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Will Barbie Go Bald to Support the Fight Against Cancer?
January 26th, 2012
Photography from Beautiful and Bald Barbie! Facebook page
Barbie has tried almost everything over the years. She beat man to the moon and won an Olympic gold medal, yet there is one thing Barbie has not done: lose her famous blond locks. The introduction of a bald Barbie doll could be a reminder that bald is, in fact, beautiful.
Jane Bingham and Beckie Sypin created the Facebook page “Beautiful and Bald Barbie! Let’s see if we can get it made” in an effort to prompt Mattel, the makers of Barbie, to create a bald doll. Bingham lost her hair as a result of chemotherapy and says everyone has been touched by cancer in one way or another. Sypin’s daughter Kin lost her hair following treatment for leukemia.
According to Bingham, a bald doll could create awareness and provide a coping mechanism for young girls who have suffered from hair loss as a result of treatment, or due to illnesses such as alopecia and trichotillomania.
The group hopes to get Mattel’s attention with an online petition and by growing their audience on Facebook. The page has existed for only a month and already has more than 130,000 “likes.”
According to MSNBC.com the toymaker giant released the following statement about the campaign:
“We are honored that Jane Bingham and Beckie Sypin believe that Barbie could be the face of such an important cause. Mattel appreciates and respects the passion that has been built up for the request for a bald Barbie doll. As you might imagine, we receive hundreds of passionate requests for various dolls to be added to our collection. We take all of them seriously and are constantly exploring new and different dolls to be added to our line.”
No formal statement has been posted on the Mattel website.
Do you think Mattel should make a bald Barbie doll?
Copyright © 2012 St. Joseph Media. All Rights Reserved.