TAIPEI: Some women in Taiwan are lashing out at the opening of a Barbie-themed restaurant in the country, saying it continues to invoke an anti-women image and promotes the sexualization of Asian women. The restaurant, Barbie Café, which opened last week in the country, caters to fans of the iconic doll that sprung to life a half-century ago and has become an international symbol. But for some women, the idea goes too far. “I think this is part of the problem that we women face in Asia," Jamie Yo, a 25-year-old recent university graduate, told Bikyanews.com. “I think the idea of Barbie is inherently anti-women and to have a café is wrong and perpetuates these myths about women and girls in Asia." She hopes that people will shun the restaurant, but that is unlikely after the restaurant was packed in its first two nights opening, with pink sofas, tables and chairs shaped as high heels and other imagery from the Mattel toymaker. The restaurant has been licensed and will continue to operate in the upscale shopping district of Taipei as part of the promotion of Barbie as an international fashion brand. “We picked Taiwan because theme restaurants are very popular and successful here. We are very confident that the Barbie Cafe can promote our brand image,” said Iggy Yip, a senior manager in Mattel's consumer products division in Greater China. Besides dolls, Mattel retails garments, accessories and furniture in Taiwan and some select products will be available in the cafe, she said. Yip is hopeful that the restaurant will also attract Barbie fans from China, Hong Kong and Japan, which are among the biggest sources of tourists to Taiwan. But for women like Yo, it is more of the same and she and other activists have called for changes and protests outside the restaurant. They say they are going to push against the place until it closes. “We respect places can open, but something like Barbie goes too far and it is teaching our younger generation that being like plastic and a sex symbol is okay. That's not right, especially as we Asian women are faced with all sorts of anti-women images on a daily basis," she said. For now, however, the café is ready to go and is already garnering much attention, locally and internationally, with the media quickly finding ways to report on Barbie Café. BN
