Barbie

Barbie

Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler and made by Mattel. It was introduced on March 9, 1959, and was based on the German Bild Lilli doll. Barbie has been a big part of the toy world for over sixty years, with Mattel selling more than a billion Barbie dolls.

Barbie and her friend, Ken, are often called the two most popular dolls in the world. The brand has grown into a multimedia franchise, with video games, animated films, television shows, and a live-action film. Mattel also sells many merchandise items like accessories, clothes, and friends for Barbie. Over the years, Barbie has helped show ideas about female independence and an idealized lifestyle.

History

Ruth Handler, who created Barbie, saw her daughter Barbara playing with paper dolls. Barbara gave the dolls grown-up roles. At that time, most toy dolls looked like babies. Handler thought a doll that looked like a grown-up might be popular. On a trip to Switzerland, she saw a German doll named Bild Lilli. This gave her an idea. She took the idea to Mattel, the toy company she helped start, and they redesigned the doll. They named it Barbie after Barbara, Ruth's daughter.

The first Barbie doll came out 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. Even though some people worried about her grown-up look, Barbie became very popular. Over time, Barbie's style changed many times. She became one of the most sold toys in history. The 2023 movie Barbie made many people interested in her again.

Appearances in media

Since 1984, Barbie has been in many kinds of media. This includes video games, TV specials, and animated movies. She first appeared in video games in 1984 and 1991. Then she was in two TV specials in 1987. In 2001, she began starring in animated films that went straight to video. These 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. 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. She comes from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin. In stories, she went to high school 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 many Barbie dolls and art inspired by Barbie.

Barbie has inspired many artists and creators. In 1986, artist Andy Warhol painted a picture of Barbie. 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.

In 2023, a theme park called Mattel Adventure Park opened near Phoenix, Arizona, featuring a Barbie Beach House and other toy-themed areas. Barbie has also worked with organizations to support community projects and help girls feel confident about their futures.

Main article: Mattel Adventure Park

Diversity

Barbie has worked to include many different kinds of people. In 1967, Francie became the first African-American Barbie doll, but she looked like the white dolls. The first doll most people recognized as African-American was Christie, who came out in 1968. In 1980, Mattel made Black Barbie, designed by Kitty Black Perkins, but she still looked like the white dolls. By 1990, Mattel started making new dolls with different African features, like skin tones and hair textures, but they kept the same body shape so the clothes would fit.

Over time, Barbie has included dolls from many cultures. In 2007, Mattel made the "Cinco de Mayo Barbie," wearing a dress based on the Mexican flag. The company has also made dolls from Hispanic, Peruvian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican cultures. In 2016, Mattel added more skin tones, eye colors, and hairstyles to its So In Style line. Now, Barbie comes in over 22 skin tones, 94 hair colors, 13 eye colors, and five body types.

Recently, Mattel has made dolls to represent children with different abilities. In 2023, they made a Barbie with down syndrome. In 2024, they made a blind Barbie. In 2025, a Barbie with Type 1 diabetes came out, with an insulin pump, glucose monitor, and a phone to check her blood sugar. In 2026, Mattel made an autistic Barbie with noise-cancelling headphones, a fidget spinner, and a tablet computer set up as a communication aid. These dolls aim to include all children.

Role model Barbies

In March 2018, Mattel made a special group of 17 Barbie dolls for International Women's Day. These dolls are called "Barbie Celebrates Role Models." They show women who have done amazing things. The dolls include famous people like artist Frida Kahlo, athlete Chloe Kim, and pilot Amelia Earhart.

Later, Mattel added more role model dolls. These include 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 help girls see examples of wonderful women from many different areas.

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. Some very old Barbie dolls from the early days can be valuable.

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 been used in funny ways and has faced some legal problems. For example, artist Tom Forsythe made photos called Food Chain Barbie that showed Barbie in strange situations. This led to a lawsuit that Mattel lost. Another famous parody was on In Living Color, where a character gave a little girl a handmade doll instead of a Malibu Barbie.

Groups like Greenpeace have also used Barbie in ads to talk about protecting the environment. Saturday Night Live has done funny sketches with Barbie characters too. These examples show how people have used Barbie in creative and sometimes controversial ways.

Competition from Bratz dolls

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

Later, Mattel and MGA had legal battles over who created Bratz. 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. This can lead to feelings about one’s own body that aren’t healthy. Some people have had 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 is a famous toy known all over the world since 1959. She shows ideas about beauty from the West, like hair color, skin tone, and body shape. These ideas can affect how many girls and women think about themselves. Mattel says Barbie stands for female empowerment, but some scholars say making these dolls can involve hard work in places far from the West.

Even when Barbie makes dolls from many cultures, like in Mattel’s Dolls of the World collection, some people think these dolls might make cultures seem simpler than they are. They worry that the dolls fit cultures into common beauty ideas instead of showing all their richness.

Notable designers

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