Mattel Releases New Male Barbie To Inspire Girls To Imagine Holding Highest Leadership Positions

(TheOnion) EL SEGUNDO, CA―In a continued effort to make its iconic line of dolls more representative of today’s culture, Mattel announced the release Friday of its first male Barbie, which it hopes will inspire girls to dream about what it’s like to hold a top-ranking job in the workforce.

According to a press release from the toy manufacturer, the 12-inch-tall male figurine comes with a bespoke gray suit, polished black wingtips, and a plush leather chair, allowing girls to pretend that they too might one day be able to reach a powerful executive position in whatever profession they choose.

“When young girls play with Barbie, we don’t want there to be any limits on what they can imagine possible, and that’s exactly why we created the first-ever male version of the doll,” said Mattel CEO Christopher Sinclair, noting that while previous Barbies have served to model various careers for girls, none has let them picture what it’s like to rise to the highest rung of any field they choose. “With this new Barbie, girls can make-believe they’re the one who actually calls the shots, whether they’re pretending to lead a major corporate merger, direct a hot startup in Silicon Valley, or oversee a well-funded research lab.”

Added Sinclair, “Girls who play with this doll can finally imagine what it’s like at the very pinnacle of the business, financial, legal, tech, media, political, academic, military, and entertainment sectors.”


Top officials at Mattel told reporters that the latest version of the doll will encourage girls to “take their imagination to new heights” by making up stories in which they receive a salary commensurate with the work they do, get put on a fast track to an executive-level position, don’t have to worry about missing out on a big career opportunity due to a pregnancy, are perceived as competent by their coworkers, and have their ideas taken seriously. (Full Story)