Monday, August 28, 2023

Mexican Barbie (Frida) banned in Mexico

Antonia Cereijido, The Breakdown, LatinoUSA.org, July 6, 2018; Crystal Quintero, Ashley Wells, CC Liu, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly



I don't know how I feel about my doll's brows
Given all the hoopla about the Barbie movie, NPR put together a great biographical sketch of the Jewish woman who invented the doll and built up the brand for Mattel Corporation. Her daughter was Babs (Barbara). There are many insights in the program, the biggest being that the original prototype was based on a sexy German doll sold to men based on
Bild's Lilli comic strip. (Then there was that story we uncovered recently that Hitler wanted to provide Nazi sex dolls for German soldiers to keep them from contracting venereal diseases/STD/STIs from prostitutes).

AUDIO: Artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in their own words (Latino USA)
Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo dolls?
One International Women’s Day (March 8th), Mattel announced its new “Inspiring Women Series,” which featured Barbie dolls made in the image of accomplished women like director Ava DuVernay and pilot Amelia Earheart.

But the doll that was featured most prominently on Mattel’s promotional images and whose face looms largest on the home page for the new series is a doll inspired by the late Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (July 6, 1907–July 13, 1954).
Barbie awoke by contemplating her mortality/death
Would-be "Mexican Barbies" can spend eternity in vanity pink coffins.
There are many "Mexican Barbies" on the market (Amazon, eBay...)


Salma Hayek goes gay for role as Frida K.
Mattel states on its website that “Barbie is committed to shining a light on empowering role models past and present in an effort to inspire more girls.”

But many found the selection of German-Mexican, radical, bisexual, body-dysmorphic, early feminist Frida Kahlo not only uninspiring but downright offensive.

Stories to celebrate Frida Kahlo's birthday
An acclaimed author tweeted: "Sorry but I Have Big Feelings about queer, disabled, Marxist Frida Kahlo, who spent her life rejecting whiteness, [North] America, and commodified femininity, getting turned into a damn barbie doll. — Summer Brennan (@summerbrennan) March 18, 2018.

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