So since I feel so crappy today,here is a quick post. The doll for today is Becky.
I know we just had a Becky a few days ago,but this is a different one. She's School Photographer Becky.
Emma really wanted this doll years ago. I was really excited when I found her a second hand one. I wish I could find her now, so I could show her to you out of the box! We'll have to make do with these pictures of a doll I used to have.
The first Becky doll,Share A Smile Becky, was released in 1997. She had bangs, the Barbie head sculpt,and a pink wheelchair. She was the first doll in the Barbie world with a wheelchair. Today's doll followed in 1998. The chair was a more realistic red this time,and Becky had the Teen Skipper head sculpt. Becky was now the school photographer. She came with a camera with a red ribbon strap,a back pack that apparently didn't open, a pretty cool mini yearbook with actual pages,and a pair of red sunglasses.
Becky has a twist waist,and jointed knees and elbows, as well as strung hips with elastic joints. She has the flat Barbie feet. I think she has the same body as the 1993 Gymnast Barbie. She came out at the same time as Perfect Pink Teresa,Extreme Green Teen Skipper,Purple Panic Christie, and Cool Blue Barbie. Why couldn't Becky have matched them?
Not that I don't like her outfit better than theirs. Becky has a white sleeveless t-shirt,jeans,red high top tennis shoes, and a plaid shirt.
There was supposedly a Sign Language I Love You Becky doll, but all I can find online is Sign Language Barbie. The last Becky released was Paralympic Champion Becky,which came out in 1999.
Becky was originally met with excitement by the disabled community,thrilled that Barbie's world was being inclusive. Excitement soon turned to disappointment, and even anger,when it was discovered that Becky's wheelchair couldn't fit through the door to the Barbie houses,or in the elevator. The kitchen didn't have accessible appliances. Now, I can see why that would be upsetting. And I can see why people might be upset that instead of reworking the houses,cars, horses, and everything else in Barbie's world,Mattel instead chose to discontinue the Becky line. Complaints were that such a move sent the message that it's easier to just get rid of the disabled than to deal with them,and,that just like real life,Mattel wasn't really willing to be inclusive as long as there was any inconvenience for them to do it. But let's look at this realistically. Mattel is a business. They have to make a profit. They sold considerably fewer Beckys than other dolls,and it would have been super expensive to redesign everything in the Barbie world. Mattel reuses bits and pieces of old designs for years. Even the High School Musical High School has bits of other houses about it. And some of those have been used since for other houses. It just wouldn't have been economically feasible. Thta's not to say that if Mattel ever does completely redesign all the parts to Barbie's house they couldn't make it wheelchair accessible. Then maybe they could bring Becky back.
See you tomorrow for another doll. Hopefully I'll be feeling better then!
