Come on Barbie, Let’s Go… Govern! Michigan’s Gov. Whitmer Jumps on Barbie Trend
No doubt you've been seeing all the Barbie memes on Facebook with the new Barbie movie opening in theaters last weekend.
Over the weekend, Michigan's Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's team embraced the Barbie mania.
Photos showed up the Governor's social media accounts of a dark haired Barbie in a pink suit rocking a Mitten State necklace.
A post to Facebook showing Barbie at the Michigan state capitol in Lansing reads,
This Barbie is the 49th Governor of the great state of Michigan, and just like Barbie, fuchsia is my power color. I'm committed to fighting for a state where every Michigander, no matter their background, can thrive.
According to the New York Times, Gov. Whitmer’s digital and creative director Julia Pickett named the doll Lil’ Gretch, a spin on the Governor's nickname, Big Gretch.
Lil' Gretch can also be seen behind the wheel of a pink Michigan-made Chevrolet, and in another working on the education budget.
Whitmer tells the New York Times the campaign was not her idea, but she was immediately into it when her team brought it up. She says,
When they showed me the first iteration, I thought it was absolutely hilarious. This Barbie is going to be signing legislation! She’s going to be leading!...There will be people who don’t get it, and that’s fine. We’re going to have fun. We’re going to continue to be fierce and feminine in our fuchsia.
In the last post on the subject to her Facebook account, Gov. Whitmer holds the doll on a patio.
She writes,
When I first ran for governor, someone said to me: 'Just promise me you’ll show up as you are. Don’t dim yourself because of what other people think and feel, be who *you* are.'
I’ve carried that message with me through all the ups and downs.
Together, we work to create spaces and structures that empower women to show up as they are and allow them lead from the front.
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