A group of Hollywood stars and toy companies have started lobbying for the addition of same-sex marriage barbie dolls. Nick Caprio and Matt Jacobi are among them. They want the toy giant Mattel to expand their line of dolls. The new addition to the Barbie toy line could have an impact on the aisles of toy stores, and the couple hopes to see it happen soon.
Matt Jacobi and Nick Caprio want same-sex marriage barbie dolls
Matt Jacobi and Nick Caprio have a plan to create a set of same-sex Barbie dolls. They want to meet with Mattel in Los Angeles to work out a way to make the dolls a reality. The couple are already married and live in Scottsdale, Arizona. They first met in Chicago when Caprio was living there.
They wanted to create a doll set for their niece who was eight years old at the time. Initially, they were unable to find a similar set, so they improvised by using an extra Ken doll. They contacted Mattel in January, and the company was willing to meet with them.
The pair plans to meet with Mattel to have the dolls made for their niece Natalie, who is eight. The couple plans to create a same-sex Barbie wedding set that will include both the bride and groom. The set will feature two flower girls, the bride and the groom, and two Ken-dolls.
Mattel has been making efforts to become more inclusive in recent years. The company has widened the color palette of its dolls, introduced curvy and petite Barbies, and made the first-ever Barbie to wear a hijab. It has also been introducing diverse Ken dolls.
The couple is preparing to tie the knot in May, and their daughter Natalie will be a flower girl. As such, they wanted to give Natalie a special gift related to the wedding. As gay uncles, they wanted to give Natalie a wedding-themed gift to commemorate the occasion. After searching for a toy that would represent their relationship, they created their own. They have even licensed the design.
While they are not going to marry in public, they are trying to convince Mattel to include them in their wedding sets. They met at a Chicago bar and have been together for 11 years. They moved to Scottsdale, Arizona three years ago. And their wedding will be the first same-sex wedding in Scottsdale.
While they have not contacted Mattel about the request, they have reportedly made contact with the company. In a recent post on his website, Jacobi wrote that he is hopeful that Mattel will produce the dolls and set them up with the design team.
Gay couples lobbying toy giant Mattel to expand line of dolls
The makers of Barbie dolls are looking into expanding their line of same-sex "wedding" Barbie dolls. An Arizona couple, Matt Jacobi and Nick Caprio, has been lobbying the toy giant to make the dolls more inclusive of the LGBT+ community. The couple had trouble finding a same-sex doll set for their niece, so they used an extra Ken doll to improvise.
The couple have been together for 12 years and are planning to tie the knot next year. The couple was shopping for her niece's birthday and were not able to find a wedding set with two identical Ken dolls. They ended up purchasing an extra Ken doll and making their own set. The two are meeting with designers of the toy giant next week to tell them their idea.
Mattel's response is encouraging. It has already taken steps to promote LGBT messaging. In 2017, Mattel posted a photo of a Barbie doll wearing a "proud to be gay" T-shirt. The slogan has been used since the Supreme Court mandated the recognition of same-sex marriage in all 50 states.
Toy giant's interest in expanding collection
The Toy giant is interested in expanding its barbie doll collection, which was first launched in 1959 in a zebra-pattern swimsuit. The iconic doll has sold more than a billion pieces worldwide. However, sales have dropped for four consecutive quarters, with the April-June period experiencing a 12 percent drop. This decline is in part due to a shift in consumer preferences. More consumers in China are now interested in custom-made products, rather than mass-produced ones.
Toy sales grew by more than twenty percent in 1996. Barbie continued to be the backbone of Mattel's business, generating more than $280 million in net sales. The toy giant also benefited from strong sales of Hot Wheels and Disney products. Sales in the international market were relatively flat. Mattel acquired Tyco Toys, Inc., the third largest toy manufacturer in the U.S., and the Pleasant Company in 1998.
While Mattel has struggled to gain a foothold in China, the toy industry in the country is growing significantly. In 2015, Mattel had a 25 percent share of the toy market, outpacing Hasbro's fifteen percent. Mattel has a long-term plan for growth. The company has invested in a new factory in Indonesia and opened offices in Scandinavia, New Zealand, and Austria. It also hopes to expand its presence in Latin America.
Mattel has a long history of making dolls, and in the 1960s, the original Barbie doll was introduced. The company has expanded its Barbie collection to include different body shapes and skin tones since then. It also introduced the Hello Barbie talking doll last year. And its new "curvy" Barbie has become a smash hit in the US, with more than 14% sales bump in a single year.
The new doll is expected to be available on Sept. 25 and will be marketed as a "gender-neutral" toy. It will have carefully manicured features, and will not have the wide shoulders and cleavage that are typical for the Barbie line. However, Mattel is aware that the controversy surrounding the doll may lead to boycotts of other products from the company.
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Potential impact on toy aisles
Matt Jacobi and Nick Caprio of "Road Rules" fame have lobbied toy maker Mattel to make same-sex marriage Barbie dolls. The two were recently at a toy store, looking for a set with Barbie and Ken dolls. Despite countless requests, Mattel has only created one doll for gay couples - a Ken doll. The couple has since met with Mattel designers in Los Angeles, and hope the toy maker will make gay-themed wedding Barbie dolls.
Some people argue that Barbie dolls are unappealing to children and may reinforce stereotypical gender roles. They believe that the unrealistically proportioned dolls contribute to cultural ideals of beauty and that they put an undue emphasis on looks.
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