The Case for Middle Aged Barbie

Last week Mattel announced the release of a more diverse range of Barbie dolls, a break away from the blonde bombshell we are all used to seeing.

The new dolls feature different shapes, and a variety of hair, skin and eye colours. There’s a curvy Barbie, a petite Barbie, and a tall Barbie. You’ll find a Barbie with an afro, and a hispanic Barbie. In one pic of the new curvy Barbie (on the cover of Time magazine, no less!), I was delighted to notice – she even had an apple shape like me!

What Would Middle Aged Barbie look like?

However, Barbie remains eternally youthful. She might be well and truly into her 50’s, but there’s not a wrinkle in sight!

So I asked on Facebook – what would a middle aged Barbie actually look like?

Here are just some of the suggestions:

Middle Aged Barbie should (or could!) feature:

• Tuckshop lady arms
• Thinner hair
• Cellulite
• Varicose veins
• Frown lines, laugh lines, and other wrinkles
• Reading glasses
• Bunions
• Jowls and a turkey neck
• Sensible shoes
• Sunspots
• And a fan, for those annoying hot flushes!

Pinky bravely pointed out: Who would actually want to play with her?! My immediate comeback was “middle aged men”… but on further reflection, I loved creating “families” with my dolls when I was young, so a mature motherly – or even grandmotherly – figure, might just have a market after all!

The Case for Middle Aged Barbie

And when you think about it, making a middle aged Barbie is much more realistic. I mean, with all the careers she’s had, she surely must be middle aged. By the time most of us have reached 45, we’ve tried out a variety of jobs. Take my own example: I’ve been a checkout chick, a teacher, a librarian (okay, a library assistant), a receptionist, spent time in a call centre and at a jewellery store, as well as working as a party plan consultant, freelance writer, and now digital marketing!

Not to mention the fact that middle aged women as a demographic tend to have more disposable income than their younger counterparts, maybe because a lot of the expenses of home and family are behind them. This means they can indulge their desires to be fashionable – just like Barbie 😉 !

For now however, it will be interesting to see the sales performance of the new Barbie range. If you happen to be buying a Barbie anytime soon, can I encourage you to choose from the new range – because if sales are really good, we just might get our Middle Aged Barbie after all!

What do you think Middle Aged Barbie should look like?!