Barbie is afashion doll created by American businesswomanRuth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment companyMattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the GermanBild Lilli doll which Handler had purchased while in Europe. The figurehead of an eponymous brand that includes a range of fashion dolls and accessories, Barbie has been an important part of the toyfashion doll market for over six decades. Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company's largest and most profitable line.[1] The brand has expanded intoa multimedia franchise since 1984, including video games,animated films, television/web series, and alive-action film.
Barbie and her male counterpart,Ken, have been described as the two most popular dolls in the world.[2] Mattel generates a large portion of Barbie's revenue through relatedmerchandise —accessories, clothes, friends, and relatives of Barbie. Writing forJournal of Popular Culture in 1977, Don Richard Cox noted that Barbie has a significant impact on social values by conveying characteristics of female independence, and with her multitude of accessories, an idealized upscale lifestyle that can be shared with affluent friends.[3]
History
Development
Barbie creatorRuth Handler with an assortment of Barbie and Mattel products (1961)
Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husbandElliot, a co-founder of theMattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors.[4]
During a trip to Switzerland in 1956 with her children Barbara andKenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll calledBild Lilli.[5][a] The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel. The Lilli doll was based on a popular character appearing in a satiricalcomic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaperBild.[6] The Lilli doll was first sold inWest Germany in 1955, and although it was initially sold to adults, it became popular with children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately.[6][7]
Upon her return to the United States, Handler redesigned the doll (with help from local inventor-designerJack Ryan) and the doll was given a new name,Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at theAmerican International Toy Fair inNew York City on March 9, 1959.[8] This date is also used as Barbie's official birthday.
The first Barbie doll wore a black-and-white zebra striped swimsuit and signature topknotponytail, and was available as either ablonde orbrunette. The doll was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model", with her clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson.[9]
Analysts expected the doll to perform poorly due to her adult appearance and widespread assumptions about consumer preferences at the time. Ruth Handler believed it was important for Barbie to have an adult appearance, but earlymarket research showed that some parents were unhappy about the doll's chest, which had distinct breasts.[10]
Barbie sold about 350,000 units in her first year, beating market expectations and generatingupside risk for investors. Sales of Barbieexceeded Mattel's ability to produce her for the first three years of her run. The market stabilized for the next decade while volume and margin increased by exportingrefurbished dolls toJapan. Barbie was manufactured in Japan during this time, with her clothes hand-stitched by Japanese homeworkers.[11]
Louis Marx and Company sued Mattel in March 1961. After licensing Lilli, they claimed that Mattel had "infringed on Greiner & Hausser's patent for Bild-Lilli's hip joint", and also claimed that Barbie was "a direct take-off and copy" of Bild-Lilli. The company additionally claimed that Mattel "falsely and misleadingly represented itself as having originated the design". Mattel counter-claimed and the case was settled out of court in 1963. In 1964, Mattel bought Greiner & Hausser's copyright and patent rights for the Bild-Lilli doll for $21,600, equivalent to $213,000 in 2024.[12][13]
Clothing designer Charlotte Johnson with a 1965 doll
Barbie's appearance has been changed many times, most notably in 1971 when the doll's eyes were adjusted to look forwards rather than having the demure sideways glance of the original model. This would be the last adjustment Ruth would make to her own creation as, three years later, she and her husband Elliot were removed from their posts at Mattel after an investigation found them guilty of issuing false and misleading financial reports.[10]
Barbie was one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based extensively on television advertising, which has been copied widely by other toys. In 2006, it was estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls had been sold worldwide in over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that three Barbie dolls are sold every second.[14]
Sales of Barbie dolls declined sharply from 2014 to 2016.[1] According toMarketWatch, the release of the 2023 filmBarbie is expected to create "significant growth" for the brand until at least 2030.[15]As well as reinvigorated sales, the release of the film triggered a fashion trend known as "Barbiecore"[16] and a film-related cultural phenomena namedBarbenheimer.
