One of our Chocolate Fairies' friends posted this picture on Facebook today and a an interesting story about it.
Antia Roddick used this little doll, whom she called Ruby, in her shops back in 1998 as part of her self esteem campaign. Brilliant. Mattel came down on her, insisting she remove the dolls from her US shop windows as they made Barbie look bad, sounds like she took it personally, poor Barbie... You can read more about it here - a post by Anita Roddick in 2001.
I wish more dolls looked like Ruby. I certainly look far more like her than Barbie. Don't we all? After all, as Roddick herself wrote "There are 8 billion women who don't look like supermodels and only 8 who do".
Do you know anyone who looks like Barbie? Do you know anyone who looks like Ruby? Time to celebrate the 8 million.
How would your life be different today if more of the dolls you had played with as a little girl had looked like Ruby? And not just Ruby but all shapes, sizes and colours. Dolls that look like real women.
How would your life be different if more of the images you saw all around you in the media looked like Ruby and like you, whatever shape and size you are?
How would your life be different?
Time to celebrate all the Rubys and all of us!
Wow! I don't remember Ruby, but I agree totally - that's far closer to my experience of what women look like than Barbie ever could be. Unfortunately, Barbie (and the fashion industry) is a multi-billion pound global business with its own interests to protect and the cash and lawyers to protect it with. I would certainly like to see more Ruby Dolls available for girls and boys to play with and Down With Barbie!
ReplyDeleteI need a pear shaped doll, please. I'll call her Stacie.
ReplyDeletehoorah a doll that is real , i think you need to sell them so why can buy them for our children!!!!
ReplyDeleteI remember Ruby! I didn't realise that Mattel told Anita Roddick to take her down because of Barbie, though. Boo! Time to stop buying Mattel products if you're a parent. Vote with your feet. As for me, I definitely look like Ruby, so there, Mattel.
ReplyDeleteSharon, Bristol