海角大神

In announcing that the 55-year-old plastic bombshell Barbie doll would grace the 50th-anniversary cover of Sports Illustrated鈥檚 mega-selling annual swimsuit issue, toymaker Mattel and the famous sports glossy took a decidedly values-oriented 鈥� and defiant 鈥� tone.

鈥淔rom its earliest days, Swimsuit has delivered a message of empowerment, strength and beauty," said SI鈥檚 swimsuit editor M.J. Day in a statement Tuesday, 鈥渁nd we are delighted that Barbie is celebrating those core values in such a unique manner.鈥�

Since the magazine鈥檚 bestselling issue will celebrate a 50-year milestone 鈥� a big event for any person or product 鈥� Barbie will celebrate these core values with 22 other models in a 鈥淪alute to the Legends鈥� spread, featuring the likes of Christie Brinkley, Tyra Banks, and cover girl for the past two years, Kate Upton.

鈥淎s a legend herself, and under criticism about her body and how she looks, posing in 鈥楽ports Illustrated Swimsuit鈥� gives Barbie and her fellow legends an opportunity to own who they are, celebrate what they have done, and be unapologetic,鈥� a Mattel spokeswoman told Ad Age this week.

Indeed, with its #unapologetic hashtag and full-fledged marketing campaign, the toymaker and sports magazine sent out a preemptive advertising shot across their longtime critics鈥� bow, recognizing at the outset how their buxom, long-legged products spark the powder keg of the country鈥檚 often ambivalent cultural and moral touchstones.

鈥淚 think the inclusion of Barbie in Sports Illustrated and the 鈥榰napologetic鈥� campaign is a provocative way to take a shot back at feminists who have critiqued Barbie's image and whether she damages the self-esteem of young girls,鈥� says Kathleen Bogle, professor of sociology at La Salle University in Philadelphia. 鈥淔eminists have criticized Barbie's proportions and what they would equate to in a real young woman to show how the Barbie image promotes an unhealthy body image.鈥�

On the surface, the objectification and marketing of women鈥檚 bodies and the moral critiques from religious and feminist quarters are nothing new. Call it the 鈥渃lassic critique鈥� of Barbie, a debate that has followed since her creation a half century ago.

Beneath the surface, however, many thinkers say there are more layers of competing cultural values involved. Mattel and Sports Illustrated anticipated the controversy and are now using it for marketing purposes.

鈥淚t鈥檚 fascinating to me, that on the one hand, this is just a publicity stunt for Mattel and for Sports Illustrated,鈥� says Dustin Harp, a gender and media expert at the University of Texas at Arlington. 鈥淩eally, right now in our culture, whether it鈥檚 a pop singer or product, marketing is all about the buzz, and any attention is good attention. And it鈥檚 very similar to a toddler: They just want attention, especially through behaving badly. It鈥檚 just about the buzz.鈥�

The 鈥渦napologetic鈥� campaign comes, too, as Barbie sales have plummeted, dropping 13 percent worldwide last quarter, a steady downward trend since the end of 2012. And since Mattel is paying for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover, and since the constant criticism of Barbie could be behind her recent troubles, the deal is meant to raise eyebrows. Barbie is marketed to young girls; the swimsuit edition is marketed toward men and adolescent boys.

Both companies have not only exploited the female form for profit, other observers say, but they now have appropriated the values of self-esteem and equality, flipping them for their own defense.

鈥淎s with Barbie, every year the swimsuit edition sparks conversations about women and body image, and Sports Illustrated stands unapologetically behind this issue that women, in reality, love,鈥� said another Mattel spokesperson to Adweek. 鈥淯napologetic is a rally cry to embrace who you are and to never have to apologize for it.鈥�

Barbie, the top-ranked brand among toys, which is worth $3 billion, according to Mattel, has proven culturally fungible with other kinds of values, however. The slender cultural icon has had 150 careers over the years, the company points out. She鈥檚 been an architect, doctor, and astronaut, as well as an Olympic gymnast. In the 1980s, she even became multicultural when Mattel launched African-American and Hispanic Barbies.

But her essence remained her otherworldly physical proportions, held up as an ideal of female beauty and celebrated incessantly in a media-defined age. 聽

鈥淥n the other hand, what I鈥檓 also finding fascinating about this is that we鈥檝e already had this Sports Illustrated ideal image of women,鈥� says Dr. Harp, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 an ideal image that is unattainable and unreal 鈥� and literally unreal, because they鈥檙e always photoshopped.鈥�

鈥淎nd now we鈥檝e moved to just having an unreal woman,鈥� Harp continues. 鈥淲e have this plastic woman, who doesn鈥檛 even need to be photoshopped, because she鈥檚 the perfect model. So you almost wonder, is this the natural progression of our understanding of the ideal woman?鈥�

Critics are pointing out the 鈥渢ruth in all jest鈥� comments made by award-winning photographer Walter Iooss Jr., in one of those familiar behind-the-scenes videos of photo shoots with famous people. 聽

鈥淚鈥檝e been waiting for this day with Barbie,鈥� said Mr. Iooss in a . 鈥淚鈥檝e seen all the good ones go through the locations, but she鈥檚 hot. Barbie鈥檚 hot. She takes instructions almost silently: That鈥檚 why she鈥檚 the best model I鈥檝e ever worked with.鈥�

鈥淪he鈥檚 in some ways the perfect model,鈥� winked Christopher Hercik, creative director for Sports Illustrated, on the same behind-the-scenes-with-Barbie spot. 鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 blink, she doesn鈥檛 move, she takes directions.鈥�

It鈥檚 the kind of classic objectification, though set in a jesting context, that Barbie and Sports Illustrated鈥檚 swimsuit issue represents, critics say.

鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously tongue in cheek,鈥� Harp says, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 also very creepy, because he鈥檚 a 60-plus-year-old man talking about how hot Barbie is.鈥� 聽

鈥淏ut there鈥檚 also some real cultural values embedded in what he鈥檚 saying,鈥� she continues. 鈥淭here鈥檚 this idea that women are supposed to be beautiful and silent and not talk and not cause problems.鈥�

The jests contradict swimsuit editor Mr. Day鈥檚 insistence that the issue is about empowerment and strength, of course. But like all jests, they reveal simmering ambivalences and discomfort, especially when it comes to the power of bombshells, who by definition are abstraction meant to be gazed upon.

鈥淏ecause Barbie is an icon, she oftentimes gets dragged into the cultural conversation," said Michelle Chidoni, a Mattel spokeswoman. "Barbie is often asked to apologize for what she looks like, but she is who she is.鈥