‘MyCelia’ Barbies Trick Media Into Thinking Mattel Is Launching Mushroom Dolls
Life in plastic is not that fantastic according to activist collective Barbie Liberation Organization (BLO), which has been able to trick people—and prominent media outlets—into believing that Mattel was giving up its plastic dolls in exchange for mushroom-made ones instead in a new campaign.
BLO was created by the advocacy group Yes Men and is known for its satirical activism targeting corporations like Starbucks and McDonald’s. Recently, it has used advertisements, fake press releases, and websites to spread the news about Mattel’s supposed transition to mushroom-based dolls by 2030. This includes a new line called ‘My Celia’, inspired by environmental figures like Greta Thunberg, Julia Butterfly Hill, and actress Darryl Hannah.
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According to the press release, the new EcoWarrier Barbie would be made from natural materials such as mushroom mycelium, algae, seaweed, clays, wood cellulose, and bamboo, avoiding the harmful fossil fuel-based plastics commonly used in Barbie products.
The campaign featured exaggerated videos with young girls playing with the My Celia dolls and engaging in radical activities, such as pretending to have them break into oil rigs, join the Just Stop Oil movement, dressing them up in balaclavas, and even throwing a molotov cocktail at “Vladimir Putin.”
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Still, despite the extremist nature of the advertisements, some media outlets like People and the Washington Times (who later issued an editor’s note on why it removed the story) fell for the prank, believing the dolls were genuine.
Eventually, The New York Times reached out to Mattel, which confirmed that the mycelium range was part of a hoax and was not a real product. Mattel has been actively pursuing its own real sustainability goals, including partnerships with the Jane Goodall Institute to create carbon-neutral-certified and ocean-plastic-recycled Barbies inspired by Dr Jane Goodall.
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In the end, is it safe to say that the BLO has efficiently brought our attention to how much damage a Barbie doll can have on the environment, or are people now more aware of how easily misinformation can spread online instead?
[via The Dieline and Green Queen, screenshots via MyCelia Barbie/Barbie Liberation Organization]
