It looks like Barbie may be getting a realistic boyfriend.

“Nickolay Lamm, the creator of Lammily, the self-proclaimed realistic Barbie, has another challenge for Mattel: a realistic Ken doll,” Mashable reports. “Simply dubbed Boy Lammily, this average-proportioned doll takes a page from Lamm’s original creation, the Lammily doll, which became a viral sensation in 2013.”

We hope Lamm’s doll concept becomes a reality soon.

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The post Bye, Ken Doll—There’s a New, Average-Proportioned Male Doll in Town [Video] appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnFor as long as the Earth has turned, people have had lots of opinions about women and girls, and their bodies. This past week just drove the previous point home… hard.

Toward the end of January, a group of six teens visited the office of Washington state Representative Mary Dye (R). The visit was part of Planned Parenthood’s Teen Lobby Day. The meeting was supposed to go like this: the teens were going to pick Dye’s brain for a period of time and ask her some questions about health insurance and contraceptives; the teen lobbyists also “made a push for bills that would expand access to birth control,” Mic reports. Well, Lobby Day took a turn for the worse when Dye asked the group of teens if they were virgins.

Why did this politician think it was a good idea to ask a group of teens about their sexually active status? No one knows for sure, but all the teens who were present at the meeting agreed on one thing: Dye’s inquiry about their virginity was inappropriate and creepy.

Rachel Todd, the group’s supervisor and an education specialist for Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, says Dye’s comments were unsolicited. “After she made the statement about virginity, all of my teens looked at me,” Todd says. “And I said, ‘You don’t have to answer that. You don’t have to answer that.'”

After Dye asked the question, she offered the teens advice on “the empowerment of women and making good choices,” these were, apparently, opinions shaped by her mother and from her experience as a mother of three daughters, Mic reports.

Dye isn’t the first person to say something completely idiotic about young people’s virginity. Cultures around the world have been placing value on virginity for years and slut-shaming people — mostly girls — who don’t adhere to their purity standards.

While it is a bit shocking that a politician thought she could get away with shaming a group of teens, it’s not surprising that people — specifically men — think it’s okay to slut-shame their exes. Yeah, we’re going to talk about this whole Amber Rose, Kanye West beef. Sigh…

Amber Rose recently wrote a piece in Time about all the slut-shaming she’s received over the years. In Rose’s piece, she detailed how she’s been treated poorly for dating men, while her exes are lauded for bedding many women. “After my ex-husband Wiz Khalifa and I got a divorce, I’d go out for a date at a restaurant like any normal single human and people would say, ‘Man, she’s such a ho. She’s out at restaurants with guys.’ Then they would see my ex-husband with a bunch of women. They would say, ‘He’s the man! That’s so cool.’ So when I went on a date, I’m a whore, and when he’s piling girls in a car, he’s the man? There’s something wrong here,” Rose writes.

She also reflected on how she’s been shamed for working as a stripper:

“People would actually say things like, ‘Who would ever love you? You were a stripper. Why are you in relationships?’ And I used to feel like I had to explain that maybe it was because I’m a good person… I can’t talk to everyone and tell them who I really am. They’re still going to have their own opinions. If you know me, you love me. If you don’t know me, you might love me, but you might not – and that’s cool. And you know what? Now I sleep like a baby at night.”

Yeah, Rose isn’t like you and me, but being slut-shamed is awful no matter who you are, and it’s nice to see yet another woman have the guts to speak out and put trash talkers in their place.

Next up, Barbie’s new bodies.

You may be thinking, “what do slut-shaming and sexism have to do with new, body-diverse barbie?” Quite a lot, actually.

Just this past week, Mattel, Barbie’s corporate parents, unveiled a line of dolls called “Fashionistas.” The line includes three different Barbie body types, seven different skin tones, and Barbies with different hair and eye colors, too.

Yeah,  a doll isn’t going to stop people from pressuring women to look or dress a certain way, but it’s a pretty big deal that a large corporation that creates dolls for kids has finally, finally, decided to sell different sizes and shades of dolls that are, by and large, marketed to young girls.

“Despite her ridiculous proportions, the original Barbie, with her golden hair, svelte frame and tanned skin, is seen to be emblematic of the predominant beauty ideals in Western society,” Dazed Digital reports. “The introduction of variety means that young girls can now select their own perception of perfection; one which is far more relatable than the 56-year old icon of old.”

