Two moms, bound together by cancer (one has lymphoma; the other's daughter has leukemia) are asking—quite nicely—for Mattel to make a "Beautiful and Bald Barbie" to help young girls who suffer from hair loss due to cancer treatments, Alopecia or Trichotillomania. Will the doll giant bow to public demand? Eh, probably not, but let's spread the word with the hopes that they will!
Rebecca Sypin and Jane Bingham started the Facebook group "Beautiful and Bald Barbie! Let's see if we can get it made," last month to petition Mattel to make a hairless doll for girls who are losing their own hair or are coping with someone they love losing their hair. (And no, it really doesn't work if you just cut the hair off a regular Barbie.) Sypin and Bingham say they would love to see a portion of proceeds go to childhood cancer research and treatment, and Sypin told CBS, "We are not demanding; we are not asking people to boycott. That wasn't our goal at all. We're just trying to raise awareness."
It sounds like a good idea, but so far, Mattel's been mum—Sypin told MSNBC "We got a generic letter that said they don't accept outside ideas and they're developing new ideas for 2012 but couldn't disclose that information right now." As Jezebel points out, "It seems a bit strange that the company isn't jumping on the idea. Creating the doll would generate positive PR, especially if the company donates a portion of the proceeds to a cancer charity." If Mattel can bust out tattoo-covered Barbies and Kardashian Barbies on a whim, why not something that could actually prove helpful to girls?
