Barbie Is on the Cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue, and People Are Not Happy About It

Mattel doll posing in a swimsuit is part of a campaign titled "Unapologetic"

By Jenna Mullins Feb 13, 2014 7:59 PMTags
Barbie, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit CoverMattel/Sports Illustrated

If we had the body proportions that Barbie does, we too would feel unapologetic. But we don't look like Barbie. Hardly anyone does. So this whole campaign and cover is leaving a bad taste in our mouth.

Sports Illustrated's infamous swimsuit issue will feature Barbie rockin' her original 1958 swimsuit on the cover. It's all part of Barbie's campaign called "Unapologetic," and Mattel is teaming up with SI to really shove it in our face.

"As a legend herself, and under criticism about her body and how she looks, posing in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit gives Barbie and her fellow legends an opportunity to own who they are, celebrate what they have done, and be unapologetic," a Mattel spokeswoman told Ad Age.

Yes, we're all for body confidence and never apologizing for who you are, but…really? Really?

Barbie has big boobs, blonde hair, a tiny waist and impossibly long legs. Of course, she's not apologizing for who she is! Look at her! We wouldn't be apologizing either if we looked like that! This whole campaign is trying to send a message, but it's not the right one. Well, it's the right one, but it's using the wrong spokesmodel.

Both Barbie and SI's swimsuit issue have dealt with criticism for promoting unrealistic body standards, and now they're talking about their "Unapologetic" campaign being a "rally cry" for women everywhere to embrace who they truly are.

That's all fine and good, but don't you think that message should have come with a model that wasn't literally plastic? And while we love that Barbie's 90 different careers spread the idea that women have choices, we have to wonder why she "chose" to pose on the cover of SI's swimsuit issue when promoting this message.

Needless to say, folks on Twitter were not big fans of the Barbie SI cover.

And when Barbie's Twitter asked people how they were "unapologetic" in their own lives, some users took that and really ran with it:

Hmm, maybe Mattel and SI should have thought about this whole campaign for another day or so before running with it. 

What do you think of Barbie on the cover of Sports Illustrated