Angel Reese launches lookalike Barbie because she didn’t have black dolls as a kid. Mattel's catalog says otherwise.

On July 24, timed to WNBA All-Star Weekend, Mattel launched Atlanta Dream All-Star forward Angel Reese’s signature Barbie doll.Reese, ironically nicknamed the “Bayou Barbie,” now has a miniature lookalike that wears a pink basketball uniform with her No. 5, signature headband, leg sleeve, plus miniature Reebok Angel Reese 1 sneakers.All of this is well and good, but where BlazeTV’s Sara Gonzales draws the line is Reese’s comments about the why behind her Barbie doll. While the three-time All-Star confessed to some selfish motives — “I told [Mattel] I really wanted to have a Barbie doll one day and to have a Barbie is like you got to be iconic,” she said in a press conference — she also justified the doll as representation.When asked what kind of dolls she played with as a child, Reese answered, “I didn't have a lot of dolls because I didn't have dolls that really looked like me much. And that's why I kind of really wanted to make sure this was super intentional.”Sara immediately throws the flag.Reese, she points out, was born in 2002 and is 24 years old — well after Mattel’s long push to put more than one kind of girl on the shelf.“We looked it up and between 2002 and 2014, Mattel ... released between 250 to 350 unique black Barbie dolls,” says Sara. “So I don't know where Angel Reese was, but there were plenty of black Barbie dolls to choose from.”“In fact, Barbie has been making black dolls since the '60s. So I guess Angel Reese would rather just play the victim ... than just play with your black dolls,” she adds.Sara doesn’t dispute a young girl’s desire to have a doll that looks like her.“I totally get it,” she acknowledges. “It's just that [Reese] already had them.”“As much as they complain that they’re underrepresented ... when they do get representation, it's never good enough, or they have to erase it,” she sighs.To hear more, watch the episode above.Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Angel Reese launches lookalike Barbie because she didn’t have black dolls as a kid. Mattel's catalog says otherwise.

Mattel released a signature Barbie doll for WNBA player Angel Reese during All-Star Weekend. Reese stated she wanted the doll for representation, as she didn’t have many dolls that looked like her growing up. However, commentator Sara Gonzales disputes this, citing Mattel’s extensive history of releasing diverse Black Barbie dolls since the 1960s, including hundreds between 2002 and 2014.

  • Mattel launched an Angel Reese signature Barbie doll on July 24.
  • Reese cited representation and a lack of dolls that looked like her as reasons for wanting the doll.
  • Commentator Sara Gonzales claims Mattel released numerous Black Barbie dolls during Reese’s childhood.
  • Gonzales argues that Reese’s statement about not having dolls that looked like her is inaccurate given Mattel’s history.
  • The discussion highlights differing views on representation and the availability of diverse dolls.
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