Last month, Mattel introduced Entrepreneur Barbie as part of its “You Can Be” line. The release sparked controversy, with many criticizing the doll’s representation of female entrepreneurs. With a bright pink dress, tablet, and smart phone, Entrepreneur Barbie follows the traditional Barbie dress code. Critics say that no woman would walk into a meeting looking like that, and the tablet and smart phone do not specifically represent an entrepreneur anymore than any other profession.
Many complain that Entrepreneur Barbie is confined by those overtly feminine qualities, the tight pink dress and high heels, that have always defined Barbie. She doesn’t come with any information about the interesting distinction of “entrepreneur,” or show how women can be both an entrepreneur and a doctor or a photographer too.
But what does a female entrepreneur actually look like? Doctors have stethoscopes and photographers have cameras, but what accessory could bind entrepreneurs so universally? Nothing comes to mind, and that’s the point. The “you can do anything” mentality should reflect how doing what you want and being what you want means that there is no universal image. Entrepreneurship encapsulates so many different professional categories that it’s impossible to show a standard model, particularly through a doll.
Mattel is making an effort to show new and different careers for Barbie. Mattel spokeswoman Michelle Chidoni spoke with CNNMoney saying, “we always try to make career Barbie a reflection of the times,” and how female entrepreneurs are more common today. We want our children to know women can be entrepreneurs, so why not have an Entrepreneur Barbie? And as it is so difficult to describe one version of a female entrepreneur, how do we expect Mattel to create a universal image?
The image of Entrepreneur Barbie actually fits well with my vision of my entrepreneurial self. As a prospective student visiting colleges, I always had distaste for Greek life. The stereotype of Elle Woods in the film Legally Blonde led me to resent pink pantsuits and the sorority girl image. But somewhere along the line, I realized that maybe sororities weren’t so bad, and that I actually liked pink pantsuits. The media was too heavily influencing how I viewed my role as a career-driven woman, and I finally recognized this.
In 2009 when Vogue first profiled Marissa Mayer, now President and CEO of Yahoo!, I loved seeing a powerful businesswoman in fashionable clothing that represented how I wanted to look. She was a real person and I related to how she presented herself. Perhaps we should be asking why Entrepreneur Barbie can’t wear a bright pink dress and rock the client meeting.
Unfortunately, I don’t see myself walking into a meeting with a potential client looking like Entrepreneur Barbie. As a young woman early in her career, I want to be taken seriously, and Barbie’s outfit doesn’t convey the kind of professionalism that many people expect. But one day, I hope to define my vision of an entrepreneur however I want, pink pantsuit and all.
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Elizabeth McCumber, marketing maven and freelance writer, focuses on providing quality creative content for entrepreneurs. She also specializes in email marketing and social media planning. Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn.
