The cover of The BMJ’s Christmas print issue this year (fig 1) shows a respiratory medicine consultant who obtained an MBBS from Barbie Land’s prestigious Handler University and then a doctoral dissertation on the causes of lung cancer in young adults. Dr Barbie is now a professor at Handler and a hospital specialist with a passion for smoking cessation and caring for patients, including those with combined chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Dr Barbie is also black and has vitiligo.

But you won’t find this Barbie doll in the Christmas sales; Dr Barbie was created by The BMJ, inspired by the work of the US based researcher Katherine Klamer. Klamer’s analysis of 92 medical and scientist Barbie dolls found only a few careers represented, mostly generalists in nursing and paediatrics, reflecting tired yet persistent gender norms (doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-077276).1 Ethnic diversity and disability were also lacking.

“Perhaps a childhood of playing with neurosurgeon Barbie or trauma surgeon Barbie could inoculate girls against sexist career assumptions and advice,” our surgeon editorialists argue (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2781).2 They lament the discouragement of women from pursuing surgical careers and leadership roles in science and medicine: “Mattel has an opportunity: Barbie could help shatter the concept of gendered career paths.”

This year’s hit film Barbie, a fun, pink marketing coup for the manufacturer, riffs on feminism, patriarchy, and toxic masculinity. Unhealthy masculinity might demand healthcare responses to counter young men’s vulnerability to misogynistic ideology in the “manosphere” (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2947).3 “Ideas live forever,” Barbie is told in the film by the spirit of Ruth Handler, the doll’s creator. But only when ideas are left unchallenged. The BMJ is committed to challenging sexist and racist ideas (bmj.com/decolonising-health)—and now including in Barbie Land.

If Barbie is not your cup of coffee (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2564),4The BMJ’s Christmas articles offer many other ideas to consider. Can clinicians learn from close-up magicians, radio presenters, and puppeteers (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2710)?5 Does chair placement affect doctor-patient communication (doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-076309)?6 How dangerous are MRI machines (doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-077164)?7 Should aspects of healthcare be left to charity to fund (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2669)?8

Although COP28 failed to agree the demise of fossil fuels (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2941), it flagged the importance of the natural environment to human health (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2355https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/15/conservation-groups-hail-cop28-plans-to-protect-nature-aoe).91011 How best can doctors prescribe remedies in nature (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2473)?12 Green social prescribing is growing but needs proper investment: for evidence to guide implementation (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2745) and to ensure expert delivery, including by people with working class and other marginalised backgrounds (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2790).1314

This festive season, save trees by emailing AI generated cards to colleagues (doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-077695), eat (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2585 doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-077166), drink (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2520 doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-077294), and enjoy a Christmas episode of Doctor Who, which a new analysis suggests is correlated with a reduction in deaths the following year (doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-077143 doi:10.1136/bmj.p2833).15161718192021

Finally, please consider donating to The BMJ’s charity appeal (doi:10.1136/bmj.p2895).22 ActionAid works globally, including in Gaza, to help women and girls live full and healthy lives through activism for social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication. Ideas we should all get behind.