
EL SEGUNDO, CA—Following the debut of the inclusive “Creatable World” line of toys, Mattel attempted to preempt backlash over their gender-neutral dolls Thursday by releasing the highly anticipated “Covered In Genitals” Barbie. “In the spirit of inclusivity, we thought it was important to give parents concerned about a non-gendered doll an alternative option that is very, very gendered,” said Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, showcasing to shareholders slides of a classic Barbie figure covered from head to toe with dozens of realistic penises and vulvas, all arranged in a seemingly random pattern across the doll’s body. “We wanted to emphasize the idea of body diversity to kids, so the genitals come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Plus, the penises and vulvas are in a number of different states of arousal. At the end of the day, we hope the toy can provide parents with the peace of mind granted by a doll that is completely unambiguous about having tons of reproductive organs.” At press time, Mattel confirmed that “Covered In Genitals” Barbie would be just the first in the new “Hyper-Gendered” series, with “Nothing But Nether Regions” Skipper and “Anus-Riddled” Ken set to debut in the fall of 2020.