This year marks the 50th birthday of that enigmatic doll goddess, Barbie. The slender, anatomically incorrect Barbie has endured a long and sometimes checkered career since she was first launched by Mattel in 1959 as an alternative “grown up” doll for girls to play with.
The first Barbies had that chi-chi European look, likely lifted from the German Bild Lilli doll, an homage to moody screen star Marlena Dietrich. With her slightly slanted eyes, chic clothing, and über-high heels, Barbie was a bona fide fashion plate, a far cry from traditional baby dolls. (Mattel bought the Bild Lilli doll rights in 1964, thereby crushing any competition on the other side of the pond.)
Like many of us over 50, Barbie has had her ups and downs. She was blessed with siblings (Stacie), friends (Midge), a boyfriend (Ken), and other assorted hangers on. Barbie has been wedded (or at least had several weddings attempted), and her stable of horses and automobiles is unparalleled in the real world as well as the doll world.
But the girl born Barbara Millicent Roberts took a left turn in the mid-‘60s from the world of high fashion to become a beach bum in Malibu. Barbie has long been derided as a girl who uses her good looks to get what she wants, much like some beauties in the real world. She’s been known in modern lingo as a “ho.” Barbie was therefore assigned various serious careers in the ‘70s (doctor, pilot, and astronaut), in an attempt to give the girl more substance.
Barbie has been banned in certain Middle Eastern countries; she’s been parodied, distorted, and copied. I even took a benign Barbie and turned her into Dominatrix Barbie as a gag gift for a friend. (The link shows a photo of a Dominatrix Barbie far tamer than the one I created.) This transformation involved a wild shopping spree through some interesting “bondage” type stores and a dubiously grimy x-rated outlet on Eight Mile.
As a parent, a consumer, and a woman, I have no problem with Barbie being heavy on top, abnormally thin in the middle, or a vixen. She’s a toy, and like many toys, not a fair representation of reality.
Growing up in the ‘60s, I never owned a Barbie, even though everyone else I knew had at least one. With six kids to feed, the family budget for toys was nonexistent. We had a great time with trash cans, and got unlimited mileage from the cardboard box the refrigerator came in. There were always Barbie TV commercials from which to learn what new fashion was the current rage.
Article comments
1 - Dr. Juliann Mitchell, PhD
Joanne,
A toast to Barbie on her 50th. I adored her and her friends while growing up and had some of the best times creating a fantasy life for them. Everyone who lived in Barbie Land had a great life and lots of fun and fantastic interesting jobs. In Barbie world there were no glass ceilings and she and her friends were empowered in every endeavor.