Barbie's full name isBarbara Millicent Roberts and her parents' names are given as George and Margaret Roberts from the fictional town of Willows,Wisconsin, in a series of novels published byRandom House in the 1960s.[28][29] In those novels, Barbie attended Willows High School; while in theGeneration Girl books, published byGolden Books in 1999, she attended the fictional Manhattan International High School in New York City (based on the real-lifeStuyvesant High School).[30]
She has an on-off romantic relationship with her then-boyfriendKen (full name "Kenneth Sean Carson"), who first appeared in 1961. Anews release from Mattel in February 2004 announced that Barbie and Ken had decided to split up,[31] but in February 2006, they were hoping to rekindle their relationship after Ken had a makeover.[32] In 2011, Mattel launched a campaign for Ken to win Barbie's affections back.[33] The pair officially reunited inValentine's Day 2011.[34] Beginning withBarbie Dreamhouse Adventures in 2018, the pair are seen as just friends or next-door neighbors until a brief return to pre-2018 aesthetics in the 2023 television show,Barbie: A Touch of Magic.
Mattel has created a range of companions and relatives for Barbie. She has three younger sisters:Skipper,Stacie, andChelsea (named Kelly until 2011).[35] Her sisters have co-starred in many entries of theBarbie film series, starting withBarbie & Her Sisters in A Pony Tale from 2013. 'Retired' members of Barbie's family includedTodd (twin brother to Stacie),Krissy (a baby sister), andFrancie (cousin). Barbie's friends includeHispanicTeresa,Midge,African American Christie, and Steven (Christie's boyfriend). Barbie was also friendly withBlaine, an Australian surfer, during her split with Ken in 2004.[36]
Barbie has had over 40 pets including cats and dogs, horses, apanda, a lion cub, and azebra. She has owned a wide range of vehicles, including pinkBeetle andCorvetteconvertibles, trailers, andJeeps. She also holds apilot's license, and operates commercial airliners in addition to serving as aflight attendant. Barbie'scareers are designed to show that women can take on a variety of roles in life, and the doll has been sold with a wide range of titles includingMiss Astronaut Barbie (1965),Doctor Barbie (1988), andNascar Barbie (1998).[37]
Legacy and influence
Barbie has become acultural icon and has been given honors that are rare in the toy world. In 1974, a section ofTimes Square in New York City was renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week. TheMusée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris at the Louvre held a Barbie exhibit in 2016. The exhibit featured 700 Barbie dolls over two floors as well as works by contemporary artists and documents (newspapers, photos, video) that contextualize Barbie.[38]
In 1986, the artistAndy Warhol created a painting of Barbie. The painting sold at auction atChristie's, London for $1.1million. In 2015, The Andy Warhol Foundation then teamed up with Mattel to create an Andy Warhol Barbie.[39][40]
Outsider artistAl Carbee took thousands of photographs of Barbie and created countless collages and dioramas featuring Barbie in various settings.[41] Carbee was the subject of the 2013 feature-length documentaryMagical Universe. Carbee's collage art was presented in the 2016 Barbie exhibit at theMusée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris in the section about visuals artists who have been inspired by Barbie.[42]
Interior of the Barbie café in Taiwan in 2013
In 2013, inTaiwan, the first Barbie-themed restaurant called "Barbie Café" opened under the Sinlaku group.[43]
TheEconomist has emphasized the importance of Barbie to children's imagination:
From her early days as a teenage fashion model, Barbie has appeared as an astronaut, surgeon, Olympic athlete, downhill skier, aerobics instructor, TV news reporter, vet, rock star, doctor, army officer, air force pilot, summit diplomat, rap musician, presidential candidate (party undefined), baseball player, scuba diver, lifeguard, fire-fighter, engineer, dentist, and many more.[...] When Barbie first burst into the toy shops, just as the 1960s were breaking, the doll market consisted mostly of babies, designed for girls to cradle, rock and feed. By creating a doll with adult features, Mattel enabled girls to become anything they want.[44]
