Mattel Releases Gender Neutral Dolls

“Toy company Mattel on Wednesday launched a new line of dolls that are ‘gender inclusive’ because, you know, kids everywhere are demanding them. Called ‘Creatable World,’ the line allows children to interchange hair, clothes, and accessories on the dolls--meaning they can be both male and female. ‘We see this line as an opportunity for us to open up that dialogue around what dolls are for and who dolls are for,’ said Kim Culmone, senior vice president of Mattel Fashion Doll Design. ‘And also as the world begins to the celebrate the positive impact of inclusivity, we absolutely fundamentally believed it was time to launch a doll line free of labels and free of rules for kids.’ The company touted the new product on Twitter, linking to a story by Time magazine, ‘A Doll for Everyone,’ Sept. 25, 2019: ‘Mattel’s first promotional spot for the $29.99 product features a series of kids who go by various pronouns--him, her, them, xem--and the slogan, “A doll line designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in.”’ With this overt nod to trans and nonbinary identities, the company is betting on where it thinks the country is going, even if it means alienating a substantial portion of the population. A Pew Research survey conducted in 2017 showed that while 76% of the public supports parents’ steering girls to toys and activities traditionally associated with boys, only 64% endorse steering boys toward toys and activities associated with girls.’”

​“Woke Barbie,” Dailywire.com, Sept. 25, 2019

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