While the well-intentioned nature of a new commercial promoting the release of Moschino Barbie (yes, it’s quite niche) promotes the presence of a, shall we say, effete boy getting in on the fun of showing his enthusiasm for the product, it ends up coming across as somewhat egregiously stereotypical.
Opening on the white version of the Barbie first (some things will never change), the commercial shifts to expose the doll’s black counterpart in the midst of excited (and presumably rich bitches in training) girls of various races reciting, “I love you Moschino Barbie!” all while the aggressively insistent backing track asserts, “She’s the girl who has it all–nothing can stop her!”
And for the girl no one can stop, it’s essential to have a wide and diverse fan base. Thus, of course, a caricature of a gay child screaming, “Moschino Barbie is so fierce!,” while fashioning a purse onto her arm is absolutely essential to convincing the desired demographic that, yes, it’s okay–nay, implicit–to buy your probably same sex-oriented son a Barbie. But not just any Barbie, Moschino Barbie.
Indeed, why would the makers of Moschino Barbie target anyone other than the blossoming homosexual preadolescent? It’s almost as though they’re hyper-profiling the type of person who would be interested in a Barbie keen on wearing one type of designer clothing. And, after all, who but affluent, well-adjusted parents would be willing to admit to their son’s gaydom early on enough to be willing to buy him such a product? It’s really marketing genius at its finest–yet, somehow, also at its worst and most obviously self-serving. Watch for yourself here.
