Did Mattel get the Diwali Barbie right? Earlier this month, PRI’s The World interviewed Sepia Mutiny’s Anna John, fellow sagehen (chirp!) and blogger Nina Jacinto, novelist/poet Chitra Divakaruni and Professor Inderpal Grewal about one of Mattel’s newest additions to its Barbie line.
You can still listen to the report online at The World’s web site.
I agree with John’s assessment of the doll’s outfit—it looks like a lehnga outfit more than a sari. I also thought Divakaruni summarized the significance of the doll well as “a small step in the right direction” but “not a giant leap for mankind or dollkind or womankind.”
What do you think?
I posted my thoughts on Mattel’s history of Indian Barbies here: http://tweenscene.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/ha-aka-mattel-does-india/
Your link was useful in finding out what other bloggers/media figures made of it