nimble, a border collie-papillon mix, wins the 12” class in the 2024 masters agility championship. the first time a mixed breed has won at westminster ever.
I've never liked the phrase "vote with your wallet." When consumers wanted more sustainable and green alternatives, we got greenwashing en masse.
So how do you analyze the ethics of a multi-billion dollar corporation with several legacy brands under its name? You don't! It's a sticky business if you believe there is "no ethical consumption under capitalism." Given that the U.S. is entering trade wars with several countries, I decided to do a little investigation into Mattel using publicly-available resources.
This is going to be a long post.
There are some things that I'm going to point out, and I want to begin by stating that there is no conclusive evidence that Mattel as a whole is a political-leaning organization. You may be thinking: "Duh! It's a global brand. Why lean into politics?" The issue is that any company that sources its goods from other countries, especially China, will have a vested interest in the current administration's policies on trading. But first, let's talk about DEI.
DEI POLICIES
We are living in an unprecedented time. This statement is true no matter where you fall on the political matrix. Because Donald Trump won the 2024 election at just 49.8%, barely a plurality, and because SCOTUS issued another disastrous decision that ended affirmative action at colleges, corporations are seizing the moment to drop their DEI policies.
Anyone who's attended a Pride event and witnessed the muck of Rainbow Capitalism is not surprised that corporations would retreat on these policies. They leave just as quickly as they arrive. Conservatives suggest that DEI policies are a fad and lead to filling quotas and unfair hiring practices, all of which are illegal. The corporations that stick by their policies say it's a matter of ethics (see Costco's decision to keep theirs).
Which brings me back to Mattel. Will they or won't they drop their DEI policies? DEI policies work to ensure several things: hiring practices are fair and do not discriminate, work forces are diverse and represent the populations they serve, and historically marginalized groups are brought on board. These policies are defined as radical by the far-right because these policies can only exist if we conclude that we live in a society built upon patriarchal, imperialist, and white supremacist social constructs. And that this capitalist country was built using black people as capital.
DEI policies exist to reduce the fallout of segregation from the 20th century. People are afraid that if corporations drop their DEI policies, it allows segregation to reemerge in the workplace. While some companies dropped their policies citing cost-cuts, others retain theirs because the data proves a diverse workforce leads to higher revenues. This is why I do not think of corporations as people. Their bottom line, not the overall health of civic society, drives every decision they make.
Is Mattel keeping their DEI policies? For now, the answer is yes. Their website still links to Thriving and Inclusive Communities and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion pages, and of course their news page is filled with "happy" and "fun" announcements. They have also established a commitment to human rights to combat modern slavery and child labor, and other swampy issues a global company may face when sourcing material and labor.
And finally, the 1792 Exchange, a right-leaning nonprofit with a mission to undermine woke culture, defines the Mattel corporation as High Risk because of their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Alternatively, the Human Rights Campaign issued Mattel a score of 100% for their commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
The far-right have stolen and utilized the "woke" term to weaponize everything they disagree with. DEI policies are now politicized. Just last week Trump blamed the worst U.S. plane crash in 15 years on DEI. If Mattel chooses to keep its DEI policies, its commitment to LGBTQA+ inclusivity, its commitment to human rights, then these acts by default become political. Radical.
The question is: will Mattel bend the knee to the Trump administration and shed these policies?
CORPORATE POLITICS
Did you like the Barbie movie? You can thank the Mattel CEO for that.
The CEO of Mattel is Ynon Kreiz, an Israeli-American businessman. The war in Palestine and Israel became a convoluted issue leading up to the November 2024 election, highlighting the very stark divide between left and right in the U.S., with one side labeling Palestine as an apartheid state undergoing genocide, and the other side saying that anti-Zionist terrorists want to highjack the rightful homeland of the Jews (a side that also ironically consists of white supremacists and antisemites).
Ynon Kreiz has strong ties to Israel. It's where he was born, raised, and where he studied. Kreiz joined several other entertainment leaders in denouncing the Hamas attacks in 2023, stating, "We unequivocally stand in solidarity with Israel in the global fight against terrorism." On a Bloomberg podcast, he explained that Mattel stands against all forms of hate, and that includes the atrocities committed against Israelis and Palenstinians. However, he avoided giving any opinions on Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of a far-right government in Israel who opposes Palestinian statehood. Kreiz wants a swift resolution and peace for all, and isn't that a good and tidy thing to want?
Where you land on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict likely demonstrates where you land in politics overall. If we think that statement is true, is it enough to determine the politics of Ynon Kreiz? Probably not.
There are two other things to note. One I'm folding into several things: supply chain issues, tariffs, and China. We know that Kreiz spoke with Biden in 2021 with hopes that the U.S. government will work towards mitigating the effect of supply chain issues, issues made worse by Trump-era tariffs, which could worsen again under the second Trump administration. Trump campaigned on the promise of tariffs, which could hurt Mattel, who currently gets 50% of its goods from China. Mattel will reduce that to 40%, but we can still expect to see raised prices to offset it.
We do not know if Kreiz, or Mattel, if we assume corporations are people, favor one political party over the other. The dominant two parties have wildly different trading and tariff policies. Trump's tax cuts will look very tempting to high earners, but his tariff proposals could (and will) cause anxiety. If Mattel feels like they have skin in the game, they will want to be proactive with mitigating their losses due to tariffs and their EBITDA.
