Cultural icon
Mattel introduced the first Barbie doll in 1959. Photo: Robyn Beck.
Since its creation in 1959, Barbie dolls have become increasingly popular. Initially, they were toys for girls. Later, Barbie became so popular that it was included in animated movies, TV shows and most recently a live-action theatrical film (released on July 21). More than that, it affects the lives of many girls, even becoming a role model and lifestyle.
When they were first introduced to the market, classical female dolls were usually slim, with long and straight blonde or brown hair, and large breasts. Barbie’s appearance surprised the public at that time.
Before her death at the age of 85 in 2022, Ruth Handler, Barbie’s biological mother, once shared that producers did not expect the public to accept a doll with breasts for children. “I knew they were wrong,” said the co-founder and former president of toy company Mattel.
Mrs. Handler was right. Barbie became an instant hit, selling nearly 300,000 in its first year.
“Before Barbie, the dolls available at the time were baby dolls, because most women at the time became mothers,” says Cindy Eagan, author of the book. The Story of Barbie and the Woman Who Created Hershare with The New York Post in 2018.
However, times change. With Barbie, girls can star in their futures, not only as mothers, but as women with careers.
“I love the idea that Barbie isn’t a one-dimensional doll like most dolls. When I was a kid, I used to run to stores hoping to get my hands on a Barbie doll,” said Chandler Bishop. 24 years old), works in advertising, and is a huge fan of Barbie dolls, opening up to The Post.
Ruth Handler, the creator of the globally famous Barbie doll. Photo: Matt Campbell.
In 2023, Harmony Healthcare IT, a healthcare data management company in the US, surveyed nearly 1,000 women of different generations about the experience of growing up with familiar toys.
Among them, 53% of Gen Z women think that Barbie represents the ideal body, 39% see Barbie as a role model.
“I admire the way Barbie says she can be and do anything. She broadened my outlook on life and pushed me to go out there to follow my dreams. Barbie has it all, so why can’t I?” Bishop declared.
Unpredictable dark side
The influence of Barbie dolls is undeniable. However, it is not as shimmering as it looks.
According to research by Harmony Healthcare IT, 82% think Barbie dolls promote unrealistic body expectations for girls and women.
Not stopping there, 69% of the participants rated Barbie as possibly leading to dangerous problems related to body image. The doll’s slender but still flourishing figure strikes directly at the insecurities of a part of women, thereby creating a Barbiecore aesthetic (dressing like a Barbie doll in everyday life), interior design Pepto color team (pink like the color of digestive medicine in the US) and army of “Barbie girls” want extreme plastic surgery to look like toys.
“I’ve played football all my life and even at my peak physical state, my body has never been to the proportions of a Barbie doll. As a child, Barbie made me question whether my body was normal,” Stephanie Rodriguez, a 26-year-old video producer from Brooklyn (New York), told me. The Post.
Barbie is every little girl’s dream, while creating an obsession with looks. Photo: IG
Not only that, when Mattel introduced the popular blonde doll model 64 years ago, for the next nearly 10 years, it only produced female and white male Barbie dolls.
A lover of Barbie, Chandler Bishop was inevitably influenced by the standards of beauty that the doll created.
“Barbie is a pretty girl, blonde hair, blue eyes, white skin, super skinny, big boobs, but I’m not. As an African-American woman, that made me realize she was the beauty standard in America, and I wasn’t,” Bishop said.
Faced with backlash over the lack of diversity, in 1968, Mattel released dolls representing women of color, such as Christie – the first black Barbie doll. However, it was not until 1980 that the first black (and Hispanic) dolls named Barbie appeared.
Although customers enjoy seeing a wider variety of dolls, they still have difficulty connecting with the brand because of Barbie’s vast body difference compared to the average woman.
“I have no connection with Barbie. She is tall, thin, blonde; and I’m a chubby girl with brown hair, not an athlete and can’t do the things that Barbie did,” said Brianna Mati, a speech therapist in Orlando, Florida, USA.
Barbie Slumber Party carries a message promoting fasting to keep slim. Photo: Mattel.
According to 2018 research, in the 2000s, the average weight of American women was more than 77 kg. Meanwhile, the humanoid Barbie doll is 1.75 m tall, weighs nearly 50 kg, with a BMI of 16.24.
The South Shore Eating Disorders Collaborative highlights Barbie’s humanoid form as part of the “weight criteria for anorexia”.
The company constantly promotes unhealthy habits to customers. The most obvious example is the 1965 Barbie Slumber Party doll, which has a bathroom scale permanently set at nearly 50 pounds, accompanied by a book titled How to Lose Weight, in which tips are suggested. is “Don’t eat”.
Change according to the trend
Fortunately for Barbie fans, time changes everything, including Mattel’s entrepreneurial mindset.
In 2015, the American toy company released a new Barbie collection representing three body types: plump, tall and petite.
Today, Mattel’s website showcases the brand representing 35 skin tones, 97 hair styles, 9 body types and counting.
60% of respondents to the Harmony Healthcare IT survey said that the new Barbie doll better reflects all body types.
“I am excited about the new Barbie era. I bought my daughter many Barbie products. I also considered buying her a doll that has darker hair and represents a mixed race,” said Brianna Mati (26 years old).
“I like the current Barbie, more diverse and inclusive. I think having a representative doll is very important, especially for little girls. The path Barbie is taking definitely makes a big difference to a little girl’s self-esteem,” Bishop said.
Adapting to the ever-changing toy industry, Mattel has clearly found a way to keep Barbie a cultural icon from 1959 to now.
Barbie dolls of various races and sizes receive support from customers. Photo: Mattel.
Source: NY Post