The makers of Barbie games have worked hard to find ways to market the dolls in a casual, almost innocent way. The Barbie games feature the tall blonde bombshell with the tiny waist and large chest, but somehow her sexuality has been played way down. It might be that the world is simply a changing place and that today what we consider sexy and bold isn’t necessarily the same thing that caused a stir when the blonde doll was introduced, but I think it has to do more with some very clever marketing on the part of Mattel, the maker of the Barbie games.
Mattel is careful to position the Barbie games in an innocent light because the company is no longer marketing to grade school girls. Those girls are too savvy and world-wise to be interested in dressing up plastic dolls (although they have been known to play with the dress up games online.) The Barbie games are now being marketed to younger girls. Without asking Mattel, it’s reasonably clear that the Barbie games are being sold to preschoolers – three and four-year-olds more than anything else. Why else would most of the Barbies be princess or pop culture characters popular with this crowd?
No comments:
Post a Comment