Facebookers get Mattel to make Beautiful and Bald Barbie

It’s a big, big victory for the Facebook group ‘Beautiful and Bald Barbie’ as toy manufacturer Mattel announced that a bald Barbie would, indeed, be launched in 2013. While the doll may not be available at all toy stores, it will be distributed in hospitals specialising in children’s cancer in the US and Canada, says the Daily Mail_._ The Facebook group has over 1,50,000 likes, and has grown to become much more than a pressure group attempting to sway Mattel into announcing a Bald Barbie . The group’s page has since transformed to a platform for discussions on cancer and sharing of experiences. [caption id=“attachment_272176” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Reuters”]  [/caption] This is how it all began — a petition to Mattel. “I am formally asking Mattel to create and sell a Beautiful and Bald Barbie, with head accessories such as wigs, head wraps, scarves or hats,” supporters were requested to say to Mattel. “Young girls who suffer from hair loss due to cancer treatments, Alopecia or Trichotillomania often feel that the loss of their hair makes them less beautiful and less like a princess. Similarly, many young girls whose mothers, sisters, aunts, etc. are loosing their hair due to illness or treatment also have trouble coping with the change. A bald Barbie would show these little girls that she can be both bald AND beautiful," the petition said. “I believe whole heartedly that this Barbie would bring comfort and help to children dealing with hair loss from cancer, Alopecia or Trichotillomania. I also believe that it would be a good investment for Mattel by helping make a positive change in your girls vision of what beauty is,” the petition continued. The bald Barbie comes with all the normal accessories as any other Barbie – and a few extras. The Barbie would be “a fashion doll, that will be a friend of Barbie, which will include wigs, hats, scarves and other fashion accessories to provide girls with a traditional fashion play experience.” For a moment, forget the grammar errors and spelling errors. Celebrate the victory that this group has won on behalf of girls suffering from cancer and affected by having a mother or a close female relative having cancer. Well done, all — including Mattel.