It's long been established that the traditional Barbie doll does not accurately represent the adult female form, and that the proportions are out of whack. Now that Mattel has launched a new line of black Barbies to appeal to those of African descent, they are receiving the same kind of criticism that the regular old white Barbie has been getting for years - that they don't authentically represent black women.

While many are pleased that their daughters can play with Barbie dolls that look more like them, others point out that the the line of "So in Style" black Barbies do not represent all black women. Some argue that they look more liked mixed race women, and features like afros, kinky hair, and more flattened noses and large lips noticeably absent. Instead, it is argued that the dolls look more like the black women featured in hip-hop videos - slim with small noses and straightened hair. Many say that they should have more natural black hairstyles, like braids and afros.

Others, however, point out that many black women in fact do straighten their hair. So in that sense, it is not an inaccurate representation.

The dolls were created by Stacy McBride-Irby, an African American who watched her daughter play with dolls and wanted to come up with a doll that looked more like her. She said she has heard the criticisms, but has also received a lot of praise:

"They mean so much to me because they did come from a positive place. My daughter loves the dolls. I've had dads thank me for creating this line of dolls that represent their little girls. These dolls are for girls all over the world."