
    But most of the time, he;s changing my life <3
    :)
    Little...pictorial of our relationship there xD
    reply
  • lm1b2 2011/12/18 22:39:34
    No
    lm1b2
    Not a doll,or anything else for that matter,a ugly hairsyle to begin with!
    reply
  • Ty ~ PHAET lm1b2 2011/12/21 07:01:40
    Ty ~ PHAET
    +3
    Not at all.
    reply
  • lm1b2 Ty ~ PHAET 2011/12/21 15:03:29
    lm1b2
    Your opinion.
    reply
  • *Mahoga... lm1b2 2011/12/27 04:21:15
    *Mahogany Goddess of P.H.A.E.T
    +2
    Exactly his opinion and little girls have various opinions of the style. Why not let them have that option? Why is a grown man so interested as to not having that option for little girls?
    reply
  • Ty ~ PHAET *Mahoga... 2011/12/27 04:24:03 (edited)
    Ty ~ PHAET
    +1
    Control freaks will be control freaks. Judging by some of his comments that I've seen on other posts, this guy seems to have quite a bit of spite towards black women for whatever reason. Perhaps he was picked on by a black girl in school.
    reply
  • *Mahoga... Ty ~ PHAET 2011/12/27 04:35:38
    *Mahogany Goddess of P.H.A.E.T
    +2
    LOL or dumped and ignored lol.
    reply
  • lm1b2 Ty ~ PHAET 2011/12/27 14:54:14
    lm1b2
    Sorry to disappoint you,I have no interest in black woman,never have,and never went to school with any.I just don't like the style if you want to call it that.If I insulted you in some way,I am sorry!
    reply
  • Ty ~ PHAET lm1b2 2011/12/27 21:12:39 (edited)
    Ty ~ PHAET
    +2
    That doesn't explain your spite. You've gone out of your way on other polls to criticize black women and interracial relationships.
    reply
  • *Mahoga... Ty ~ PHAET 2011/12/27 21:16:08
    *Mahogany Goddess of P.H.A.E.T
    +2
    Never could get with one, smart women have high standards; and most likely he doesn't fit the bill lol.
    reply
  • lm1b2 Ty ~ PHAET 2011/12/28 02:05:15
    lm1b2
    I hadn't realized I insulted anyone by giving a opinion on hair style,and I don't want,nor need your sympathy,I have no animosity toward women period,evidently you do toward white men,or all men.
    reply
  • Ty ~ PHAET lm1b2 2011/12/28 02:23:19 (edited)
    Ty ~ PHAET
    +1
    Really? What have I said that even remotely indicated that I, as a white male, hate white men?
    reply
  • lm1b2 Ty ~ PHAET 2011/12/28 03:00:59
    lm1b2
    This conversation is getting old,I don't care what you are Amigo,goodby!
    reply
  • Popanator 2011/12/18 20:11:15
  • INDIGO Popanator 2011/12/20 20:49:49
    INDIGO
    +3
    Pig!!
    reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 30 Next » Last »

See Votes by State

The map above displays the winning answer by region.

Living

2013/05/23 04:55:34

Hot Questions on SodaHead
More Hot Questions

More Community More Originals