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Comment by TallGuy on February 8, 2013 at 1:29pm

Wanted to add one thought...

If you get the chance - head over to google and do an image search for "beauty"...

This is the message kids pick up on, from the time they are really small.

Growing up different from your enviromental norm is rough, but it doesn't have to suck.

Learning from a young age it's "normal" to be different, to accept different, to celebrate different however it's presented is a positive step in accepting yourself.

This toy isn't some magic bullet, regardless who it's targeted at, how it's packaged, or how they get it... but if it helps parents teach their kids, or kids adjust to whats going to be their reality for a long long time.... shoot, I'm glad they put it out there.

Comment by Margaret Brennan on February 8, 2013 at 1:01pm

here is the response I received from Mattel today:

Thank you for taking the time to share your story with us.

We are exclusively donating the Ella, Friend of Barbie dolls to children's hospitals and other hospitals treating children with cancer and hair loss throughout the U.S. and Canada. The doll was created with the intent to inspire girls dealing with hair loss and thus we have opted to not sell the dolls through any retail outlet.

Mattel has partnered with the Children's Hospital Association, with whom we have had a long standing relationship, as well as hospitals in the CureSearch for Children's Cancer network to reach additional children's cancer facilities. A donation of the dolls has also been made to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. We are trusting in these esteemed organizations to distribute these special dolls directly into the hands of children immediately affected and are unable to fulfill individual requests. We're sorry for any disappointment this may cause your family.

For more information on the hospitals in your area associated with these organizations we suggest you visit the organizations websites listed below.

Children's Hospital Association: http://www.childrenshospitals.org/
Cure Search for Children's Cancer: http://www.curesearch.org/
National Alopecia Areata Foundation: http://www.naaf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BarbiesBaldFriend

Alicia D.
Mattel Consumer Relations

Comment by baldisnotbeautiful on February 8, 2013 at 10:27am

I can't stand Barbie dolls! When I was a kid my microscope was the best entertainment ever!

Comment by Nani on February 7, 2013 at 11:27am

I think many are viewing this from a view point of adults. Like you I have AA and I can see your points. On the other hand I have also worked with cancer patients, even children. When the Barbie Ella movement began the kids in onc were so excited. All wondering if the dolls would have wigs like them and if they would be pretty and fun. Also, these are available to hospitals and organizations all over the world. Many believe that by mainstreaming them in stores retracts from their value to the people they go to. Little girls. They are free to them from many different avenues. My clinic has forms for them too and shared them with the local pediatric clinics so they could catch those kids as well.

Basically I don't think the kids are going to care as much as you do if Ella comes with a wig or its already on her head. They are just happy to have a doll that represents them.

Comment by civilizedsavage on February 7, 2013 at 2:24am

The whole Facebook movement of this revolved around a "cancer friendly" Barbie with only a few folks calling out here and there that cancer is not the only reason people lose their hair. Yes, certainly, you will have people pissed off that she is not a He or not Native American, or Black or Pakistani, etc. but to package the doll with HAIR ON ITS HEAD?!?! Why even bother...seriously.

Their bad, they could have made a fortune on wigs and head scarves like I spend my money on. *two middle fingers @ Mattel*

Comment by Dominique Cleopatra on February 7, 2013 at 1:16am

I used to just rip-out my Barbies' (and troll dolls' fuzzy hair- yes I'm a child of the '80s) and I didn't even have alopecia at the time. Then I wondered why no one wanted to buy them at a garage sale LOL! Seriously. if this "issue" is your biggest concern, you must be the luckiest people on the planet ...

Comment by Sheena Tha Cody on February 6, 2013 at 11:03pm

Is a kid i had hair just had a few bald patches at different times and was devastated by them i did everything i could to hide them and i got really good at it. My favorite thing to do with my barbies, Cabbage Patch dolls and my Lil Miss Makeup doll was play with there hair braid it, style it and brush it. I wouldn't even play barbies until her hair was done. I still cut all the hair off one of my barbies. I think is awesome that they came out with a bald barbie with a wig accessory. Who cares if it has the wig on in the package or not. They also have another bald doll its not a barbie but my friend daughter has one and she named it Sheena i think its sweet.

Comment by Abgail on February 6, 2013 at 9:44pm

it doesn't matter if the doll has the wig on or not. Barbie cannot be a representation of alopecia in a sense she doesn't have alopecia.She comes to life when kids decides how she should be in their eyes. Whether its wigs or bald.Sooo I say let the kids decide and let their imagination fly and have fun! I wouldn't get upset about the packaging.As long as my child loves it and is happy.Is all I ever want.

Comment by kastababy on February 6, 2013 at 7:06pm

O.M.G. GET OVER IT ALREADY! If you want a bald doll that is readily available that comes in the package bald, get a damn Bratz or Moxie doll instead! You guys won the battle to get the doll made but lost the war anyway, because it's neither Barbie nor is it going to be made available to the general public - you have to be a child to get one from NAAF, and they're on a first come, first serve basis - which means if you didn't immediately respond to the email announcement when it came out yesterday, tough, because I guarantee every single one of those folks just got snatched up.

Comment by TallGuy on February 6, 2013 at 6:01pm

I remember when I was about 6 or 7... kids were really mean to me. My aunt had Alopecia, and wanted me to know I wasn't the only one on earth. So she sat me down to talk...and started the conversation by removing her wig.

Which of coarse, scared the bejeebus out of me. My kid logic understood things perfectly - I'm bald and my aunt, the alien, can remove the top of her head at will....so I must lock myself in the bedroom under my magic sheets and call for my mom.

I didn't know what a wig was.

No matter how much I would love to save kids from the ignorance of people they will encounter in their lifetime... they will still face it. For me it's becasue I'm bald, for a good friend of mine, it was becasue they were black, for others, it's becasue they are heavy... and these mean people, especially to kids, can hurt them because they hold sway over their self image.

What I see with a bald barbie (still waiting for bald Optimus Prime) is a toy that can help a kid, who sees the world as infinite...who doesn't understand manufactuering processes, or reality... that something in the world (other than maybe their imaginary friend) is similar to them. That maybe people they see every day are wearing a wig... that it's ok to be different and feel good about myself....

Barbie is like the Oprah of the toy world...she has influence! I rememebr my sister treating hers like they were alive...and I don't remember it being in the box long enough to appriciate if it had a wig or not :)

Shoot, up until this point... the only bald toys pretty much train me to assume I need to be a super villan (Lex Luthor) or Evil Mastermind (Destro, GI Joe)... in the toy world (bald = Villian)... :)

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