On Tuesday, Mattel launched a new Barbie doll with the condition vitiligo, which causes pigmentation loss in the skin, as well as the first ever Ken doll in the line to have long, rooted hair.

Ms. Zeisler is the author of “We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement.” The “Barbie” movie arrives today as the culmination of ...