Barbie Comes Out — But Is It Too Late?

Last Halloween, a new line of high fashion Barbie dolls were announced. Priced between a normal play doll and a collector’s item, the Barbie BMR 1959 line features articulated “made to move” bodies, streetwear-inspired fashions — and a heady dose of diversity.

One doll in particular caught my eye. They’re wearing a pair of thick plastic aviator frames and sport a haircut that’s advertised as a “man-bun” but which the gender flexible crowd usually refer to as an undercut. Soft flocked hair on the bottom — lovely locks on top. They’ve got a fanny pack slung over their shoulder and wear baggy athletic shorts and a hoodie several sizes too big — a fashion choice that might be familiar to anyone who has ever suffered from top dysphoria.

Though I cut my hair last year, they look, more or less, like me.

I call this doll “they” because Mattel doesn’t give us any hint about the doll’s gender. They’re not marketed as a “Ken,” though Mattel’s website does note that the doll features a “Made to Move Ken” body type and a “Harley Ken” face sculpt. Instead, every doll in this line is called the same thing: Barbie BMR1959. And if you think that Mattel doesn’t know what…