This week toy maker Mattel has introduced the world to "Autistic Barbie". The latest in a line of the classic doll's attempts to aim for more inclusion and representation which have already produced Barbie with Type 1 diabetes and Barbie with Down syndrome.
According to the link above going to the Fox News story about it, Autistic Barbie "includes articulated elbows and wrists to allow for movements such as hand flapping and other gestures used for sensory regulation or expression." Barbie's eyes are "positioned with a slightly averted gaze, reflecting how some people on the autism spectrum may avoid eye contact." Autistic Barbie includes a fidget spinner (that really spins), noise cancelling headphones, and a pink tablet displaying symbol-based apps to help with communication.
Okay, I have no problem with Barbie depicting autism. It's a condition that millions of people, including not a few children, have to live with. If little girls might benefit from a doll that is "just like them" then I'm all for it.
But I'm also thinking that maybe we need even more diversity in Barbie. And hey, there are a lot of grown-ups who also collect the dolls. I think some of them could appreciate a bit more variety also, reflecting on who they are.
So here's my idea... and Mattel is free to run with it, I hereby revoke my claims to it if they want to use this... for Bipolar Barbie. Yes, I think that Barbie as a manic depressive should be next. She could have a wild crazed look in her eyes, disheveled hair, legs that won't stop moving, four or five bottles of medication, pale skin from not getting outside in the sun...
Maybe having bipolar disorder could explain all the accessories that Barbie has. I mean, reckless spending is a common characteristic of those with manic depression. It also leads to delusional thinking (didn't Barbie claim to be an astronaut once?).
I'm only suggesting that of which I know firsthand as a real-life manic depressive. Awww c'mon, I have to laugh a little 😛
2 comments:
Chris, I like how you have a legitimate mental illness but you're not afraid to laugh about it. Maybe you will never 100% conquer bipolar disorder but you have certainly come to rise above it and inspire others with your story. Thank you for daring to bare your heart and soul and letting us laugh with you. You are making a difference in this world.
If I wasn't able to laugh about it, and get other people to laugh about it, I really would go crazy. Bipolar disorder is my biggest demon, so I do what I can to ridicule it. It keeps it from having that much more control over me. It also means that nobody will ever be able to hold it against me, that I have a mental illness.
That doesn't mean that I *don't* take bipolar disorder seriously, because I really do. I have no choice but to make my mental health the biggest priority of my earthly existence. As long as I live this will be something that will threaten me. There is no avoiding that. But I learned a long time ago that the best way to take life seriously, is to not take it *too* seriously. Disease falls under that umbrella too.
If I were to be diagnosed with terminal cancer, I like to think that I would still be finding some way to laugh about it. Now let's hope and pray that that DOESN'T happen! But I think that says something about how far in my faith I have come.
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