Toy manufacturers Mattel is coming out with a trio of “black Barbies” in time for Christmas, but the dolls are drumming up a lot of controversy.

In response to past criticisms that earlier attempts at introducing diversity to the enduring toy line were merely dark-skinned versions of the white Barbie, the new “So In Style” dolls — named “Grace,” “Kara,” and “Trichelle” — have broader noses, higher cheekbones and fuller lips, and come in three different skin tones.

However, there is one continuing problem, writes Sharon Leach of the Jamaica Observer:

The facial features of the So In Style dolls reflect real black women, even more so than their forebears, but the remaining bugbear is, apparently, their hair. (And people refuse to call Chris Rock a prophet!) Only one of the dolls has curly (albeit shoulder-length) hair; the others still have straight hair. And the colour seems to be off, as well. All in all, the dolls’ hair remains unrealistic. As one writer on the Black Voices message board lamented, “I would love to see a variety in the hairstyles of the dolls – some permed, some natural.”

The criticism echoes the message of Chris Rock’s new documentary, titled Good Hair. We have to wonder: How hard can it be to make doll hair with a little texture to it?