She’s an icon, she’s a legend, she’s Barbie: The legacy of Barbara Millicent Roberts

byDuc Manh •
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The 50th anniversary of Barbie is commemorated by a lineup of Barbie dolls from different eras, starting with the original Barbie in a black and white swim suit, right, in 2009.

Barbie has undergone numerous evolutions all through the years. However has what she represents stayed the identical?

Craig Ruttle, Related Press

These dolls are part of Barbie’s new Barbie Fashionistas line.

These dolls are a part of Barbie’s Barbie Fashionistas line, launched in 2020.

Mattel

If there’s one factor I keep in mind from my childhood, it’s the hours and hours I’d play with my Barbies.

Don’t even ask what melodramatic sagas I made my Barbies act out. There are solely two issues I can assure. First, that I might meticulously costume and elegance my Barbie. Second, that Barbie would all the time be accompanied by her loyal boyfriend, Ken.

Barbie could have as soon as merely been a doll, however over the 60-plus years since her creation, she’s turn out to be a lot extra: a logo, a leaping off level, an embodiment of the cultural zeitgeist at any given time. Most of us know her as Barbie, however some may concentrate on her Christian title: Barbara Millicent Roberts.

Barbara Millicent Roberts has lived many lives over the previous 60 years. She’s been a surgeon. A dressmaker. A U.S. military medic. A rapper. An Olympic swimmer. She even made a bid for president in 2012 (and in 2008, and in 2004 and in 2000).

These profession strikes don’t even cowl her in depth film profession, which has been primarily fairytale-based, and has seen Barbie in a myriad of roles: “Rapunzel,” “Barbie within the Nutcracker,” “Barbie of Swan Lake” and far, way more.

Regardless of her forays in STEM, runs for public workplace and way more, Barbie hasn’t been with out controversy. In keeping with Britannica, Barbie naysayers have two main complaints: that she encourages a materialistic life-style and that she has “unrealistic physique proportions.”

This has, understandably, sparked a heated debate over time. Is Barbie useful or dangerous to younger women? Is she a job mannequin or a cautionary story? Does she encourage women or promote unrealistic requirements?

It’s not stunning that Barbie has a sophisticated and controversial legacy — she’s been round for over 60 years — however whether or not or not stated controversy is warranted is a complete different dialog.

The beginnings of, and conversations round, Barbie

The story of Barbie’s launch in 1959 affords a lesson in historical past, in addition to the cultural values — and sweetness requirements — of the time.

The creation of Barbie

In keeping with Historical past, Barbie was created by Ruth Handler, who co-founded Mattel, Inc. together with her husband. “Impressed by watching their daughter play with make-believe paper dolls of grownup girls, Handler realized there was an unfilled area of interest available in the market for a toy that allowed little women to think about the long run.”

Thus, Barbie was born. Mattel offered 300,000 Barbies inside its first 12 months. She possible began a doll revolution — in line with Historical past, Barbie “was the primary mass-produced toy doll within the U.S. with grownup options.”

Barbie’s buddies rapidly got here into existence: There was Ken, in addition to Midge Hadley, Barbie’s greatest pal who, in line with Historical past, was created to “counteract criticisms that Barbie was solely a intercourse image.” Shortly thereafter, Mattel created Skipper Roberts, Barbie’s little sister.

What’s Barbie’s full title?

As talked about above, Barbie’s full title is Barbara Millicent Roberts. In keeping with Barbie Media, she was named after Handler’s daughter, Barbara. Ken was reportedly named after Handler’s son, Kenneth.

How outdated is Barbie?

Barbie’s official birthday is March 9, 1959, per Barbie Media, making her 64 years outdated at the moment.

Barbie in post-war America

Through the ’60s, Barbie was seen as each progressive and regressive, representing conventional female values and symbolizing overt sexuality. In an essay entitled “What Barbie Dolls Should Say about Postwar American Tradition,” Miriam Forman-Brunell factors out that in post-war America, Barbie represented each “conservatism and conformity,” in addition to “contradiction, battle, and contestation.”

Barbie symbolized a considerable shift in teen tradition on the time. “Child dolls had socialized ‘child boomers’ to imagine maternal and home roles in keeping with the dominant postwar gender ideology,” Forman-Brunell wrote. However in contrast to her baby-doll counterparts, Barbie “would assist women think about themselves as autonomous adolescents.”

