Results: You've Come A Long Way, Barbie!

This holiday season, a new, inspiring Barbie holds court. Literally. Mattel introduces Judge Barbie, as their newest addition in what they are calling its 2019 Career of the Year doll. "With over 200 careers since 1959, this year Barbie takes the stand as a judge!" the company tweeted. "The Barbie Judge Doll encourages children to learn more about making decisions to change the world for the better." After learning of the small number of women sitting as US state judges, (only 33%), Mattel decided to honor the profession, by introducing this new doll. The new doll comes in a variety of different skin tones and hairstyles, and will be available at Walmart, Target, and Amazon at a retail price of just $12.99. Would you buy this doll for someone this year?

Mattel also released a gender-neutral doll line known as the Creatable World line. The line allows children to personally customize their dolls without gender being the focus. Mattel says about this line, "Toys are a reflection of culture and as the world continues to celebrate the positive impact of inclusivity, we felt it was time to create a doll line free of labels. Through research, we heard that kids don't want their toys dictated by gender norms. This line allows all kids to express themselves freely, which is why it resonates so strongly with them." This is a big step in the competitive toy industry, and is thought to be the first gender neutral doll on the market. Would you buy this for someone this year at holiday time?

For years, parents have pushed back against "pink aisles" and "blue aisles" in toy stores in favor of gender-neutral sections, often in the name of exposing girls to the building blocks and chemistry kits that foster interest in science and math but are usually categorized as boys' toys. Major toy sellers have listened -- Target eliminated gender-specific sections in 2015. The same year, Disney banished "boys" and "girls" labels from its children's costumes, inviting girls to dress as Captain America and boys as Belle. Last year, Mattel did away with "boys" and "girls" toy divisions in favor of nongendered sections: dolls or cars, for instance. Do you applaud this new focus on how to market children's toys?

It's hard to believe Barbie has been around since 1959, and celebrated her "60th" Birthday this year. Barbie herself has evolved over the years, no longer just a doll with way too many outfits, and accessories, including Ken and a Dream House. Just have a look at the way Barbie has evolved through the years. How many of these Barbies (through the years) did you hear about, or even own?