Latest news with #DiabetesBarbie
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Woke Barbie gets real: Diversity, disease and a doll for our times
Barbie's latest iteration brings diabetes awareness into children's playrooms. The new Barbie has been designed in partnership with the global type 1 diabetes not-for-profit Breakthrough T1D. Picture: Mattel / AFP Once upon a time (the '60s), when, for many white people anyway, life was a gleaming, whirling globe of consumerism, Barbie dolls were skinny, white and blonde; California beach babes. Then, because all girls need to be behind a good man, along came Ken, also white, fit and tanned. But not enough to take over Barbie's world, because he was just an extra in that fabulous screenplay. As the world became more aware of injustices (got woke), Barbie started to show some diversity, too… in skin tones and then in body shapes which were more realistic than her supermodel look. ALSO READ: Labubu Mania: The monster doll taking the world by storm Now, have we reached the ultimate in political correctness with Diabetes Barbie? The doll comes equipped with an insulin monitoring device and a phone which tracks her blood sugar levels. Maybe. But, let's not be so quick to poke fun at a cultural icon who is moving with the times. By highlighting a disease that is so prevalent in society, this Barbie can help educate young people and not only equip them to assist in an emergency, but also to have empathy with the sufferers. Maybe it's no bad thing to sell our children the ideal of helping others, rather than aiming for a vacuous, consumerist life. NOW READ: 'We're all puppets': Q&A with Chester Missing
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Barbie with type 1 diabetes, glucose monitor launched by Mattel. Check features, images
Barbie Doll has been introduced in first-ever Type 1 Diabetes avatar with a glucose monitor by Mattel. Barbie -- with her tiny waist, long legs and eternally slender physique -- has long looked the same. Now she proudly displays her insulin pump, while wearing a polka-dotted outfit that matches her blue high-heeled boots and blue purse. She also has a pink continuous glucose monitor on her arm. The medical equipment is accurate and the fabric print -- blue circles -- is a global symbol of diabetes awareness. The company released the Barbie with Breakthrough T1D, an advocacy and research organization with the goal of finding a cure for diabetes. Why is this Diabetes Barbie? Over at least the last couple of decades, Mattel has responded to criticism of its unrealistic beauty standards by creating dolls that reflect a wider segment of society. The company continued that push with its newest doll: Barbie with Type 1 diabetes. Tens of millions of Americans have some form of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all. Unlike Type 2 diabetes, which usually emerges slowly in adulthood and can sometimes be reversed early on with exercise and dietary changes, Type 1 often strikes in childhood or adolescence. Agencies Source: Live Events Managing diabetes can be difficult. People with the disease have to monitor sugar levels and inject insulin around the clock. It can also lead to complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney damage and the possibility of losing a limb to amputation. On TikTok and Instagram, some users with Type 1 diabetes expressed their joy with the new Barbie, some sharing emotional posts about seeing their disease represented. Evolution of Barbie Doll Barbie, one of the most successful dolls of all time, was criticized for a period in the early 2000s as other companies started to manufacture more diverse and inclusive dolls while she continued to look roughly the same as her 1959 self. In 2010, the company apologized for a book about Barbie and computers that critics said was sexist. Since then, the company has worked to reinvent Barbie. Agencies The newest Barbie is part of Mattel's Fashionistas line, which the company has called its "most diverse doll line." Last year, Mattel introduced a blind Barbie, who has a red-and-white cane with a marshmallow roller tip and sunglasses suited for light-sensitive eyes. In 2019, Mattel released a Barbie in a wheelchair and a Barbie with a prosthetic limb. Other dolls in the Fashionistas line include a Barbie with Down syndrome, a Barbie with hearing aids, a bald Barbie, a Barbie with a skin condition and Barbies with different hair types and body shapes. FAQs Q1. What is the name of Hollywood movie based on Barbie? A1. And in 2023, Barbie's favorite color -- bright pink, obviously -- catapulted back to the center of popular culture with the release of "Barbie," the movie directed by Greta Gerwig that earned $1.4 billion worldwide. Q2. Who manufactures Barbie doll? A2. Mattel manufactures the Barbie doll.
