In a unique tribute to Barbie mania, a funeral home in El Salvador is offering an unusual service to die-hard fans of the iconic doll. The Alpha and Omega Funeral Home, located in Ahuachapán near the Guatemala border, has introduced pink metal coffins with Barbie-themed linings, allowing enthusiasts to express their love for Barbie even in the afterlife.
The idea of providing pink coffins was initially put forth by the owner, Isaac Villegas, before the release of the Barbie movie in July. However, the overwhelming craze that swept through Latin America encouraged him to take it a step further by adorning the cloth linings of the coffins with pictures of the beloved doll and adding delicate white stars as decorations.
Villegas admitted that they decided to seize this trendy opportunity, and the response has been nothing short of a triumph. The funeral home launched a successful promotional campaign featuring the Barbie coffins, and so far, they have sold ten of them. Nevertheless, not all buyers have been buried in these pink coffins immediately, as it is a common practice in El Salvador for individuals to purchase pre-paid packages for their future burials.
Until recently, traditional coffin colors like brown, black, white, or gray were the popular choice among families. However, around a year ago, the funeral home sold its first pink coffin to a family who wished to lay their cheerful relative to rest in a brighter-colored casket. Since then, the demand for pink coffins has surged, prompting Villegas to announce that they will be expanding their collection to meet the growing interest.
Across Latin America, the Barbie phenomenon has permeated various aspects of life, ranging from pink-colored tacos and pastries to commercial planes adorned with the Barbie logo. Even political ads and protests have adopted a Barbie theme.
However, not all expressions of Barbie-themed activism have been lighthearted. In July, during anti-government demonstrations in Lima, Peru, activists symbolically dressed up two women in pink and placed them inside giant Barbie boxes in the main square to protest President Dina Boluarte’s administration, which has been involved in clashes with protesters.
Similarly, in Mexico, a woman whose sister was among the country’s 112,000 missing persons created a “Searching Mother” Barbie. This doll’s outfits aim to raise awareness about the relentless efforts of volunteer searchers who scour Mexico’s dusty plains in search of gravesites that may contain the remains of their missing loved ones. The creator, Delia Quiroa, hopes to shed light on the struggles faced by these mothers who must undertake the searches and investigations that authorities have failed to carry out.
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While the Barbie craze has taken a somewhat somber turn in some instances, the enthusiasm for the iconic doll continues to captivate hearts and extend to unexpected areas like the funeral industry in El Salvador.
