Mattel’s new ‘Women in Film’ collection is receiving backlash online after failing to include a prominent role in the filmmaking process.
Mattel is staying in the film business coming off the heels of the mammoth success of Greta Gerwig’s Warner Bros. summer release Barbie.
The toy company launched its annual ‘Career of the Year’ collection, which features Barbie dolls designed to represent women working in film, but Hollywood writers have some notes.
The ‘Women in Film’ collection includes four dolls with their professions as: studio executive, director, cinematographer, and movie star.
There is no doll representing the screenwriters which is a particularly sore subject for writers following their recent Writers Guild of America strike which saw writers in the industry pounding the pavement with the goal of reminding the industry of their importance in the filmmaking process.
Many known writers took to social media to vent their frustrations with the decision including Fleishman Is in Trouble series creator and book author Taffy Brodesser-Akner who said, “Filing Quarterly/WGA Dues Barbie would be hit among a certain crowd is what i’m saying.”
Where is Screenwriter Barbie? Does Mattel not know how to make sweatpants? Does Mattel not know how to get avocado toast on a t-shirt and just kind of leave it there? https://t.co/VXmZIjaP7N
— Taffy Brodesser-Akner (@taffyakner) January 10, 2024
@taffyakner
Eden Dranger, writer of The Unicorn and Beavis and Butt-Head, responded to Brodesser-Akner’s post with, “We went on strike and this is what we get?!”
While Carolina Munhóz (Invisible City) pointed out that the films created by the collection’s dolls would have no lines, “Ok, so there are no lines in that movie?” Munhóz posted. “Where is the screenwriter Barbie? Signed by a screenwriter that was Barbie for Halloween.”
Ok, so there are no lines in that movie? Where is the screenwriter Barbie? 😣 Signed by a screenwriter that was Barbie for Halloween. pic.twitter.com/keuvpWhUfE
— Carolina Munhóz (@carolinamunhoz) January 10, 2024
@carolinamunhoz
Christopher Derrick, who has written for The Equalizer and Star Trek: Picard didn’t understand why studio-executive doll needed to be included over a screenwriter.
Studio Exec Barbie? 🤔….😩 ‘cause no Screenwriter Barbie🤷🏾♂️ there’d be no successful movie that prompted this without the screenwriters.
— Cʜʀɪsᴛᴏᴘʜᴇʀ Dᴇʀʀɪᴄᴋ (@UnauthorizedCBD) January 10, 2024
@UnauthorizedCBD
The creator of The Wire David Simon pointed out other important roles that were left out of the line-up, calling out Mattel saying, the “film taught them nothing”.
No writer Barbie. No grip Barbie. No Teamster Barbie. No key set PA Barbie who has to go into Movie Star Barbie’s trailer and tell the delicate flower to get the fuck down to set because 120 other pissed-off Barbie’s are waiting for her.
That film taught Mattel nothing. https://t.co/dPAZ4O1pOE
— David Simon (@AoDespair) January 10, 2024
@AoDespair
The Barbies join a community of more than 250 Barbie professions released by Mattel. In 2023 the Barbie career collection focused on ‘Women in Sports’ featuring a general manager, coach, referee, and sports reporter.
TooFab has reached out to Mattel for a comment.