In 2019, Mattel launched the "Barbie Dream Gap Project" to raise awareness of the phenomenon known as the "Dream Gap": beginning at the age of five, girls begin to doubt their own intelligence, where boys do not. This leads to boys pursuing careers requiring a higher intelligence, and girls being underrepresented in those careers.[54] As an example, in the U.S., 33% of sitting judges are female. This statistic inspired the release of Judge Barbie in four different skin tones and hairstyles with judge robes and a gavel accessory.[54]
Thank You Heroes
In May 2020, in response to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Mattel announced a new line of career dolls modeled after the first responders and essential workers of 2020. For every doll purchased, Mattel donated a doll to the First Responders Children's Foundation.[55]
Habitat for Humanity
In February 2022, Mattel celebrated its 60-year anniversary of the Barbie Dreamhouse by partnering with Habitat for Humanity International. Mattel committed to taking on 60 projects, including new construction, home preservation, and neighborhood revitalization.[56]
Bad influence concerns
In July 1992, Mattel releasedTeen Talk Barbie, which spoke a number of phrases including "Will we ever have enough clothes?", "I love shopping!", and "Wanna have a pizza party?" Each doll was programmed to say four out of 270 possible phrases, so that no two given dolls were likely to be the same (the number of possible combinations is 270!/(266!4!) = 216,546,345). One of these 270 phrases was "Math class is tough!", which led to criticism from theAmerican Association of University Women; about 1.5% of all the dolls sold said the phrase. The doll was often erroneously misattributed in the media as having said "Math is hard!"[57][58] In October 1992, Mattel announced thatTeen Talk Barbie would no longer say "Math class is tough!", and offered a swap to anyone who owned a doll that did.[59]
In 2002, Mattel introduced a line of pregnantMidge (and baby) dolls, but thisHappy Family line was quickly pulled from the market due to complaints that she promoted teen pregnancy, though Midge was supposed to be a married adult.[60]
In September 2003, the Middle Eastern country ofSaudi Arabia outlawed the sale of Barbie dolls and franchises, stating that they did not conform to the ideals ofIslam. TheCommittee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice warned, "Jewish Barbie dolls, with their revealing clothes and shameful postures,accessories and tools are a symbol of decadence to theperverted West. Let us beware of her dangers and be careful."[61] The 2003 Saudi ban was temporary.[62] In Muslim-majority nations, there is an alternative doll calledFulla, which was introduced in November 2003 and is equivalent to Barbie, but is designed specifically to represent traditional Islamic values. Fulla is not manufactured by Mattel (although Mattel still licenses Fulla dolls and franchises for sale in certain markets), and (as of January 2021) the "Jewish" Barbie brand is still available in otherMuslim-majority countries includingEgypt andIndonesia.[63] InIran, theSara and Dara dolls, which were introduced in March 2002, are available as an alternative to Barbie, even though they have not been as successful.[64]
In November 2014, Mattel received criticism over the bookI Can Be a Computer Engineer, which depicted Barbie as personallyinept at computers, requiring her two male friends complete all of the necessary tasks to restore two laptops after she accidentallyinfects her and her sister's laptop with amalware-laced USB flash drive, before ultimately getting credit for recovering her sister's school project.[65] Critics felt that the characterization of Barbie as asoftware designer lackinglow-level technical skills was sexist, as other books in theI Can Be... series depicted Barbie as someone who was totally competent in those jobs and did not require outside assistance from others.[66] Mattel later removed the book from sale onAmazon in response to the criticism,[67] and the company released a "Computer Engineer Barbie" doll who was a game programmer rather thangame designer.[67][68]
Diversity
"Black Barbies" redirects here. For the Nicki Minaj song, seeBlack Barbies (song).
Barbie Oreo School Time Fun from 2001[69] was controversial due to a negative interpretation of the doll's name.
