India, Sept. 28 -- In a twist of irony, in my 40th year on this planet, I received a Barbie Doll from my daughter. I never bought her one in my joyless, righteous, feminist young mother avatar. I may have never bought it, but I have observed the doll for its response to the zeitgeist, just like our homegrown Amul girl. In February 2020, Barbie's creator - the American toy company, Mattel - launched a Barbie Wellness Collection. The Fitness Barbie came dressed in leggings and a pink tank top, armed with a set of hand weights, a gym bag, a yoga mat, a hula hoop, a water bottle, and a protein bar. Because Barbie is never wrong, fitness, wellness, and health are in vogue. And so are puppies that the Fitness Barbie carries for self-care.

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