Agreed.

So, as far as we’re concerned, this is a step in a body positive, non-body shaming direction. Maybe we’re on course to a kinder future after all.

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Image of Barbie via Facebook

The post On Slut-Shaming, Sexual Politics, and Barbie: #NowWhat appeared first on EcoSalon.

Barbie may not be the most feminist-friendly toy of modern day, but she sure has come a long way from when she first stepped onto the toy scene. Sure, her looks are still unattainable, but at least the food restriction Barbie accessories are now off the market.

In 1963, Mattel, Barbie’s maker, released Barbie accessories sold under the name, “Slumber Party.” The accessories in this Barbie kit included a pink nightgown and pajamas, and some rollers. Also: A book.

“Nice, a book,” you may be thinking. Well, contain your joy and get ready for it to transform into rage. Deep, dark, rage. The book the Barbie accessories came with was titled, “How to Lose Weight.”

Barbie likes pink and food restriction! How lovely!

And the book’s advice? About as good as its title. The book advises Barbie: “Don’t eat!”

Well, that’s a lovely message. The “gotta lose weight Barbie” also came with another accessory: A pink bathroom scale set at 110 pounds. Messy Nessy Chic reminds us that Barbie is supposed to be about 5 foot 9 inches tall. So, that “weight goal” would make Barbie about 35 pounds underweight. Cool. (You can own this gross bit of toy nostalgia for $125.)

While Barbie has definitely come a long way from selling weight loss accessory kits, the doll is still irking people. Just recently, Pamela Ribon, author and screenwriter, discovered a book called “Barbie: I can be a Computer Engineer,” that was originally published in 2010. The book starts out good: Barbie is designing a game for kids! But then, disaster strikes and Barbie needs the help of her male friends to save her from disaster. The dialogue, reports by NPR, is as follows:

“‘I’m only creating the design ideas,’ Barbie says, laughing. ‘I’ll need Steven’s and Brian’s help to turn it into a real game.’

Barbie then gets a virus on the computer, which then infects another computer, and the boys wind up fixing it for her:

‘After class, Barbie meets with Steven and Brian in the library.

‘Hi, guys,’ says Barbie. ‘I tried to send you my designs, but I ended up crashing my laptop — and Skipper’s, too! I need to get back the lost files and repair both of our laptops.’

‘It will go faster if Brian and I help,’ offers Steven.’”

Barf.

Luckily, Mattel released an apology stating that this portrayal of Barbie doesn’t reflect the Brand’s idea of what Barbie stands for.

Here’s hoping that Barbie evolves more over the next few years.

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Break the Mold

Image: RomitaGirl67

The post Unfeminist Barbie: From Food Restriction to Female Incompetence appeared first on EcoSalon.

This week’s Link Love, we get a glimpse of what kids think of a ‘real’ Barbie doll, the Unravel project that takes apart sweaters, literally, a zero-waste restaurant, gorgeous men’s fashion and more!

You need to see these second graders handle the “normal” Barbie doll. [via Cosmopolitan]

Dutch artists unravel sweaters. It’s kinda freaky.  [via Ecouterre]

Chicago is home to an inspiring zero-waste restaurant. [via Eat Drink Better]

This new film exposes the cruel deportation of Mexican-Americans and what happens when they’re on the other side of the fence with nowhere to go. [via Exile Nation]

Our friends over at Modavanti have launched a gorgeous men’s collection, and it’s awesome. Perfect gift ideas too for the hard-to-buy-for men on your list. [via Modavanti]

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Link Love: Gorgeous Paris Fashion Week + Vegan Cheese Shop + DIY Skincare Recipes

 Image via Modavanti

The post Link Love: A ‘Normal’ Barbie + Unraveling Sweaters + Conscious Men’s Fashion appeared first on EcoSalon.

Dream all you want, you’re never going to live in Barbie’s eco-friendly mansion.

The winning design of the American Institute of Architects’ Barbie Dream House competition (really) is a four-story, eco-friendly Malibu mansion with pink sliding doors. Too bad Barbie and Jen (as in Aniston) are the only gals who can afford to live there.

The green manse features 1,500 square feet of entertaining space, an open chef’s kitchen, separate library and client-meeting room, an “inspiration room” floor, rooftop greenhouse, and a landscaped garden for her assortment of exotic pets. True, the last time we checked the giraffe on her lawn was listed as an endangered species, but not only is Barbie an architect you see, she’s evidently a world-renowned zoologist as well.

