New Fashion Dolls Are Empowered Like Barbie Never Was (Originally aired Jan. 9, 2018)

Guest: Sara Austin, Graduate Student, University of Connecticut A generation ago, girls had Barbies and boys had action figures like GI Joe. In the last few years, Mattel, which makes Barbie, has come out with new toys for girls that are part action figure, part fashion doll based on characters from the popular series Monster High, Ever After High and DC Superhero Girls. These dolls have superpowers and back stories that make them a different kind of doll than Barbie ever was. And that’s empowering for the girls who play with them.