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Mattel debuts first Barbie with hearing aids
- glouwbug 4y agoI long for the day that Earpods become hearing aids
- mcaravey 4y agoApple AirPods can behave a bit like a hearing aid. You can use the Live Listen feature on an iPhone to get an idea [0]. I’ve got a modern set of hearing aids that I actually ordered last week. They have Bluetooth built in, so they will actually function as earbuds themselves, allowing me to answer calls or listen to music and so on. So the reverse is already happening where the hearing aid acts as headphones. One last thing to consider is that ear buds occlude the ear completely, where some hearing aids (like mine) are designed to physically allow sound through. In my case it’s better than total occlusion since one of my ears only has partial loss (total loss in the other). [0] https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209082 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209082
- glouwbug 4y agoDon't hearing aids have to be FDA approved? There's a huge potential for something like an Earpod to gain advanced hearing capabilities. The medical powers that be, however, just regulate the market
- mcaravey 4y agoYeah, which is probably why they cost thousands of dollars :( They do get programmed to compensate for the specific hearing loss of the individual, but if there was an easy way to take a hearing test and program the earbuds at home to match, that would be amazing. The transparency mode on the Apple AirPods already uses the mic to pass through sound, but I don’t know of any way to amplify specific frequencies or to transmit sound from one side to the other (for one-sided deafness).
- eclipticplane 4y agoA version of cheap hearing aids not unlike being able to pick up non-prescription reading glasses for $5 at the drug store would be life altering for many. Imperfect is better than unattainable.
- e-clinton 4y agoWhile on vacation recently, I gave my iPhone to the tour guide while he talked about the towns history. I had my AirPods in with Live Listen so I can chase around my 3 y/o while still listening to the guide. They work exceptionally well for that
- znpy 4y agoJust wondering, did Ken (Barbie’s male companion doll) receive some attention too? Or is male body represetation is still tied to unrealistic body standards?
- edflsafoiewq 4y ago> Other dolls in the new Fashionistas collection include a Ken doll with vitiligo, a condition in which the skin loses its pigment cells, causing it to appear blotchy. The line also includes a doll with a prosthetic leg, a Barbie who uses a wheelchair, and male dolls that are less muscular than the original Ken doll.
- Mo3 4y agoSounds like sales declining and not being able to think straight in the panic
- cr__ 4y agoToughen up a little bit, it’s a doll.
- DoreenMichele 4y agoI doubt that. Underrepresented people have this relatively new platform called the internet that helps them find their voice and be heard by other people, sometimes even if just shit posting and doing some variation of "drunk dialing." I'm guessing that's a factor here.
- calculatte 4y agoYes, I also only consume products that reflect my particular stereotype. If you want my dollar, you'd better feature a fat bald guy who sits in an office chair 14 hours per day shitposting on reddit. I shall be waiting for the Barbie doll announcement.
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- joegahona 4y agoI'd be curious of a sales breakdown of all these varieties. Old article, but somewhat dismaying: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/black-barbie-sold-white-barbie-walmart-store/story?id=10045008 https://abcnews.go.com/Business/black-barbie-sold-white-barb...
- vestrigi 4y agoStill waiting for the first Barbie with an average face. But I guess as the manufacturer of pretty dolls, it’s impossible to satisfy all of those demands.
- obilgic 4y agoaverage as in not very pretty? so you have a definition of pretty and you are okay with it being the standard however just want an average faced doll? I wouldn't consider myself very knowledgable such as topics like these, so just curious about what the thinking is behind it.
- the_af 4y agoI think the parent poster means Barbie dolls that look more like regular people. Classic Barbie looks like a model.
- vestrigi 4y agoYes. I was trying to criticize that Barbie dolls hold up an unrealistic beauty standard while trying to be inclusive about disabilities, color or gender.
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y agoI don't understand their comment. "Average" women are pretty imo. Do they mean below average?
- prvc 4y ago"Average" faces tend to be attractive, due in part to symmetry and lack of blemishes. If you mean "plain", however, I am sure you will soon get your wish. Although there are certainly many options available now, to obtain such a toy, if you don't insist on having that particular brand.
- twoxproblematic 4y ago
- kiawe_fire 4y agoThere’s an undeniable appeal with toys like these as a means to normalize and explore the world around you freely in miniaturized and simplified form. So I hope the appeal of toys like these extends beyond just “seeing myself represented” - ideally, kids get to play with a variety of likenesses beyond just “the one that looks like me”. (Aside: the final paragraph of the article is 100% unnecessary, corporate virtue signaling, with no relation to anything else in the article aside from being Barbie related.)
- the_af 4y agoThey claim the goal is both for the kids to see themselves represented but also to pick some toys that do not resemble them.
- DoreenMichele 4y agoI'm guessing that you hear a lot more complaints from marginalized people who can't find representation of people like them than you do privileged people whining about a lack of representation of people unlike them. But it's certainly equally important to have both. Edit: I mean both outcomes: people able to find dolls like them and people able to play with diverse dolls.
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- tamaharbor 4y agoWhat next? Fat Barbie? Pimple Barbie? Bald Barbie?
- mhb 4y agoSashay into the playroom! Fisher-Price unveils fabulous RuPaul toy set: https://www.today.com/popculture/popculture/sashay-playroom-fisher-price-unveils-fabulous-rupaul-toy-set-rcna28317 https://www.today.com/popculture/popculture/sashay-playroom-...