MATTEL NOT ANIMAL-FRIENDLY!

Mattel, makers of Barbie Dolls, have shown their true colors by producing a doll called "Spanish Barbie," which is a female bullfighter. Please write to the CEO of Mattel and let him know you don’t approve of this type of endorsement of animal abuse!

August 3, 2000

Robert A. Eckert, C.E.O.
Mattel, Inc.
333 Continental Boulevard
El Segundo, CA 90245-5012

Re: "Spanish Barbie"

Dear Mr. Eckert:

As an animal lover and parent, I urge you to discontinue the sale of your "Spanish Barbie" doll, which endorses the brutal act of bullfighting. For a company that purports to provide fun, safe products for children, I am shocked that Mattel would condone the sale of such a patently offensive item.

Bullfighting inflicts terrible pain and a torturous death on innocent animals. There is no justification for glamorizing this ridiculous "sport" by selling a children’s toy that references and tacitly sanctions that horrific practice.

I have lost some of my former admiration for your company and its ideals. I hope that in the future your toy developers will display more compassion and sensibility in their product choices. For the meantime, I will not purchase any additional Mattel items until the Spanish Barbie ceases to be sold. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Your Name
123 Main Street
Long Beach, CA 90001

P.S. Please do not send me a form letter describing all of the animal-friendly qualities of Barbie throughout history as this is nullified by such an obviously anti-animal message as the one referenced above. Also, I am aware that you have stopped selling this doll on the Internet, but that does not mean it is not still being sold elsewhere.