Viva La Barbie

I've never been a Barbie hater. In fact, I think Barbie does a better job than other dolls out in the market of providing diverse looks, jobs, fashion . . . ok, maybe not body type, but growing up, I never looked at my blonde hair/blue eyed size 0 doll and made any comparisons to myself. I watched my daughter ask for and play with a variety of dolls with various skin colors and hair types. Doll play is about creating a novela and acting it out with your friends.Who wants to play with dolls that all look the same? Perhaps on a deeper level, her diverse doll collection helped her better able to make friends with diverse kids at school and on the playground. On second thought, I wouldn't give one toy that much credit. It takes a whole host of influences to develop a child's mind, taste, discretion, and personality. And sometimes they're just born with their own opinion like mine.

While the previous Mexican Barbie realllly missed the mark by putting her in a less-than-ornate folklorico outfit, sending her off with chihuahua and passport in hand, I think they did a beautiful job on Mariachi Barbie  (the hat may be on backwards with the wide brim up front) but as as a former mariachi, it's part of my past, my culture and a big part of who I am. I wore that same black outfit and wore it with pride. I also wore a folklorico outfit but not to the fiesta like Barbie 2012. Perhaps their next Mexican doll could be modernized a bit but in a world where kids are dressing the same across the westernized globe, idolizing Zendaya and Selena Gomez or all those crazy Comic Con characters, it's nice to bring back traditional outfits and nods to our cultural roots.

Let's get upset when they come out with Reggaeton Barbie or Chicklet-selling Barbie instead ok?
I mean really: