First boy to appear in a Barbie doll commercial

[kenny]

Good or bad?
What say you?

Perhaps you heard Target stopped labeling toys for boys and for girls.
Marketing Barbie dolls to both genders seems like an even bigger cultural shift.

http://nypost.com/2015/11/16/a-boy-appears-in-a-barbie-ad-for-the-first-time/

Here's the 30-second commercial.
Notice the little boy speaks with a lisp and winks.
Including these two gay-stereotype things was no accident, I'm sure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TULVRlpsNWo

 

[monarch64]

I voted "other." My first reaction was neither positive or negative. I felt pretty indifferent, honestly. I hadn't heard about the advertising, but I did just read and repost a Vogue article about the Moschino Barbie having sold out quickly and subsequently reselling for hundreds on ebay, which is more interesting to me than whether or not boys (seemingly gay or straight) are in the ad.

http://www.vogue.com/13371010/moschino-barbie-reselling-on-ebay/

 

[purplesparklies]

Ugh. I have no problem with a boy playing with Barbie's or being in a Barbie commercial. I just can't stand Barbie's, in general. Have never liked them. Give me a Matchbox car any day. I detest hearing children speak this way, like some kind of mini-Kardashians or something. What kid would describe a Barbie as fierce? None who I have met thus far. Just yuck.

 

[monarch64]

Ugh. I have no problem with a boy playing with Barbie's or being in a Barbie commercial. I just can't stand Barbie's, in general. Have never liked them. Give me a Matchbox car any day. I detest hearing children speak this way, like some kind of mini-Kardashians or something. What kid would describe a Barbie as fierce? None who I have met thus far. Just yuck.

The kind of kid who watches too much Tyra Banks!

 

[kenny]

I wonder how they cast the actor.

Did he have to be really gay?
I mean, did they put out a casting call for 'gay 6 year old boys'?
If so how could sexual-orientation even be verified/demonstrated in a small child?
Maybe it was just any boy who could 'act' gay.

And, how is this child actor being treated in school now?
Better?
Worse?
Bullied?
Or is society all cured of that now?

Would you allow your son to appear as a gay boy in a commercial seen by millions?

As usual I'm curious about the behind the curtain sociological stuff.

 

[purplesparklies]

All good questions. And concerning for sure.

 

[arkieb1]

One of my best friends son's (she was a single mother when we were at Uni together) when he was small wanted a pink Barbie house for Christmas, no amount of reasoning could talk him out of it. My friend being all for equality bought it for him, she said he played with it once or twice and then lost interest in it. He is a big strapping soccer playing young man with a girlfriend and children of his own now, and my friend and I laugh about the crying young boy having a meltdown that all he wanted was that pink Barbie house to this day.

I think the ad is bad because it promotes the notion that only a certain type of boy will like that Barbie. Why can't all boys like Barbie like my friend's son and why can' girls get engineering toys and cars etc. Some children naturally play with certain types of toys over others and there is nothing wrong with that, but for those who don't we should stop telling them what is right or wrong and just let them play with whatever they want.

 

[purplesparklies]

My younger son, age 10, loves pink and purple. He has played with his fair share of dolls and loves stuffed animals. He tucks them in at night and gets upset if one of us lets one fall on the floor or doesn't sit them up correctly. He is the most loving, nurturing kid I have ever known. He saw a dress at Kohl's when he was maybe 3 and insisted on trying it on along with all the "boy" clothes I was making him try on. I let him. My husband was not thrilled when my son insisted that we wait for Daddy to see him in the dress before he would take it off. Oh well. This is also a boy who loves soccer and will soon be testing for his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He is a unique kid and definitely marches to the beat of his own drummer and I wouldn't change a thing. That being said, he has never sounded like the kid in the commercial and I have not known a kid who does. I'm a teacher so I have known a lot of kids. All ages and from all walks of life. Seems a bit over the top and overly in line with gay stereotypes to be realistic for a kid that age. Possible? Anything is. Likely? No.

 

[CJ2008]

I was happy about it until I read that the boy comes across as gay stereotype.