Whereas girls had joined the workforce in droves throughout World Conflict II, donning overalls and different classically mannish garments, Barbie represented a name to conventional femininity.

“Like June Cleaver who vacuumed the home whereas sporting pumps within the new TV sit-coms of the interval, Barbie had tiny, tippy-toed toes that additionally stored her immobilized, dependent, and contained throughout the family area the place girls had been safely idealized for his or her maternal devotion,” Forman-Brunell wrote.

Barbie’s affiliation with conventional femininity is nearly ironic, contemplating that Barbie was additionally virtually instantly criticized for being too sexual. As Forman-Brunell factors out, Barbie was modeled after Lilli, “a coquettish-looking German doll that male bachelors delivered to bars and dangled from their rear-view mirrors.”

Critics known as Barbie “sexually provocative,” citing her heavily-lined eyes, pouty purple lips and over-accentuated feminine type. As Forman-Brunnell put it, “Barbie embodied each the sensuality of Marilyn Monroe and the innocence of Debbie Reynolds.”

What does Barbie signify at the moment?

Conversations round Barbie at the moment echo these of the ’60s.

In her 2003 essay “The Surprise of Barbie: Well-liked Tradition and the Making of Feminine Identification,” Lenore Wright wrote, “Together with her impossibly lengthy legs, huge eyes, and in depth checking account, Barbie garners feminine energy by look — bodily and materials. The truth is that such energy is fictitious, obvious, and even mythic.”

However, as Wright says, not everybody agrees. She cites Kristin Riddick, author of “Barbie: The Picture of Us All,” who stated, “Some feminists really imagine she is the image of feminine emancipation as a result of she works and doesn't should depend upon males for her wealth and possessions.”

“Barbie, on this studying, is each stunning and empowered,” Wright concludes.

Maybe it’s not about what Barbie represents for ladies, however what she represents in a bigger dialog. As Sophie Gilbert wrote for The Atlantic, “Since her inception, she’s been an avatar for each debate about what fashionable girls must be, do, say, signify, and (most of all) appear like.”

Gilbert follows together with the documentary “Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie.” The documentary chronicles the panicked staff of Barbie entrepreneurs and designers as they work to revamp Barbie to be extra extra inclusive and life like.

These dolls are part of Barbie’s new Barbie Fashionistas line.

These dolls are a part of Barbie’s Barbie Fashionistas line, launched in 2020.

Mattel

The staff rolls out and take a look at teams curvy Barbies, quick Barbies, tall Barbies. Whereas take a look at teams met every Barbie with various enthusiasm — “Hiya, I’m a fats particular person,” one baby within the take a look at group stated of a curvy Barbie doll — Mattel finally launched a line of numerous Barbie dolls.

However, as Gilbert factors out, this debate about Barbie could be the symptom of a broader downside: the over-preoccupation with girls’s bodily look. “However essentially the most fascinating facet of the film is the way it makes use of Barbie as a metaphor for a tradition that’s nonetheless infinitely extra preoccupied with what a lady seems to be like than what she says.”

As Gilbert and others clarify, Barbie, as an alternative of symbolizing the gold customary for ladies, is what we challenge upon girls in debates about what girls ought to and shouldn’t be. Ought to Barbie, and girls, be tall, skinny and blonde? Completely made up? Sans make-up? What’s her ultimate physique measurement? Superb job? Or ought to she work in any respect? Ought to she be at house? Married to Ken? Married in any respect?

It’s a heavy burden for one doll to bear. However Barbie bravely carries the load, all with out with the ability to stand on her personal tiny, freakishly-arched two toes.

As Wright factors out in her essay, feminine illustration, and due to this fact Barbie, has “abiding cultural significance.” However she concludes that we should strategy discussions round girls with the acknowledgement that what it essentially means to be a lady is completely different for everybody.

Wright concludes, “As long as American tradition stays conflicted in regards to the function and identification of girls, we should assume and speak in nondeterministic methods about girls: girls who age, mature, work, play and sure, even marvel.”

However what about Ken?

As Barbie has bounced from profession to profession, life-style to life-style, there was one fixed: her loyal and ditzy boyfriend, Ken.

