Sex doll ruling arouses controversy in South Korea

SEOUL - A petition calling for a ban on importing life-size sex dolls into South Korea has gathered nearly a quarter million signatures as of Friday, passing a threshold that requires the president's office to respond to the matter.

While sex dolls are not illegal in South Korea, government customs agencies had blocked their import under a law that restricts materials that "corrupt public morals."

However, the Seoul High Court said in January that sex dolls were for personal use and should be treated differently than pornography, which is heavily restricted under South Korean law. That decision was upheld by the supreme court in June.

The ruling has sparked a backlash, with one petition filed with the presidential Blue House gathering more than 237,000 signatures. The unidentified author of the petition argued that an influx of imported sex dolls could lead to an increase in sex crimes.

A spokesman for Incheon Main Customs said they had allowed imports from Japan, but are still reviewing whether to release imported dolls from China.

The boss of the distributing company which challenged the earlier customs agency ruling said it could not provide total figures for the number of sex dolls imported into South Korea.

But Lee Sang-jin said there had been "a lot of individuals" travelling overseas to bring back dolls since the court ruling. Lee is CEO of MSHarmony Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of MSJL Co. Ltd.

Life-size dolls can cost from 1 million won ($840) to 20 million won ($16,750), depending on options and materials such as silicon skin, eye color and body heating systems to make them feel more like a human being.

The author of the petition argued that the customizable features of some dolls could be used to create copies of real people, a concern that Lee dismissed as unfounded. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com 

Reality check: Barbie now tall, curvy and petite too

NEW YORK - Barbie, long the stereotypical blue-eyed blonde bombshell, has been given a makeover. The iconic doll will now be available in three new body types -- tall, petite and curvy.

The best-selling doll's manufacturer Mattel announced the new looks Thursday, ending a 56-year-old tradition of Barbie having just one physique: unrealistically perfect.

The new dolls join Barbie's Fashionista line, which will now feature four body types. It will also have seven skin tones, 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles -- an acknowledgement, belated for some, that women come in many sizes and shapes.

"Barbie reflects the world girls see around them. Her ability to evolve and grow with the times, while staying true to her spirit, is central to why Barbie is the number one fashion doll in the world," Mattel President and CEO Richard Dickson said in a statement.

"We believe we have a responsibility to girls and parents to reflect a broader view of beauty," added Evelyn Mazzocco, senior vice president and global general manager of the Barbie brand.

NEW DOLLS COULD BOOST SALES

Mattel is not the first doll maker to shatter the mold of what pretty means.

In late 2014, graphic artist Nickolay Lamm introduced a doll named Lammily, which features what the company calls standard human body proportions.

In 2002, Tonner Doll came out with one called Emme, after the plus-size model who went by that name.

The new Barbie looks should help Mattel boost declining sales of the doll -- down for three straight years and by 16 percent in the first half of 2015.

Last year, Mattel launched "Hello Barbie": a version that uses WiFi and voice recognition technology so kids can actually hold conversations with the toy.

This is not the first time Mattel has released Barbies with different looks, although the body types are new.

In 1980, Mattel marketed Black Barbie, who had an afro-style hair-do.

Mattel's failure to change Barbie's body size had drawn a lot of criticism, but the company long defended the design.

"Barbie's body was never designed to be realistic. She was designed for girls to easily dress and undress," Kimberly Culmone, vice president of Barbie Global Creative, explained in 2014 in an interview with the website Fast Company.

Culmone challenged the notion that Barbie dolls could play a role in how little girls might perceive women's bodies and their own.

"Clearly, the influences for girls on those types of issues, whether it's body image or anything else, it's proven, it's peers, moms, parents. It's their social circles," Culmone said.

However, a British study in 2006 of girls aged five to eight found that those exposed to Barbie had a less favorable view of their own bodies.

These girls ended up wanting a thinner body than did girls not exposed to the doll.

After the new Barbie body types were announced on Thursday, social media lit up with messages of praise.

The stock market greeted the move with cautious optimism. Shares in Mattel were up 0.65 percent to $27.15 at around 1830 GMT.

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source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: Mattel releases new Filipina Barbie

MANILA – A new Filipina Barbie doll has been released by Mattel as part of its Global Glamour collection.

Only 4,400 units of the Mutya Barbie were released last February 2. The Filipina doll has tanned skin and black hair, and wears a terno inspired by the sampaguita flower and the sun icon from the Philippine flag.

For accessories, the Mutya Barbie has golden-tone earrings, a necklace, a bracelet and a golden lace fabric fan.

“Mutya means pearl or beauty or muse; it’s a girl’s name, and is also used in the titles of pageants in the Philippines,” said designer Carlyle Nuera. “Mutya Barbie will have the Kira face sculpt. I know a lot of collectors have a lot of love and nostalgia for that face sculpt, as do I, since that was a face sculpt I grew up with!”

“Her organza overdress is a take on the terno, with the unmistakable butterfly sleeves. The organza’s print references textiles of the different tribes in the Philippines as well as the sun from the flag. The embroidery on the hem is inspired by the sampaguita, a jasmine flower that is the national flower of the Philippines,” Nuera added.

The Mutya Barbie is available online for $100, with collectors allowed to order only up to five dolls.

Other dolls included in Mattel’s Global Glamour Collection include the Tribal Beauty, which wears a feathered midriff top, and Venetian Muse, which dons a black ball gown.

A number of Filipina Barbie dolls have been released over the years, with inspirations from Santacruzan, ethnic groups, weddings and traditions in the country.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com