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Critics: New Black Barbie Not Black Enough
But fans say black women come in all 'shades, shapes, varieties'
By Rob Quinn
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Posted Oct 22, 09 2:27 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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Mattel's new black Barbie dolls are more than just white dolls with a paint job—which is what the toy company tried last time. But some critics still say Mattel hasn't gone far enough. The trio of Barbies have features like fuller lips and wider noses, but some complain that the dolls' hair is too straight and too long, and suggest that the toy company should have come up with more natural black hairstyles instead.
Others cheer the new dolls, created by an African-American designer who decided her daughter should have a doll that looked more like her. "Many people have criticized the dolls for either having hair that's too long or too straight, but I have long, straight hair that I straighten. It's my hair and a part of me," one woman told CNN. "Black women come in all shades, shapes and varieties that there is just no way to capture everyone with three dolls."