The beloved tennis icon Billie Jean King can add one more item to her list of incredible accomplishments. She's now officially joining Club Barbie. That's right, the 76-year-old trailblazing tennis star has been made into a Barbie, complete with a tennis-playing outfit, and it's definitely a well-deserved honor for one of the most influential women in sports history.
In recent years, Mattel has been modeling dolls after many important female icons. We've seen the Rosa Parks Barbie, Sally Ride, and Frida Kahlo, to name a few. This Barbie is particularly exciting for people who idolize Billie Jean, are fans of tennis, or are simply floored by her revolutionary life and what she has done to break down barriers for women in sports.
Billie Jean King is beloved as a skilled tennis player and a feminist revolutionary. She famously won the "Battle of the Sexes" match against Bobby Riggs, which meant that everyone would know her name forevermore. In recent years, a movie has been made about her, bringing her story to the lives of a new generation, but she certainly claimed her spot in history long ago with that epic win.
Billie Jean King is the latest female trailblazing woman to become a Barbie. It's a huge honor that not many will ever get to call their own. The Barbie is part of Mattel's series of Inspiring Women, which honors modern and historical women role models. This new edition will be wonderful for any women and girls who love Billie Jean, sports, or just incredible feminist icons.
Billie Jean's Barbie is modeled after her when she was in her tennis-playing prime in the 1970s. Now Billie Jean is reflecting on what an incredible honor this is. She told People magazine, “I’m so thrilled to be part of the Barbie family now. And you know, I’m also with Ella Fitzgerald, who is being released and who was a real ‘shero’ of mine."
She continued: “It’s really exciting as each one comes out and you know, it’s all about imagining the possibilities for your life, especially for the young ones. They can dream, they can imagine when they have their Barbie. Hopefully it helps them to think about all the possibilities in their life — that they can be anything they want to be and that it’ll help them decide how to define their lives and not be defined by others. So I think it’s fantastic.”
While Billie Jean is best known for that epic win in 1973, she also continued to do a lot for women in sports. Aside from being a tremendous icon for young women in sports, proving that women really can do anything and compete against men, she kept up her efforts off the court, too. She would go on to found the Women’s Tennis Association and Women’s Sports Foundation. She was also inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
It's pretty unquestionable that Billie Jean deserves this honor. But a representative from Mattel explained why it was so important that the company chose her. “She is not only a legendary tennis player, but also an equality champion,” Lisa McKnight, SVP and global head of Barbie and the Dolls Portfolio at Mattel, told Time magazine. “By shining a spotlight on her powerful story, we are continuing to show girls that they can be anything.”
What's even more incredible is that with the creation of this new doll, Billie Jean's story will continue to show up in young girls' lives. Kids who didn't know who she was will have the opportunity to learn about her contributions. That's a really incredible thing, so bravo to Mattel for shining a light on Billie Jean in this way.
It can be easy to assume that these days, girls don’t have boundaries keeping them from pursuing their dreams anymore, but that’s not necessarily true. Mattel acknowledges that, and that is, in part, where the idea for this line of dolls came from. The line was established to help close the “dream gap,” which researchers say is the common experience of young girls downplaying their potential in comparison to boys, based on nothing more than stereotypes.
“All these women are trailblazers who have made a significant impact in their respective areas of focus, and any fan can benefit from knowing their stories,” Lisa McKnight explained, nodding at the diversity of the figures that Barbie has selected in the series.
“We have to stop teaching our girls they’re never good enough. It starts in childhood," Lisa said. And it's totally true. If anyone would know it, it's Billie Jean, who had to overcome so much to achieve her dreams. Lisa also acknowledged that girls can develop “self-limiting beliefs” at a young age. “Barbie can help that. You can use your imagination with Barbie doll, which is really important,” she said.
Billie Jean's Barbie is already on store shelves. You can find her at tons of retailers or buy her right now online. Kids will absolutely love learning about this incredible icon. So let them be inspired!
