She can be a soldier. She can be an astronaut. She can even be a UNICEF ambassador. Now, she can send you to jail.
On Monday, Mattel unveiled the new “Judge Barbie” as part of its “Career of the Year” line. The unveiling immediately evoked comparisons to the iconic Judge Judy.
“The verdict is in!” the Barbie official Twitter account said on Monday. “With over 200 careers since 1959, this year Barbie takes the stand as a judge! The Barbie Judge Doll encourages girls to learn more about making decisions to change the world for the better.”
Fox News reports that this new Barbie will be retailed at $12.99 online and comes outfitted in a black robe, complete with a gavel and block to “help her call the room to order and make important decisions.”
Simultaneously, the official Barbie Instagram account said the new “Judge Barbie” pushes a more political message by saying the new doll was created to represent women in a career in which they are underrepresented. The post also lamented that only three women currently serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Law-making and ceiling-breaking! Let’s continue to inspire the next generation to see themselves in careers underrepresented by women. By encouraging more girls to explore judicial careers with the #Barbie Judge Doll, we show them that they can be anything. #YouCanBeAnything,” the post reads.
“Barbie Judge dolls inspire girls to imagine everything they can become — like protecting the rights of others and ruling on legal cases,” the product description says of the doll.
The verdict is in! With over 200 careers since 1959, this year Barbie takes the stand as a Judge! The Barbie Judge Doll encourages girls to learn more about making decisions to change the world for the better.
Shop now: https://t.co/ceim7WxU1E. pic.twitter.com/IQDCp6rZtL
— Barbie (@Barbie) October 7, 2019
Upon the doll’s announcement, Mattel and Barbie said in a press release that the brand will be partnering with GoFundMe to work on expanding the “Barbie Dream Gap Project”:
Research has identified that starting at age five many girls are less likely than boys to view their own gender as smart and begin to lose confidence in their own competence. Cultural stereotypes, implicit biases and representation in media deepen this issue. This is the Dream Gap and, to help close it, Barbie launched the Barbie Dream Gap Project as a multiyear initiative in October 2018 to further the brand’s commitment to empowering girls around the world.
Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and general manager of Barbie & Dolls, Mattel, said the Barbie Dream Gap Project is aimed at helping girls discover their “limitless potential.”
“In the last year, we launched the Barbie Dream Gap Project to raise awareness around the Dream Gap by committing funds, research, products and dedicated resources to find ways to better help this next generation of girls reach their limitless potential,” said McKnight. “Closing the Dream Gap is a multi-year initiative that cannot be done alone. We are pleased to be taking the next step by partnering with GoFundMe.org and selected nonprofit organizations that have powerful vehicles in place to reach girls at a global scale.”
“Closing the Dream Gap for girls is imperative for the success of our future generations and we’re proud to partner with Mattel to work towards making this a reality,” said Yoshi Inoue, Executive Director GoFundMe.Org. “Every day on GoFundMe, young changemakers are making a difference in their community and across the world through social fundraising. Now, through GoFundMe.org, we’re empowering people to take action and support this important cause with the Barbie Dream Gap Project Fund.”