Barbie

Barbie is a fashion doll franchise created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler and manufactured by Mattel. It was introduced on March 9, 1959, and was based on the German Bild Lilli doll. Barbie became an important part of the toy fashion doll market for over six decades, with Mattel selling more than a billion Barbie dolls.

Barbie and her male counterpart, Ken, are often called the two most popular dolls in the world. The brand has grown into a multimedia franchise, including video games, animated films, television series, and a live-action film. Mattel also makes money by selling many merchandise items like accessories, clothes, and friends for Barbie. Over the years, Barbie has influenced social values by showing ideas of female independence and an idealized lifestyle.

History

Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie, noticed her daughter Barbara playing with paper dolls and giving them adult roles. At the time, most toy dolls looked like babies, so Handler thought an adult-looking doll might be popular. During a trip to Switzerland, she found a German doll named Bild Lilli, which inspired her. She brought the idea back to Mattel, the toy company she co-founded, and redesigned the doll. They named it Barbie after Ruth's daughter, Barbara.

The first Barbie doll debuted in 1959 at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. She wore a zebra-striped swimsuit and had either blonde or brunette hair. Despite some concerns about her adult appearance, Barbie became very popular. Over the years, Barbie's look changed, and she became one of the most marketed toys in history. The release of the 2023 film Barbie helped bring new interest to the brand.

Appearances in media

Since 1984, Barbie has appeared in many different forms of media, including video games, television specials, and animated films. She first appeared in two video games in 1984 and 1991, followed by two television specials in 1987. In 2001, she began starring in a series of direct-to-video animated films, which later became streaming films on Netflix.

Barbie has also been in several web series and even appeared in some Toy Story films. In 2015, she started a YouTube channel called Barbie Vlogger, and in 2023, a live-action movie featuring Barbie was released.

Fictional biography

See also: List of Barbie's friends and family

Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, and she comes from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin. In stories, she went to high school, either in Willows or in a fictional school in New York City.

Barbie has a long-standing friendship with Ken, who first appeared in 1961. Over the years, their relationship has changed, but they remain close. Barbie also has many friends and family, including three younger sisters: Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea. She has had many pets and has tried out lots of different jobs, showing that girls can do many kinds of work.

Legacy and influence

Barbie has become a cultural icon and has received special honors. In 1974, a part of Times Square in New York City was named Barbie Boulevard for a week. In 2016, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris held an exhibit with 700 Barbie dolls and works by artists inspired by Barbie.

Barbie has inspired many artists and creators. In 1986, artist Andy Warhol painted a Barbie picture, which later sold for $1.1 million. In 2013, a restaurant named "Barbie Café" opened in Taiwan. In 2021, Barbie worked with music producer Ester Dean to encourage girls to explore music production.

In 2023, a theme park called Mattel Adventure Park opened near Phoenix, Arizona, featuring a Barbie Beach House and other toy-themed areas. In 2009, Barbie celebrated its 50th anniversary with a fashion show in New York. In 2019, the "Barbie Dream Gap Project" began to raise awareness about girls’ confidence in pursuing careers. In 2020, Barbie introduced career dolls honoring essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Barbie partnered with Habitat for Humanity to support community projects.

Main article: Mattel Adventure Park

Diversity

"Black Barbies" redirects here. For the Nicki Minaj song, see Black Barbies (song).

For the documentary about the creation of the first Black Barbie, see Black Barbie: A Documentary.

Barbie has come a long way in representing different kinds of people. In 1967, Francie became the first African-American Barbie doll, although she used the same head mold as the white dolls. The first doll widely recognized as African-American was Christie, introduced in 1968. In 1980, Mattel launched Black Barbie, designed by Kitty Black Perkins, though she still had features typical of Caucasian dolls. By 1990, Mattel began creating new molds with distinct African features, including different skin tones, hair textures, and names, while keeping the same body proportions so clothes would still fit.

Over the years, Barbie has included dolls from many cultures and backgrounds. In 2007, Mattel introduced the "Cinco de Mayo Barbie," wearing a dress inspired by the Mexican flag. The company has also released dolls representing Hispanic, Peruvian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican cultures. In response to criticism about limited diversity, Mattel expanded its So In Style line in 2016 to include many more skin tones, eye colors, and hairstyles. The brand now offers over 22 skin tones, 94 hair colors, 13 eye colors, and five body types.