That's worse than not having the boy in the commercial at all because it sends the message to all boys and girls that only if you're gay or effeminate or come across that way would you ever - or should you ever - even consider playing with a doll/Barbie.

Therefore killing any chances of a "regular" boy ever having the courage to express himself that he'd like to play with one. And increasing the chances that girls will think all boys who like dolls couldn't be "regular" boys but must be gay.

And increasing the chances of being made fun 10 fold for any little boy who does dare.

 

[lyra]

Other, because why the need for a possible stereotype? Those Barbies were a limited run of 700 that sold out in the first few minutes they were released to adult collectors and resellers. This was just an advertising ploy in several ways.

I tend to prefer gender neutral toys where possible, and of course boys can play with Barbies or any other dolls if they want.

 

[kenny]

I was happy about it until I read that the boy comes across as gay stereotype.

Keep in mind that's 100% just my impression.
I have not read anything regarding this.

 

[purplesparklies]

I was happy about it until I read that the boy comes across as gay stereotype.

That's worse than not having the boy in the commercial at all because it sends the message to all boys and girls that only if you're gay or effeminate or come across that way would you ever - or should you ever - even consider playing with a doll/Barbie.

Therefore killing any chances of a "regular" boy ever having the courage to express himself that he'd like to play with one. And increasing the chances that girls will think all boys who like dolls couldn't be "regular" boys but must be gay.

And increasing the chances of being made fun 10 fold for any little boy who does dare.

Sad. But true.

 

[kenny]

Buzzfeed's coverage zeroed in on the 'most-gay' parts.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/norawhelan/its-for-you-moschino-barbie-boy?bftw&utm_term=.dqZQEj76yx#.lfn76eWNlZ

 

[purplesparklies]

Adults weighing in with support and love but this is a child who likely goes to
school with other children. The behaviors in the commercial would not be well received by the average child. I hope that little boy is happy and well and that he stays that way. Regardless of whether the behaviors were natural or acting.

 

[kenny]

\The behaviors in the commercial would not be well received by the average child.

I agree ... AND thank goodness for trailblazing companies like Mattel, and for this young actor and his parents.

Their bravery will help improve tomorrow's 'average' schoolchild.
Hopefully they live, and the boy attends school, in a very liberal area instead of a backwards one.

Liberals.
Tomorrow's Americans, today.

 

[momhappy]

Buzzfeed's coverage zeroed in on the 'most-gay' parts.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/norawhelan/its-for-you-moschino-barbie-boy?bftw&utm_term=.dqZQEj76yx#.lfn76eWNlZ

I have to admit, they do seem to play up the "gay" part with the little boy.
The message that they should be sending is that it's okay for little boys (in general) to play with Barbie.

Barbie just sucks though. She's really gross in so many ways. I absolutely adored her when I was a kid - thought I could grow up and look just like her.....Sadly, that never happened and somewhere along the way, I felt horribly let down. I honestly believe that my pursuit of perfection (when it comes to my physical appearance) is a result of my obsession with Barbie as a young girl

 

[packrat]

what in the world kinda Barbie is that? I thought they were saying mosquito Barbie. I remember seeing that the doll sold out or whatever on the FB trending thing-but my eyes saw it as maraschino, like the cherry, and I don't like those things so I never looked at the links b/c I couldn't figure out why anyone would want a cherry-Barbie. Never mind me and my not-with-it-ness.

I raised my eyebrows at the boy in the commercial, not b/c he's a boy, but b/c of how he acted. I don't think that commercial is going to go very far in convincing dad's it's ok for their boys to play w/dolls.

 

[kenny]

I thought they were saying mosquito Barbie.

Me too.

I had never heard that name before.
I'm clueless about fashion.
I'm surprised they haven't taken away my gay card.

 

[momhappy]

I am obsessed with fashion, but the commercial actually taught me something because apparently, I have been pronouncing the name wrong I guess that Barbie commercial was good for something after all

 

[packrat]

I thought they were saying mosquito Barbie.

Me too.

I had never heard that name before.
I'm clueless about fashion.
I'm surprised they haven't taken away my gay card.

Dammit Kenny, so you can't be my gay friend who dresses me and helps me w/my hair and makeup? All the girl things that I have absolutely no clue about?