Filipina Barbie
A true representation of Filipina beauty or another aspirational doll pushing Eurocentric standards?
Hi Barbie! Hey Barbie! The sound of high pitched greetings and pink dresses and “Barbie” omnipresent in the digital world and globally. It's all the world has been chattering about since last month and especially this past week, with pink-themed merchandise and Barbie-inspired fashion styles and limited makeup collections — even NASA published an Instagram post that marked the year Barbie became an astronaut as an initiative to encourage girls to explore space and science. It’s become a cultural phenomenon, reviving the iconic brand Barbie has built since its first release in 1959. There are Barbies in different forms - Dr. Barbie, Barbie businesswoman, Asian Barbie, Black Barbie, Barbie in a wheelchair, Barbie modeled after inspiring women like Naomi Osaka and Pat McGrath.
Mutya Barbie is the Filipina Barbie doll with the long pink mestiza gown with a sheer overdress featuring filipiniana butterfly sleeves, the trail embellished with sampaguita embroidery and accessorized with tambourine inspired jewelry and the classic hand-held fan. According to Carlyle Nuera, the Lead Designer at Mattel’s Barbie Signature and who designed the Filipina Barbie doll, the name “Mutya” means pearl, beauty, or muse and pays homage to the glitz and glamour of the famous Filipino pageants. “My mother, Ruby, was Miss Tacloban in 1976.” Nuera recalls.
There are many other forms of Filipina Barbies - I’ve seen some wearing the traditional maria clara dress with the over-the-shoulder cloth (or pañuelo) and a long skirt. There’s a Filipino Doctor Barbie modeled after Dr. Audrey Sue Cruz, M.D to represent the frontliners during COVID-19, and even a Filipina actress, Ana Cruz Kayne, who plays the Supreme Court Justice Barbie in the new Barbie movie. I love to see the representation of our people, showcasing the beauty of our culture and traditions - but I always ask myself whether or not these Barbies, no matter how empowering and inspiring it is to see this diversity, truly represent Filipina beauty.
As much as I love Mattel and Barbie’s efforts to be more diverse and inclusive with people of color and with disabilities, and their initiatives to reshape gender stereotypes by introducing Barbie to STEM careers, I still can’t help but feel that they enforce certain aesthetic standards. Maybe this is coming from my own personal experience with Barbie, or maybe this is just another bullshit complaint, but I think the iconic Barbie face and general look are still so centralized to western, “eurocentric”, beauty.
I grew up playing with Barbies - I remember receiving this one Barbie toy that flew by placing her in this projector that flings and spins her in the air at a push of a button (I may have traumatized my sister accidentally with that toy) and another one from Barbie’s Swan Lake with pointe shoes and where you can freely move her limbs about this way and that. As a “girly-girl”, who used to try on my mother’s lipsticks and had the latest trendy clothing items and flashy jewelry, Barbie was my idol and I loved her. Around that time, I was exploring some creative outlets like dance and musical theatre, and dreamed of becoming as elegant as the Barbies in the animated films like Princess and the Pauper and Swan Lake. I looked up to her, her thin and elegant body, the defined cheekbones and bright eyes with long lashes, and the beautiful golden hair, the soft-looking clear pale skin. I wanted to be her.
It didn’t help when I was a ballerina and going through self-esteem issues, convincing myself that I wasn’t good enough compared to the elegant, frail, and beautiful dancers in my class. I used to hate my Filipino features like my wide nose and monolid eyes, and used makeup and tape to make myself look different. I always wished that I was born with blue eyes instead of brown. I didn’t like how I was the shortest amongst my peers. I remember stuffing toilet paper down my bra so they looked bigger. I even contoured my chest so my cleavage became more prominent. I didn’t like my acne skin, no matter how much I covered it with foundation, concealer, blush, and bronzer. I used natural remedies to grow my lashes longer. And at the end of the day, I would look at my Swan Lake Barbie doll and think to myself I wish I was more like you. Tall, blonde, blue eyes, perfect.
It took me years to overcome these insecurities and become comfortable with my body - sometimes they would come back like the rotating clouds, just coming and going and showering me with voices saying I look ugly or getting fat. But looking back at myself all those years ago, I cringed at how hard I always tried to look “perfect” and pretty and more “eurocentric” which, to me, Barbie encompassed.
I read this post by a good friend, Krystl Fabella (@filipinaontherise), who discussed the whitewashed standards in the beauty pageant industry after asking AI to create a “Filipino Barbie”. The final product came from a culmination of images and articles, reflecting how Philippine beauty is still dominated by western influences. How can we change how we portray Filipino beauty so that AI does not recreate something that could harm true representation of the Filipino people?
Barbie is such an interest toy that, since its creation in the late 50s, it reflects - and most importantly, influences - how women are viewed and shaped. Going from the housewife and mother, to astronauts and scientists, to the creation of Ken and Black and Asian Barbies, and now the new Barbie movie — what started out as a doll for girls has become culturally significant and impactful.
I haven’t seen Greta Gerwig’s film yet, but you can tell that it sealed the deal for Barbie’s significance. Mattel has done an incredible job with this, evolving Barbie and empowering women and girls everywhere. I don’t blame Barbie for my insecurities I had when I was younger, but rather it was that colonialist mindset that was ingrained in my mind. Barbie was a huge part of my childhood and is the foundation of who I am today (a very feminine and fashionable woman). Barbie is just a doll, but it’s now a conversation on beauty, race, and feminism.
Am I the only who’s had this experience with Barbie? Let me know what your thoughts are!
In other news…
Here Lies Love is the new all-Filipino Broadway musical that’s open right now! Learn more and get your tickets here
On August 10, Krystl will be hosting a 25-day seminar on Pre-Colonial Filipino history! Sign up here as spots gets filled quickly
As published on my notes, the Philippine National Team won victoriously against the co-host, New Zealand in the Women’s World Cup