In recent years, Mattel has introduced dolls representing children with different abilities. In 2023, they released a Barbie with down syndrome. In 2024, they launched a blind Barbie. In 2025, a Barbie with Type 1 diabetes was introduced, equipped with an insulin pump, glucose monitor, and a phone to check her blood sugar. In 2026, Mattel introduced an autistic Barbie with noise-cancelling headphones, a fidget spinner, and a tablet computer configured as a communication aid. These dolls aim to make Barbie more inclusive and representative of all children.

Role model Barbies

In March 2018, to celebrate International Women's Day, Mattel introduced a special collection of 17 Barbie dolls called "Barbie Celebrates Role Models." These dolls, also called "sheroes," represented women from many different backgrounds who have done great things. The dolls included famous people like artist Frida Kahlo, athlete Chloe Kim, and pilot Amelia Earhart.

Later, Mattel added more role model dolls, such as Paralympic athlete Madison de Rozario and tennis star Naomi Osaka. In 2021, dolls were made to honor Julie Bishop, a former Australian politician, and Samantha Cristoforetti, an astronaut from the European Space Agency. These dolls aim to inspire girls by showing them examples of extraordinary women from many fields.

Collecting

Barbie dolls are made to a special size called 1/6 scale, which means they are about 11 and a half inches tall. Many people collect these dolls, with most collectors being women around age 40 who buy more than twenty dolls each year. Some very old Barbie dolls from the early days can be very valuable. For example, a Barbie doll from 1959 was sold for over $3,500 online, and another rare Barbie sold for over $17,000 at an auction in London.

Mattel has created many special dolls just for collectors. These include dolls made of porcelain, dolls that look like characters from TV shows, and dolls representing different cultures. In 2004, they started using colors like pink, silver, gold, and platinum to show how rare each doll is. In 2020, they released a special Barbie doll to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos.

Main article: Barbie doll

Parodies and lawsuits

Barbie has often been used in parodies and faced several lawsuits over the years. For example, artist Tom Forsythe created photographs called Food Chain Barbie showing Barbie in unusual situations, leading to a lawsuit that Mattel lost. Another famous parody appeared on In Living Color, where a character gave a little girl a handmade doll instead of a Malibu Barbie.

In other cases, groups like Greenpeace used Barbie in ads to promote environmental policies, and Saturday Night Live featured humorous sketches with Barbie-themed characters. These parodies and legal cases show how Barbie has been a popular subject for creative expression and controversy.

Competition from Bratz dolls

In May 2001, MGA Entertainment launched the Bratz series of dolls, which became Barbie's first serious competition in the fashion doll market. By 2004, Bratz dolls were selling more than Barbie dolls in the United Kingdom, although Mattel claimed Barbie was still the leader when counting all the clothes and accessories sold.

Later, Mattel and MGA had legal battles over who created Bratz. Eventually, in 2011, a jury supported MGA, and Mattel had to pay MGA a large amount of money. In 2009, MGA introduced new dolls called Moxie Girlz to replace Bratz.

Effects on body image

Some people have worried that the Barbie doll might give girls an unrealistic idea of what bodies should look like. Because Barbie has a very slim figure, some have thought she might encourage girls to want to be very thin, too. Over time, Mattel, the company that makes Barbie, has tried to address these concerns by introducing dolls of different shapes and sizes, like "tall," "petite," and "curvy," to show that all bodies are special and beautiful.

The term "Barbie syndrome" describes when someone wants to look just like the Barbie doll, even though her body shape is very hard to match. This can lead to feelings about one’s own body that aren’t healthy. Some people have even had many surgeries to try to look like Barbie or her male friend, Ken. Studies have shown that seeing images of Barbie can sometimes make young girls feel less happy about how they look, but the effect can depend on the girl’s age.

Cultural globalization and representation

Barbie has become a well-known toy around the world since she was introduced in 1959. She shows Western ideas about beauty, like hair color, skin tone, and body shape, which influence how many girls and women see themselves. Mattel says Barbie stands for female empowerment, but some scholars point out that making these dolls often involves difficult working conditions in parts of the world far from the West.

Even when Barbie includes dolls from many cultures, such as in Mattel’s Dolls of the World collection, some people feel these dolls make cultures seem simpler than they really are, fitting them into common beauty ideas instead of showing their true richness.

Notable designers

Some talented designers have helped create special Barbie outfits and dolls over the years. Kitty Black Perkins designed the First Black Barbie. Other guest designers like Byron Lars and Bob Mackie also added their creativity to Barbie styles. Carol Spencer worked as a Barbie fashion designer for many years, from 1963 to 1999.