Which brings me to the second thing to note: can we follow a money trail? Since the 2011 Citizens United decision, which basically concluded that corporations are people and can spend money in our elections, there has been an explosion of money in politics. Opensecrets.org is an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit that tracks political spending in U.S. elections. While Mattel as a corporation cannot itself contribute to a political candidate or campaign, their PACs and individuals can. Their page lists a total of $81,973 given during the 2024 election cycle, with contributions made to both Democratic and Republican candidates, including Donald Trump. The top recipient was Kamala Harris, receiving $41,031, which was donated by an "individual" (in this context, an individual may indicate a member, employee, owner, or immediate family member). The top recipient in 2020 was Joe Biden. We cannot ascertain too much from this information, but the political spending associated with the Mattel name is far from just $0.
I know what you're thinking. A company like Mattel should want a squeaky clean reputation, and politics muddy the waters. Why would anyone at that company be outspoken about their political beliefs and opinions?
Controversy tends to follow Mattel. They'll release "gender-neutral" dolls that progressives critique and pull an entire book launch because conservatives got mad over the gender and body inclusivity. If we look at the Barbie line from its conception, it's awash with misogyny, racism, fat-phobia, and sexism. She's also a feminist icon. Some of Mattel's top brands have long been dualistic in nature.
We are living in an era of intense political polarization in a country that just elected a guy who thinks and acts like a fascist. Will that trickle down to toys, too?
A NOTE ON ADDY
I collect American Girl dolls. One of them is Addy Walker, a character released in 1993 under Pleasant Company, which would later be purchased by Mattel in the late 90s. Addy is a character who escapes slavery. (See this link for more context on Addy's history and development.) As a member of this fandom, I've noticed that we are quick to draw conclusions, and a new big concern is whether or not Addy will be retired.
The concern is not totally unfounded.
In addition to the DEI scares, State legislatures are pushing through bills that would allow schools to dilute lessons on slavery, or rewrite history on slavery altogether, and Trump has gone so far as to suggest we should defund schools that teach slavery is central to American history. It's become part of their several-pronged strategy to name anything "woke" (ie. black, brown, indigenous, marginalized, LGBTQA+) as a scapegoat.
If Mattel drops its DEI policies, does that mean it will drop Addy, and other characters like her?
For now, much like Mattel's website, the American Girl site still includes a statement on diversity and inclusion. Their commitment to empower girls and racial equity led them to release their library on all black characters for free. Additionally, the American Girl site still hosts their learning guides for parents and teachers on a number of books featuring the historical characters.
Another black historical character is Claudie Wells, a girl living during the Harlem Renaissance, who was released in 2022. Fans immediately loved Claudie but were disappointed that she didn't receive the same promotional treatment as other characters, like the 90s twins (who are white) that launched in 2023.
Given these circumstances, fans have noticed a trend where American Girl will prioritize air space for their white characters, but not their black ones. The "World by Us" line featuring three non-white characters was released in 2021 to diversify the line, but the collection consistently goes on sale to nix the remaining stock. The first characters to sell out were Evette and Maritza, both dolls which could be deemed racially ambiguous if you knew nothing about their backstories. The only doll who hasn't sold out is Makena, who is unequivocally black. Despite the dwindling World by Us collection, Makena is still available to purchase on the American Girl website.
There are other examples like this. It brings into question the intentions of American Girl and Mattel. Why don't they prioritize black dolls? Why do they make 7,000 of the white holiday doll but only 3,000 of the black holiday doll? Do most children, regardless of race, prefer white dolls? (See this history of black dolls.) Are black dolls harder to sell, especially at a high price point? Is Mattel just reflecting our society at large, which if we glean anything from the previous election, is becoming increasingly conservative and tired of inclusive culture?
A new fear is spreading that American Girl will retire Addy Walker due to corporations stripping away their DEI policies. I don't think this will happen. American Girl is riding the Gen X and Millennial nostalgia wave all the way to the bank, and the includes revamping and relaunching the original characters. That includes Addy Walker.
Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz likely doesn't have much control over the creative direction at American Girl, and I doubt he cares much. He's spent his tenure turning the company around so that it can start making a profit again – and now it's a big name in Hollywood (thanks to that Barbie movie, and eventually an American Girl movie). Kreiz has been busy trimming down the company, cutting workforces, factories, and products. If he's already trimmed all the fat, then what's left? I doubt it's Addy Walker.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY
You can choose to vote with your wallet if you want, but this will never save your favorite doll line. While finding the conclusion for all this, I wanted to ask myself: "Why can't I just buy something as innocuous as an American Girl doll? Why does it have to be political!?"
The problem is that the far-right are infiltrating our politics, and they are politicizing our bodies. Immigrants and trans people are "othered" and dehumanized, with the intent of forcing them into a mostly white, evangelical society, and if they don't fit, then they can go away — or perish. "Woke" culture is named as something heinous and evil, and enough people believe this, then it becomes true. Whatever is the end goal of the Trump administration, assimilation and sameness is one key component. Everyone better fall in line, and that includes corporations, which are people by the way!
If Mattel keeps their DEI and inclusive policies, that will say one thing, but the truth will be revealed in their products.
***
Tumblr isn't the best for conversations but share your thoughts in the replies!
About me, the writer of this post:
I work in politics. I write for my job but I am not a journalist by trade, which is to say, please take everything you read in this post with a grain of salt.
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