Off target

The Olympics have finished in Tokyo, although there is still the Paralympics to start, and it has been a great success for the whole world in a time of difficulty. There have been many stories of success but not the Barbie one. Mattel, the manufacturers of Barbie have created an incomplete and inaccurate Olympic collection.

There seems to be no doll of Asian appearance with only white and dark skin example available despite this being run in an Asian country. There does not appear to be any representatives of the LGBTQIA+ community despite a number of participants from these groups, both publicly known and some not yet willing or able to identify themselves so.

It would also seem that Barbie only wins Gold Medals. There is nothing wrong with being second best in the world or 50th, it’s the participation that is important. There needs to be role models for young people, and it appears to be the athletes themselves and not the Barbie versions of the athletes.

Dennis Fitzgerald — Melbourne, Australia