This new doll “enables more children to see themselves reflected in Barbie,” Mattel wrote
As a girl who grew up with type 1 diabetes, seeing these tasteless jokes in here just remind me of the shitty time kids can have when they feel different to other kids and get singled out for something they can’t control.
So what if its a gigantic mega-corp, they’re doing a good thing here for children.
Disgusting fucking ‘jokes’. Shitty people.
Kids can be cruel.
I’m glad this Barbie exists. Representation matters, and this toy is one way to show little kids it’s ok to have T1D. If a kid knows that Barbie can wear CGM then maybe the kid won’t be a jerk when they meet a new kid with a thing on their arm.
Kids can also be amazing and caring. They just need the context and understanding of what is going on. Toys like this help a lot in that regard.
Yep, lemmy can be super ableist. It’s pretty bad.
Thanks for the insight! You made me change views on the tasteless jokes!
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Wahhh, cry more.
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Aren’t those with diabetes different in that most don’t have diabetes?
So are lgbt+ people, they are clearly a minority and yet their visibility is very important for the preservation or creation of their rights.
Yes, everyone is different, but normalising that difference instead of marginalising it is important.
I just meant when she said she was made to feel different because of diabetes. That in that aspect she was different
Made to feel different is a subtle way to say that she was marginalised. We are talking about school, so probably a gentle way to say she was bullied for it.
Also, she did mention getting singled out. I am pretty pedantic myself but dude, this is not the moment.
What does (or could) being marginalized mean here? I have heard it before bunch of times but don’t have a very concrete sense of it.
In school? Just marginalised can mean kids not wanting to be your friends, having difficulties forming groups for activities… All sorts of stuff that make your life harder. The word comes from the literal sense of being put to the margin, to the side, outside of the general circle.
It can easily devolve into being bullied aka made fun of for being different, kids using hurtful aliases to call you, hit you, abuse you…
Depends on where you live and all that but being singled out/marginalised can easily leave you in a position where bullies will pick on you and since you are alone, no one will defend you.
Barbie has actually had quite a number of diversity variants over the years, this isn’t all that unusual for them:
Paleontologist Barbie is pretty cool.
Meh, there isn’t even a fossil Barbie.
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I thought it was going to be like a Tamagotchi where you had to give it a jab and make sure it has offspring, else the family line ends.
TL;DR (I only have a minute right now), does this change ANYTHING about the doll except a little note on the box she comes in?
The doll is wearing an insulin pump
And it has Bluetooth connectivity to manage her A1C in the app.
A1C is tested with a blood test, it doesnt exist on the cgm unfortunately.
Her foot falls off if you don’t take proper care of her.
From the article:
The new Barbie wears continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a device that tracks blood sugar levels, on her arm — while holding a phone displaying an accompanying app. She also has an insulin pump attached to her waist. And the doll carries a blue purse that can be used to carry other essential supplies or snacks on the go.
The Barbie’s outfit is blue, too — with polka dots on a matching top and skirt set. Mattel says that this color and design are nods to symbols for diabetes awareness.
There are several permanent modifications made to the mold of the doll that separate it from non-diabetic dolls; and insulin pump and glucose monitor are depicted and they don’t appear to be easily detachable.
They should make a Barbie doll that’s just been kicked off Medicare.
Not to sound ignorant but can’t you just use your imagination for something like this?
Then they can’t sell you another doll. When do we get sickle cell barbie? Like why give doll diseases? Can’t leave that up to the kid?
Right? I want aids Barbie
I guess it’s more for the “lore” of Barbie than the doll itself.
This is WOKE! CANCEL BARBIE!
-Republicans with Children who have Diabetes!
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Sent this to a D1
said “dolls are for pretend play, I would hate to be reminded of my problems when I try to find an escape”
It’s a love hate situation. For a lot of children, they will use play to process and understand things. E.g. “Helping” a Barbie with the problems helps them understand why their brother gets special treatment.
I’ve seen my daughter playing “classroom” with her teddies. It helps her understand better how school works, and what would be acceptable or not.
i will never truly feel represented until Barbie gets a colostomy bag.
Someone go resurrect Wilfurd Brimly! I don’t have enough Worther’s original candies to do the ritual!
Woke capitalism strikes again!
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Type 1 diabetes requires you to watch your insulin levels constantly or DIE. I’d say that’s more than an “inconvenience”.
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an obscenely expensive life threatening inconvenience, like a hurricane or war i guess
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That is a dumb definition.
Understood. No apology necessary, friend!
I don’t think that diabetes is anywhere near an identity thing for most people.
Little girls who have to walk around with an insulin pump will disagree.
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Nobody wants diabetes. Diabetics care about their diabetes because it can easily kill them. Before modern medicine diabetes had a 100% chance of killing you fairly slowly. Little girls (and boys I suppose) who see that there is a T1D barbie now might think that there are other people out there who notice/care. I guarantee you that many children get teased about their pump and or CGM, so the existence of a T1D barbie will help normalize diabetes for them and the people around them.
Of course no one wants diabetes. People can choose what they want to be part of their identity and self concept. Yes, it used to be a death sentence until fairly recently. I have ADHD, but I don’t particularly consider it to be an important part of my identity. I don’t quite understand why diabetes would be part of a person’s self concept, but if the Barbie makes kids feel better, then cool. No real benefit in it not existing.
I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of people who would know that you have ADHD unless you tell them. Everyone walking behind me can tell I have T1D because my CGM and pump are clearly visible. People tend to identify with things that are so intertwined with their personal lives and that they are forced to spend so much time thinking about.
Oh, people can tell. I act like I’m tweaking out of my fucking mind about half the time. I don’t personally find most physical things that important, like a goddamn Pixar movie, I think that the inside is what counts. I’ve only ever met 1 person I know to be type 1 (my aunt that I’m reasonably familiar with), and she’s never mentioned it in any way. Since 5-10% of people have it, I’d expect to have at least met someone else that really cares about it. Maybe I’m just an anomaly.
5-10% of people have diabetes. Globally, 6.3% of people have type 2 and in the US 11.6% of people have it (had no idea it was that many but I’m not surprised). Type 2 can be typically be managed by oral meds, diet, and exercise. In the US, 0.5% of people have type 1 and require insulin to live, globally that’s about 0.1%.
I don’t personally find most physical things that important, like a goddamn Pixar movie
Not totally sure where Pixar come into play here but a lot of people do find physical things important. People who have type 1 either care about it or they go blind, lose a foot, or die. They generally don’t go around talking to people about their diabetes.
As far as kids go, at least when I was growing up, they are fucking brutal. In 1st and 2nd grade I had a lazy eye which was corrected by glasses and an eye patch (not the cool pirate kind, it was a skin-colored sticker) and I got teased quite a bit. Insulin pumps didn’t exist back then, I would imagine little kids with insulin pumps today get teased at most schools. Pretty good chance a T1D Barbie will make a difference to a lot of those kids.
TBH, ADHD is a part of my identity and my ADHD coworkers clocked me, as did my boss whose daughter has ADHD. (Librarian-hood is not the realm of the neurotypical.)
So, not something folks at the grocery store would notice and mileage varies as to what is part of someone’s identity.
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Scott malconson
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