Women lobby for bald Barbie in support of children with cancer

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By CHRISTINA REXRODE Associated Press
Published: 1/15/2012 2:05 AM
Last Modified: 1/15/2012 3:34 AM

NEW YORK - Barbie has been an astronaut, an architect, a NASCAR driver and a news anchor.

Now,, there's an online movement to get her to attempt what could be her biggest feat yet: going bald to fight cancer.

A Facebook page titled "Beautiful and Bald Barbie! Let's see if we can get it made" was started a few days before Christmas. By Friday afternoon, the page had more than 94,000 fans. The goal is to get toy maker Mattel Inc. to create a bald Barbie in support of children with cancer.

Friends Rebecca Sypin and Jane Bingham, who live on opposite coasts but have both been affected by the disease, hatched the idea to use Barbie for the movement because she's such a popular children's toy.

Bingham has lost her hair due to chemotherapy treatments to treat lymphoma. Sypin's 12-year-old daughter, Kin Inich, also lost her hair this year in her own battle with leukemia.

"We're not demanding that the company do anything," Sypin said Wednesday. "We're just hoping somebody sees this and can help us make it happen."

Mattel didn't return calls on Wednesday seeking comment, but the women said they have contacted the company through some general form letters. In return, they said, they've received form letters that say Mattel doesn't accept ideas from outside sources.

The women say a bald Barbie would provide a huge platform to raise awareness for children with cancer.

Barbie is one of the best-known toys of all time. She can sell for $10 at Walmart or $7,000 on eBay.

Barbie also has taken on all sorts of incarnations throughout her nearly 53 years of existence. There's been an elegant Grace Kelly Barbie, a Barbie in thigh-high pink boots, a tattooed Barbie, a pregnant Barbie friend and another Barbie friend in a wheelchair.

But Barbie has also been dissed for not being as socially responsible as she could be. She's best known for her curves, which long have sparked complaints that say she imposes an unachievable physical standard. She also was lambasted when a talking version uttered an exclamation about math class being hard.

The friends who started the "Beautiful and Bald Barbie" movement aren't natural activists. Sypin, 32, is a special-education teacher's aide in Lancaster, Calif. Bingham, 41, is a photographer in Sewell, N.J.

Overall, Sypin said she's been pleased with the response to the Facebook page. For instance, one fan of the page wrote of Mattel: "If they are making dolls that are inspiring young girls with careers then why not make a doll that would inspire young girls who are dealing with cancer."

The movement has its critics, too. Some people have told the women to just take a normal Barbie and shave her hair off. Bingham posted photos where she did just that - resulting in patchy, unattractive clumps on Barbie's head. She also posted digitally doctored pictures of a bald Barbie to show how beautiful the doll could be.

And to people who say that it makes more sense to just donate to cancer research rather than to buy a bald Barbie?

"A lot of these people wouldn't have even thought about doing that without this movement," Bingham said.



I hope Mattel takes notice!

Message edited 1/16/2012 10:56:00 PM.

Re: Women lobby for bald Barbie in support of children with cancer

I am sorry, but ALL she needs to do is take any Barbie and pluck her hair out! How hard is that? No need to create a separate doll...

Re: Women lobby for bald Barbie in support of children with cancer

Re: Women lobby for bald Barbie in support of children with cancer

Re: Women lobby for bald Barbie in support of children with cancer

Re: Women lobby for bald Barbie in support of children with cancer

Posted by headoverheels

Posted by WhatNow

I am sorry, but ALL she needs to do is take any Barbie and pluck her hair out! How hard is that? No need to create a separate doll...

Yes, because playing with a Barbie whose head is full of holes is SO appealing and realistic

Re: Women lobby for bald Barbie in support of children with cancer

Posted by WhatNow

Posted by MsSissy

Posted by WhatNow

I am sorry, but ALL she needs to do is take any Barbie and pluck her hair out! How hard is that? No need to create a separate doll...

I guess you can say that about all Barbies.

Why make a pregnant one. Just throw a cotton ball up her shirt.

Why make a Holiday Barbie. Just sell some pretty dresses.

And I'm sorry, but plucking her hair out isn't quite the same thing as having a Beautiful Bald Barbie that a child could relate to.

THERE IS A PREGNANT BARBIE????

Message edited 1/16/2012 11:52:34 PM.

Re: Women lobby for bald Barbie in support of children with cancer

Posted by MsSissy

Posted by WhatNow

Posted by MsSissy

Posted by WhatNow

I am sorry, but ALL she needs to do is take any Barbie and pluck her hair out! How hard is that? No need to create a separate doll...

I guess you can say that about all Barbies.

Why make a pregnant one. Just throw a cotton ball up her shirt.

Why make a Holiday Barbie. Just sell some pretty dresses.

And I'm sorry, but plucking her hair out isn't quite the same thing as having a Beautiful Bald Barbie that a child could relate to.

THERE IS A PREGNANT BARBIE????

Well it's really her friend Midge. But it's still part of Barbie world.

Midge

IMAGE

Re: Women lobby for bald Barbie in support of children with cancer

Re: Women lobby for bald Barbie in support of children with cancer

Can't say that I support it. In terms of marketing, I don't think manufacturing a dolls like that would sell. I don't they sell Becky anymore (the one in the wheelchair).

I get it's a nice to have kind of thing but I would think the appeal of playing with Barbie dolls is that kids can step away from their reality (including their reality of cancer) & play.

Also anyone who cut Barbie's hair knows that it never grows back versus the child with cancer whose hair does grow in.

Re: Women lobby for bald Barbie in support of children with cancer

Meh... I think there are better ways. I'm bald and a bald Barbie doesn't appeal to me.

This does remind me of a funny post that I saw on another site:

Breast Cancer Barbie Doll





From the new photos you can see that Barbie has gained weight considerably, predominantly in the hips, ass and pouch area. She is sporting a paper "modesty vest" and two drains and a gauze wrap tube-top bandage. She also has her lymphedema wrap, IV drip, port, and has had some blood work done.

Her toe nails and finger nails are unfortunately turning black and there is some concern that she may loose a nail or two. She is leery of going to far away from the toilet, can't remember if she took her pills today and is depressed that she doesn't have ovaries and can't have a baby.
She also found out that Ken cheated on her with a lady cop and that he's a coke head. Her path report is looking OK but the bills are piling up and she is too sick to work, but has to keep working to keep medical insurance. Hot flashes are keeping her up all night and she wonders if she should call her old flame GI Joe when he comes home on leave from Iraq- but will he still want her?

Her sex drive is gone, she's scarred-up and bald and twenty pounds over weight. Her body hurts, she feels as if she is loosing her mind, she doesn't want to go anywhere or do anything. Yelled at Skipper for asking her if she wanted to go the Town House this weekend for a party, then cried afterwards. Drove pink Corvette to Jack in the Box for drive through burgers and a chocolate shake for dinner. Staying in tonight and watching trashy movies by self. Thank goodness she has a cat and the YSC for support.

The above is extracted from a posting by a fellow breast cancer survivor, Linnea, from the YSC booard. Its funny, its relistic. Only problem is, Barbie shouldn't be smiling so much since she had threw up her entire lunch.