Frida Kahlo Barbie: Salma Hayek and Twitterati slam Mattel for ignoring her uniqueness and unibrow

Sharing a photo of the Frida Kahlo Barbie on Instagram, the Beatriz at Dinner actor wrote, “#fridakahlo never tried to be or look like anyone else.” The 51-year-old superstar who played iconic Kahlo in her 2002 biopic added, “She celebrated her uniqueness. How could they turn her into a Barbie? [SIC]”.

Hayek was not the only one who raised her concern about Kahlo’s image being used by a big corporate house. Kahlo was a life-long Communist and spent years fighting capitalism and a company using her image for commercial gain seemed quite ironic to many.

Many on social media criticised the doll and complained it’s more Barbie-like than Frida Kahlo-like. The designers tried to include her style or fashion sense using a floral headband, but did not include Kahlo’s heavy, conjoined eyebrows. A few Kahlo fans also slammed the company for ignoring artist’s disability and suggested that it was a wrong way to honour the legend. Many also argued the costume doesn’t accurately portray the elaborate Tehuana-style dresses the artist wore.

Went to buy #disabled icon #fridakahlobarbie Saw she had 2 eyebrows and was like nah https://t.co/2gId40RShb I still want @IbtihajMuhammad barbie.

— Maysoon Zayid (@maysoonzayid) March 12, 2018

Frida Kahlo was a tomboy as a young child who, enjoyed boxing in her teens, she challenged ideas of feminine beauty by refusing to change the way she looked with her famous unibrow. I wonder what she’d think of being celebrated by Barbie.#FridaKahloBarbie

— Elaine Dempsey (@11moules) March 11, 2018

Frida Kahlo’s family are threatening to sue Mattel over the new Frida doll’s lack of unibrow and inaccurate Mexican costume. I’d also sue them over the alien stick arms #FridaKahlo #Barbie pic.twitter.com/W9ABIVme3T

— Helen A. (@Helenus_) March 10, 2018

I don’t believe in curses normally, but there’s no way you can disrespect someone’s memory that hard and not face some other-worldly consequences.

— Pinko.Snob (@pinko_snob) March 10, 2018

@Mattel @Barbie Thrilled to see strong women represented by Barbie. There are millions of kids who need to see Frida Kahlo as a woman w/a disability. These kids need true representation. It’s not just for able the bodied. She needs her wheelchair. Empower kids w/disabilities too.

— Michele (@my_dys) March 9, 2018

Not here for it unless she has a unibrow. It’s her trademark js. Where’s my sharpie!! #FridaKahlobarbie #FridaKahlo #barbie #fail pic.twitter.com/RKPdPrrYea

— Mel (@DorkyAfroLatina) March 9, 2018

I can be grateful for Barbie’s new line of historical dolls & inclusion of Frida Kahlo in it, while also being upset & calling attention to this amazing woman with lifelong disabilities being depicted as fully abled.

If I’m ever famous, don’t erase my disability from my story! pic.twitter.com/Y8TMTBMRi4

— Shannon Dingle (@ShannonDingle) March 8, 2018

why would you make a Frida Kahlo barbie point blank but also why would you make a Frida doll without her monobrow what’s the point

— cat e-thot (@cathoe69) March 8, 2018

why would you make a Frida Kahlo barbie point blank but also why would you make a Frida doll without her monobrow what’s the point

— cat e-thot (@cathoe69) March 8, 2018

Gross. This is #ableism & #whitesupremacy at its peak. To erase #FridaKahlo‘s #disability erases her art, legacy, & person. This message send young disabled women they must be “fixed” & accepted for who they are.

P.s. Frida would find this a gringo insult at the very least. https://t.co/a8xtvOHGJ6

— brownroundboi (@brownroundboi) March 8, 2018

frida kahlo : i hate capitalism, a lot of things about usa etc
society since she died : whaf if we made her image and her beliefs become products
society in 2018 : a frida kahlo Barbie !! such a good idea

— le tour de ma flemme en 365 jours (@patroclerotique) March 7, 2018

the frida kahlo barbie doesn’t have a unibrow and in a shocking turn of events barbie wants to add feminism to its brand while still aggressively adhering to western beauty standards

— Maitri White (@sciagurata) March 6, 2018

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Kahlo’s great-niece Mara de Anda Romeo said Mattel doesn’t have the rights to use Kahlo’s image and wants the company to change the way the doll looks. Pablo Sangri, a lawyer for de Anda Romeo, said his client doesn’t seek money, but wants Mattel to talk about redesigning the doll.