Barbie is everything: a doctor, an astronaut, a chef, a dancer, an Olympian, a zoologist and even the president — but what about a member of the United States Coast Guard?
Since 1960, Mattel has given its iconic doll a lengthy resume of over 200 different careers, including serving in every branch of the U.S. military — except for the Coast Guard.
Now, WGHN-FM morning host Mary Ellen Murphy is looking to change that with her campaign called “The Barbie Project,” which she hopes will push Mattel to release a Coast Guard Barbie.
The campaign started when Murphy found a Barbie Beach House while browsing through a Goodwill after an oncology appointment in Grand Rapids. She explained that she bought the house for herself and her two granddaughters to play with, and over time found more dolls and furniture pieces to add to her collection. When this year’s Coast Guard Festival was growing closer, Murphy began looking for a Coast Guard doll to bring to the beach house.
“I went to Google and there’s no Coast Guard Barbie,” Murphy said. “I went to Mattel, I went on some doll websites, I even googled ‘Coast Guard Barbie outfits” — nothing. Then I came across an article in Military Times about the fact that there is no Coast Guard Barbie.
“In the early ’90s, Barbie came out with a military line. There is a Navy Barbie, an Army Barbie, an Air Force Barbie and a Marine Barbie, but there was no Coast Guard Barbie and Mattel didn’t respond to…
