Music producer Barbie is the latest in a range of dolls that hopes to inspire children.
Mattel is the toy company that makes the Barbie range, and the Barbie Music Producer Doll is part of their Dream Gap Project, which so far has seen Barbie placed in over 200 different job roles.
Over the years, Barbie and similar dolls have come under criticism for giving young girls an unattainable ideal of beauty, and it would appear the Dream Gap Project is an attempt to counteract that.
The doll is intended to draw attention to the gender gap in the music industry where women are believed to make up fewer than 3% of people in the profession of producing music. Sales from the doll will also fund a Girls Make Beats scholarship to help boost equal representation.
Sold alongside the doll is a selection of music production accessories including a 13-channel mixing board, a laptop running music producing software, and a pair of headphones.
Ester Dean is a Grammy-nominated producer, and she has agreed to be the role model for this Barbie to be based around. On the 24th of September, Ester Dean will be speaking about her experiences producing music when she appears on the Barbie vlog.
Talking about the Barbie project, Ester Dean said: “I am honoured to lend my voice to Barbie to inspire young girls to learn more about becoming a music producer,” then continued: “While female voices are heard from the stage, so many critical decisions are made behind the scenes and in the studio.
“Having been in the industry for over a decade, I’ve witnessed the power female voices can have in shaping the future of music production and want to ensure more women are in the room.”
H/T: Music Tech
