First autistic Barbie doll launched with sensory-sensitive features

[WhitewaterWoman]

When I was a child we always had more than one Barbie, although there wasn’t much choice in style. All white. I think there were different hair colors. And you had a Ken to throw in, but he wasn’t very interesting.

I know I played with and acted out various scenarios by myself and with playmates.

With a variety of types of Barbies, the addition of an autistic one in group play could be supportive and helpful. Or it might mean scenarios where the other Barbies were mean and bullying the autistic Barbie. The latter is what I would fear.

 

[Judge]

Or it might mean scenarios where the other Barbies were mean and bullying the autistic Barbie. The latter is what I would fear.

Never even considered that possibility. But then so many of us are acutely aware of how cruel kids can be at times as well. A heartbreaking thought, but a real possibility.

 

[thejuice]

I think it's realistic to be a cynic when it comes to the motivations of fat cats. They don't have any social values at that level of the market, they can't afford to, there is dizzying amounts of investment at stake, so they go whichever way the wind blows.
For instance a lot of queer representation in recent movies is made to be easily clipped out for the Chinese market. The bottom line rules, stubborn ideologues tend to go bankrupt.

So corporate pandering is downstream of changes in the cultural zeitgeist but it might at least reinforce those changes, demonstrating that a tolerance of difference is 'normal'. This legitimisation by 'popular culture' might encourage more grass roots attempts at progressive change in a continuous, unintended feedback loop.

If this autistic Barbie proves successful in the long term, which isn't guaranteed at all, it will encourage other corporations to try to woo neurodivergent people with performative flattery. However the market has little growth potential because Its unlikely to be bought by neurotypical kids, dolls tend to be aspirational. Profit sustainability requires more diagnoses of neurodivergent kids wanting to explore their identity through their toys.