'This was not an oversight but blatant racism': Barbie is slammed as 'tone deaf' after releasing 'inclusive' line of Olympic dolls with no ASIAN athletes - despite Games being held in Tokyo
- Barbie's parent company, Mattel, came under furious criticism on social media after promoting the 'inclusive' collection of athlete dolls
- Many users pointed out that there is no visibly Asian design in the range, which includes five different sports, including skate boarding and climbing
- The range, which is part of the official Tokyo 2020 merchandise, also offers a surfer doll, a softball doll, and a karate doll
- Each of the dolls is designed with a different skin tone and hair color, however many noted that there is no visibly Asian example
- Many accused Mattel of 'racism', with a number pointing out the irony in the lack of Asian representation in a collection celebrating the Tokyo Games
- Others called for Mattel to hire Hmong-American gymnast Sunisa Lee, 18, as its new spokesmodel, urging the company to create a doll in her honor
- Suni became the first ever Hmong-American gymnast to represent the US at an Olympics, where she won the all-around title
- Find out the latest Tokyo Olympic news including schedule, medal table and results right here
Barbie is facing furious criticism over the 'tone deaf' launch of its 'inclusive' Olympics collection, which features no visibly Asian athletes, despite being created in celebration of the Tokyo 2020 Games.
The toy brand and its parent company Mattel found themselves at the center of a bitter online backlash after promoting the new range on Twitter, where users were quick to accuse them of 'blatant racism'.
Within minutes of the post being shared, the Barbie account was flooded with angry responses, with many people calling the lack of Asian representation an 'epic fail' on the part of the toy giant - particularly given that this year's Olympics were held in Japan.
'Where is the Asian Barbie?! Shame on you! It's TOKYO for heavens sake,' wrote one person, while another person added: 'According to Mattel you can be anything, but ASIAN if you want to be included.
Upset: Mattel and Barbie have come under furious fire over the launch of its Olympics 2020 collection - which features no visible Asian representation
'Epic fail': Twitter users were quick to slam the range, calling out the irony in the lack of Asian doll in a collection designed to celebrate the Tokyo 2020 Games
Mattel advertised the collection as being 'inclusive' and 'innovative', saying that it is aimed at 'inspiring kids to find the athlete within'
'The Olympics is literally happening in Asia. An Asian countr[y] has the most gold medals. An Asian-American won gold in one of the biggest and most popular events. Talk about tone deaf. Do much better!'
The new Olympics collection, which is part of the official Tokyo 2020 merchandise, was originally released in February last year, however Barbie began re-promoting the line when the postponed Games kicked off at the end of the last month.
As part of the 'inclusive' collection, Mattel designed five new dolls to represent the new sports that were added to the Olympics before 2020: softball, climbing, karate, skateboarding, and surfing.
'Tokyo 2020 is a monumental event that brings the world together through sport and inspires fans of all ages,' Mattel's franchise officer Janet Hsu wrote in a statement, according to CNN.
'The Mattel Tokyo 2020 Collection honors these sports and inspires a new generation through the Olympic spirit and outstanding athletic tradition.'
But while each of the $19.99 dolls was designed with a different skin tone, hair color, and body shape, many users noted almost immediately that there was a total lack of visible Asian representation in the new collection.
Uproar: Social media users slammed the collection, accusing Barbie and Mattel of 'blatant racism' and branding the range 'tone deaf'
Options: Some users called attention to Hmong-American gymnast Sunisa Lee, calling for Mattel to hire the 18-year-old as its new spokesperson
'So disappointing that by trying to be inclusive you exclude almost 60% of the world's population as well as that of the host country,' one Twitter user wrote in response to Barbie's promotional tweet.
'Many of the top female athletes in the Olympics are Asian. This was not an oversight, but blatant racism.'
Champ: Suni won a gold medal in the all-around gymnastics final, as well as a silver team medal and a bronze on the uneven bars
Several users called attention to Hmong-American gymnast Sunisa Lee, 18, as an example of one of Team USA's most successful Asian athletes - while calling on Mattel and Barbie to hire the new all-around champion as its new spokesmodel, or at the very least, to release a doll in her honor.
'No Asian Barbie for the Olympic set?' one person questioned, before writing: 'Sunisa Lee. All around gold medalist in gymnastics. Do better @Barbie.'
Some even threatened to boycott the toy brand once and for all, with one mother saying: 'I won't be buying Barbie dolls for my two girls. No representation whatsoever. @Mattel needs to hire @sunisalee_ to be their spokesperson STAT.'
Another mom said that she had already been debating whether or not to let her children play with Barbies, noting that this latest scandal has 'proven to her' that Disney Princess dolls are the 'better' option.
One person came to the defense of the toy giant, insisting that the skateboarder Barbie in the collection is actually Asian-American, although this has not been confirmed by Mattel
'Major failure,' another user added. 'Where is the doll that looks Asian? Especially [given that the] Olympics 2020 is taking place in Japan which is an Asian country. @Mattel this is a disaster, whether it's accidental or intentional.'
One person came to the defense of the toy giant, insisting that there is one Asian-American doll in the collection - the brunette skateboarder.
'This is an Asian Barbie,' the user wrote, while sharing a picture of the doll.
The outcry over the Olympic Barbies comes in the wake of a controversial few years for the popular Mattel doll, which has made several attempts to diversify, including offering a range of curvier toys.
In September 2019, Mattel announced the launch of gender neutral dolls, which each come with a wardrobe of skirts and trousers, as well as switchable hairstyles, after facing increasing demand from customers for a more inclusive range.
Last year it also added a diverse range of designs, including a doll with the skin condition Vitiligo, one with a bald head, another in a wheelchair, and a Ken with ginger hair.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Mattel for comment.
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