Philosophically speaking, 21^st century Barbie is like Lara Croft and Richard Branson rolled into one.

Barbie’s eco-manor also features solar panels, bamboo flooring, low-flow fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Recent Harvard grads Ting Li and Maja Paklar created the design, which is in line with the principles set forth by U.S. Green Building Council, while remaining “true to all the needs of a classic California girl,” the pair adds.

The AIA created the competition as a way of promoting Barbie’s latest career move on the glass escalator that is the “I Can Be…” series, which aims to inspire girls to be anything they want to be.

I can get behind that. Who knows? Had I owned the “I Can Be a Lifeguard” doll at age four, I might have passed my treading-water-with-a-brick test at age seventeen instead of sneaking behind the pool house for some ganja.

I Can Be…Pamela Anderson

If only I’d gotten that Leeza Gibbons face-and-body transplant. I could have been an entertainment news host.

I Can Be…On Entertainment Tonight

Applying myself in the biological sciences instead of the biology of my hormones could have led to an exciting career in veterinary medicine. How sexy is that frock?

I Can Be…a naughty nurse (but only if you want me to be)

Oh well, I’ll just have to settle for a job in a call center.

I Can Be…a telemarketer

Like George Constanza, I too have fostered fantasies of becoming an employable architect. Thanks to Barbie that dream is now a reality. I just need some chunky glasses, a construction hat, and a pretty hot-pink place to store my blueprints.

Landing a job might prove difficult, however, particularly if I showed up to a job interview looking like this:

Darn you, Beetlejuice! Back to the drafting table, kids. I wonder if Barbie’s princess charm school offers a PhD program.

Fortunately for California’s coast line, Barbie’s green dream house is not set to actually break ground, or plastic, ever. It was imagined for promotional purposes only. The concept though, is sweet and the house – if you’re a zoologist/movie star/media mogul – is viably sustainable.

Though, philosophically speaking again, Barbie’s got a few more eco pit-stops to go, like trading in her Vacation Glam Jet for a stay-cation.

Images: FastCo; Barbie; The Daily Mail

The post Barbie Dreams Big So You Can Too appeared first on EcoSalon.

QuoteDaily quotes at EcoSalon.

“I think they should have a Barbie with a buzz cut.”

– Ellen DeGeneres

Image: Tracheotomy Bob

The post Break the Mold appeared first on EcoSalon.

Badgley Mischka Red Carpet (2008)

As an international icon, Barbie has been lucky enough to have designers like Anna Sui, Diane Von Furstenberg and Derek Lam custom-create both lavish ball gowns and wardrobe essentials. I can only hope that of these hip designers, there will be one or two visionaries helping the immortalized Barbie evolve into something more substantial – if she has to be part of our toy line-up, at all.

In April 2010, Barbie will get another marketing stroke of genius (if not another revenue boost) when designers from the Toronto Fashion Incubator take part in the TFI New Labels Fashion Design Competition. Canadian’s women’s wear designers with less than three years experience will be given the task of creating and presenting 15 fashion looks in which three of them will be Barbie-inspired, little black dresses taken to new extremes.

Adriana Gut, Barbie Brand Manager of Mattel Canada says in a press release: “Our partnership with the Toronto Fashion Incubator further solidifies Barbie’s place in fashion. Her role within the program will celebrate the launch of Barbie Basics, a new line of dolls that invite girls of all ages to customize, personalize, and play based on the timeless fashion classic – the Little Black Dress!”

Judged by some of the most influential people in the fashion industry today, the winner will be presented with a $10,000 cash prize provided by Mattel Canada as well as a prize package valued at over $25,000 provided by ELLE Canada.

As iconic as the LBD is, how about making Barbie symbolize more than excess clothing and unattainable beauty, Mattel?

Why not commission the same TFI designers to create sustainable garb for the almost 51-years-old Babs?

Some might say eco just isn’t in line with who Barbie is, with her made-in-China ideals. Maybe Barbie is too old for green, stuck in her baby boomer ways.

According to the Toronto Fashion Incubator’s site, TFI New Labels® is a national design competition for apparel designers looking to make it in Canada’s fashion industry.

“We are tickled pink to partner with the makers of the most iconic fashion doll in history,” says Susan Langdon, Executive Director of TFI.

Image: Toronto Fashion Incubator

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