If Ken had a profession, he’d be a perky barista. If he had a passion, it’d be browsing. If he had been a canine, he’d be a golden retriever. Whereas Barbie has undergone evolution after evolution, profession after profession, Ken has remained comparatively the identical.

That is one thing that has been cleverly highlighted within the promo posters for 2023’s “Barbie” film. Every Barbie has a notable and spectacular profession, as talked about on their posters: “This Barbie is a mermaid,” “This Barbie has a Nobel Prize in physics,” “This Barbie is a celebrated creator” and extra.

The Ken dolls, however, have the identical vagueness as their doll counterparts. As Ryan Gosling’s poster says, “He’s simply Ken.” The opposite Ken posters observe go well with: “He’s Ken too,” “He’s one other Ken,” “Ken once more!” and “You guessed it. He’s a Ken.”

Who is Ken? So far as I can inform, he’s simply Barbie’s dreamy and constant boyfriend. Whereas it’s unsurprising that Ken has obtained such a remedy — he’s marketed as the right boyfriend to 10-year-olds — ought to he have the identical care and consideration as Barbie?

It seems to be like Ken’s profession aspirations nonetheless stay a thriller, however he’s undergone the same variety makeover as Barbie. Mattel unveiled a group of numerous Ken dolls in 2017, per CNN.

The most recent iteration of Ken dolls embrace dolls with completely different ethnic and racial backgrounds, in addition to physique varieties. Mattel additionally included a Ken doll in a wheelchair, full along with his personal ramp.

Whereas diversifying Ken was possible wanted, does he want extra? Ought to Ken have, like, ambitions? (A query I by no means thought I’d ask). Or hobbies? It looks like Barbie has a myriad of hobbies and profession decisions forward of her — ought to Ken have the identical?

What was the unique Ken doll?

In keeping with Barbie Media, Ken made his first look in 1961, two years after Barbie’s creation. “Ken doll was 12 inches tall, had ‘molded’ plastic hair (blond and brunette) and got here wearing purple bathing go well with trunks with a yellow towel and sandals.”

Ken has undergone a number of bodily transformations since then. In 1973, he took on a “extra ‘pure’ coiffure.” In 1979, he started his “iconic” surf life-style, and Sunsational Malibu Ken doll was launched in 1982.

How outdated is Ken?

Per Barbie Media, Ken’s official birthday is March 11, 1961 — making him 62 years outdated at the moment.

Why did Barbie and Ken break up?

Dearest reader, I've information for you that can possible shock you as a lot because it shocked me: Ken and Barbie’s relationship has not all the time been robust. Actually, they break up in 2004, per Barbie Media.

In keeping with Insider, the enduring couple broke up attributable to “Ken’s failure to commit and Barbie’s pleasure to commit, sporting a number of wedding ceremony robes.”

However to not fear. In 2006, “after months of silence and introspection, Ken introduced to the world that he desires Barbie again,” per Barbie Media. The pair rekindled their love in 2011, and by 2012, Ken and Barbie had been “nonetheless relationship and couldn’t (have been) happier.”

How do younger women actually really feel about Barbie?

Possibly the easiest way to strategy the Barbie controversy is to ask younger women themselves. How do they really feel about her? What does she signify to them?

There have been a number of research, however with various conclusions. One examine in 2015 explored Barbie’s influence on a lady’s “household traits, satisfaction with their very own look, and consuming behaviors.” The examine discovered that, “Neither age of acquisition or variety of Barbies owned had a major influence on self-evaluations of look or on weight-reduction plan conduct.”

In a 2016 examine, researchers explored the influence of Barbies on physique dissatisfaction amongst 6- to 8-year-olds. They discovered that “women tended to need a physique form extra carefully aligned to the dolls with which they performed” and that “women who performed with skinny dolls tended to need even thinner physique sizes following publicity.”

I feel that Barbie’s influence, whether or not constructive or destructive, varies from girl to girl. For myself, Barbie didn’t actually influence my shallowness. I noticed her as each aspirational and one thing I might by no means be, however wished I might. And whereas as a little bit lady (with frizzy brown hair and a thick unibrow, padded in child fats) I knew it was OK to be skinny, white and blonde, I feel it could have been good to know that it was OK to be one thing else, too. 

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