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Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids

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Re: Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids

#11

Post by DoreenMichele »

Mo3 wrote: post #7
edflsafoiewq wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Other dolls in the new Fashionistas collection include a Ken doll with vitiligo, a condition in which the skin loses its pigment cells, causing it to appear blotchy. The line also includes a doll with a prosthetic leg, a Barbie who uses a wheelchair, and male dolls that are less muscular than the original Ken doll.

Sounds like sales declining and not being able to think straight in the panic

I doubt that.

Underrepresented people have this relatively new platform called the internet that helps them find their voice and be heard by other people, sometimes even if just shit posting and doing some variation of "drunk dialing." I'm guessing that's a factor here.

Re: Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids

#12

Post by glouwbug »

mcaravey wrote: post #8
glouwbug wrote: post #2

I long for the day that Earpods become hearing aids

Apple AirPods can behave a bit like a hearing aid. You can use the Live Listen feature on an iPhone to get an idea [0]. I’ve got a modern set of hearing aids that I actually ordered last week. They have Bluetooth built in, so they will actually function as earbuds themselves, allowing me to answer calls or listen to music and so on. So the reverse is already happening where the hearing aid acts as headphones. One las…

Don't hearing aids have to be FDA approved? There's a huge potential for something like an Earpod to gain advanced hearing capabilities. The medical powers that be, however, just regulate the market

Re: Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids

#13

Post by obilgic »

vestrigi wrote: post #9

Still waiting for the first Barbie with an average face. But I guess as the manufacturer of pretty dolls, it’s impossible to satisfy all of those demands.

average as in not very pretty? so you have a definition of pretty and you are okay with it being the standard however just want an average faced doll?

I wouldn't consider myself very knowledgable such as topics like these, so just curious about what the thinking is behind it.

Re: Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids

#14

Post by kiawe_fire »

There’s an undeniable appeal with toys like these as a means to normalize and explore the world around you freely in miniaturized and simplified form.

So I hope the appeal of toys like these extends beyond just “seeing myself represented” - ideally, kids get to play with a variety of likenesses beyond just “the one that looks like me”.

(Aside: the final paragraph of the article is 100% unnecessary, corporate virtue signaling, with no relation to anything else in the article aside from being Barbie related.)

Re: Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids

#15

Post by the_af »

kiawe_fire wrote: post #14

There’s an undeniable appeal with toys like these as a means to normalize and explore the world around you freely in miniaturized and simplified form. So I hope the appeal of toys like these extends beyond just “seeing myself represented” - ideally, kids get to play with a variety of likenesses beyond just “the one that looks like me”. (Aside: the final paragraph of the article is 100% unnecessary, corporate virtue s…

They claim the goal is both for the kids to see themselves represented but also to pick some toys that do not resemble them.

Re: Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids

#16

Post by the_af »

obilgic wrote: post #13
vestrigi wrote: post #9

Still waiting for the first Barbie with an average face. But I guess as the manufacturer of pretty dolls, it’s impossible to satisfy all of those demands.

average as in not very pretty? so you have a definition of pretty and you are okay with it being the standard however just want an average faced doll? I wouldn't consider myself very knowledgable such as topics like these, so just curious about what the thinking is behind it.

I think the parent poster means Barbie dolls that look more like regular people. Classic Barbie looks like a model.

Re: Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids

#17

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 »

obilgic wrote: post #13
vestrigi wrote: post #9

Still waiting for the first Barbie with an average face. But I guess as the manufacturer of pretty dolls, it’s impossible to satisfy all of those demands.

average as in not very pretty? so you have a definition of pretty and you are okay with it being the standard however just want an average faced doll? I wouldn't consider myself very knowledgable such as topics like these, so just curious about what the thinking is behind it.

I don't understand their comment. "Average" women are pretty imo. Do they mean below average?

Re: Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids

#18

Post by calculatte »

DoreenMichele wrote: post #11
Mo3 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like sales declining and not being able to think straight in the panic

I doubt that. Underrepresented people have this relatively new platform called the internet that helps them find their voice and be heard by other people, sometimes even if just shit posting and doing some variation of "drunk dialing." I'm guessing that's a factor here.

Yes, I also only consume products that reflect my particular stereotype. If you want my dollar, you'd better feature a fat bald guy who sits in an office chair 14 hours per day shitposting on reddit.

I shall be waiting for the Barbie doll announcement.

Re: Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids

#19

Post by the_af »

Mo3 wrote: post #7
edflsafoiewq wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Other dolls in the new Fashionistas collection include a Ken doll with vitiligo, a condition in which the skin loses its pigment cells, causing it to appear blotchy. The line also includes a doll with a prosthetic leg, a Barbie who uses a wheelchair, and male dolls that are less muscular than the original Ken doll.

Sounds like sales declining and not being able to think straight in the panic

Regardless of Mattel's motives, your comment seems to imply you think this decision is a mistake ("not being able to think straight"). Why?

Re: Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids

#20

Post by DoreenMichele »

kiawe_fire wrote: post #14

There’s an undeniable appeal with toys like these as a means to normalize and explore the world around you freely in miniaturized and simplified form. So I hope the appeal of toys like these extends beyond just “seeing myself represented” - ideally, kids get to play with a variety of likenesses beyond just “the one that looks like me”. (Aside: the final paragraph of the article is 100% unnecessary, corporate virtue s…

I'm guessing that you hear a lot more complaints from marginalized people who can't find representation of people like them than you do privileged people whining about a lack of representation of people unlike them.

But it's certainly equally important to have both.

Edit: I mean both outcomes: people able to find dolls like them and people able to play with diverse dolls.

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