Mattel Votes For Barbie Presidential Ticket
EL SEGUNDO (CBSLA.com) — The world's biggest toymaker has promoted Barbie to the two highest offices in the land with its introduction Wednesday of President Barbie and Vice President Barbie.
"The President and Vice President dolls continue our efforts to expose girls to inspiring careers that are underrepresented by women," Mattel General Manager and Senior Vice President Lisa McKnight said in a statement. "We see this doll set as a timely and topical platform to further the conversation around female leadership. We are proud to partner with She Should Run to help elevate its message and show girls that they can be and do anything."
She Should Run is a non-partisan organization dedicated to expanding the talent pool of future elected female leaders and motivating more women and girls to explore leadership opportunities.
"With just 39 percent of girls saying that they want to be a leader, President and Vice President Barbie will serve as an inspiration for girls to pursue their dreams and imagine what they can become," Mattel said.
She Should Run noted that women hold only 84 out of 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 20 out of 100 seats in the U.S. Senate. Only four women have been appointed to the Supreme Court, and only 14 women have run for president.
This is not the first time Barbie has run for president, Mattel said, but it is the first time that she will be running on an all-female ticket.
The dolls are available in a variety of hair colors, skin tones and face shapes and are sold in packs of two. They are available starting today for $24.99 on Shop.Mattel.com and are rolling out to retailers nationwide.
Mattel also introduced a new Barbie in the likeness of Olympic champion Gabby Douglas, who was named this week to the 2016 U.S. Olympics gymnastics team. Douglas took the world by storm at the London Olympics four years ago, leading the U.S. to a team gold medal and winning the prestigious all-around title.
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