The Girl Scouts teamed up with Barbie’s maker, Mattel, last year. Scouts can earn a Barbie “Be anything, Do everything” participation patch, the first ever with a corporate sponsor, and a Girl Scout-inspired Barbie doll is rolling out in stores.Although corporate sponsorship is everywhere, from athletic stadiums to youth baseball jerseys, critics believe the partnership is a bad fit for the Girl Scouts. With her passion for fashion and impossible hourglass shape, consumer groups feel that Barbie in a scouting uniform sends the wrong message.
“Barbie is basically a terrible role model for girls, and she’s not about what the Girl Scouts’ principles are, which have to do with leadership and courage,” Susan Linn, a psychologist and director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, told TODAY’s Janet Shamlian.
The Girl Scouts strongly defended the partnership and the new doll, countering that Barbie has a wholesome image.