"ColoredFrancie" made her debut in 1967, and she is sometimes described as the firstAfrican-American Barbie doll. However, she was produced using the existing head molds for the white Francie doll and lacked distinct African characteristics other than dark skin. The first African-American doll in the Barbie range is usually regarded as Christie, who made her debut in 1968.[70][71] Black Barbie was launched in 1980 but still had Caucasian features. In 1990, Mattel created a focus group with African-American children and parents, early childhood specialists, and clinical psychologist, Darlene Powell Hudson. Instead of using the same molds for the Caucasian Barbies, new ones were created. In addition, facial features, skin tones, hair texture, and names were all altered. The body shapes looked different, but the proportions were the same to ensure clothing and accessories were interchangeable.[72] In September 2009, Mattel introduced the So In Style range, which was intended to create a more realistic depiction of African-American people than previous dolls.[73]
Starting in 1980, it produced Hispanic dolls, and later came models from across the globe. For example, in 2007, it introduced "Cinco de Mayo Barbie" wearing a ruffled red, white, and green dress (echoing the Mexican flag).Hispanic magazine reports that:
[O]ne of the most dramatic developments in Barbie's history came when she embraced multi-culturalism and was released in a wide variety of native costumes, hair colors and skin tones to more closely resemble the girls who idolized her. Among these were Cinco De Mayo Barbie, Spanish Barbie, Peruvian Barbie, Mexican Barbie and Puerto Rican Barbie. She also has had close Hispanic friends, such as Teresa.[74]
Professor Emilie Rose Aguilo-Perez argued that over time, Mattel shifted from ambiguous Hispanic presentations in their dolls to one that is more assertive in its "Latinx" marketing and product labeling.[75]
Mattel has responded to criticisms pointing to a lack of diversity in the line.[76] In 2016, Mattel expanded the So In Style line to include seven skin tones, twenty-two eye colors, and twenty-four hairstyles. Part of the reason for this change was due to declining sales.[77] The brand now offers over 22skin tones, 94hair colors, 13eye colors and fivebody types.[78]
Mattel teamed up withNabisco to launch a cross-promotion Barbie doll withOreocookies in 1997 and 2001. While the 1997 release of the doll was only released in awhite version, for the 2001 release Mattel manufactured both a white and ablack version. The 2001 releaseBarbie Oreo School Time Fun was marketed as someone with whom young girls could play after class and share "America's favorite cookie". Critics argued that in the African American community,Oreo is a derogatory term meaning that the person is "black on the outside and white on the inside", like the chocolate sandwich cookie itself.[79]
In May 1997, Mattel introducedShare a Smile Becky, a doll in a pinkwheelchair. Kjersti Johnson, a 17-year-old high school student inTacoma, Washington withcerebral palsy, pointed out that the doll would not fit into theelevator of Barbie's $100 Dream House. Mattel announced that it would redesign the house in the future to accommodate the doll.[80]
The standard range of Barbie dolls and related accessories are manufactured to approximately 1/6 scale, which is also known asplayscale.[91] The standard dolls are approximately11+1⁄2 inches (29 cm) tall.
Mattel estimates that there are well over 100,000 avid Barbie collectors. Ninety percent are women, at an average age of 40, purchasing more than twenty Barbie dolls each year. Forty-five percent of them spend upwards of $1000 a year.Vintage Barbie dolls from the early years are the most valuable atauction, and while the original Barbie was sold for $3.00 in 1959, a mint boxed Barbie from 1959 sold for $3552.50 oneBay in October 2004.[92] On September 26, 2006, a Barbie doll set a world record at auction of £9,000sterling (US$17,000) atChristie's in London. The doll was a Barbie in Midnight Red from 1965 and was part of a private collection of 4,000 Barbie dolls being sold by two Dutch women, Ietje Raebel and her daughter Marina.[93]
In recent years, Mattel has sold a wide range of Barbie dolls aimed specifically at collectors, includingporcelain versions, vintage reproductions, and depictions of Barbie as a range of characters from film and television series such asThe Munsters andStar Trek.[94][95] There are also collector's edition dolls depicting Barbie dolls with a range of different ethnic identities.[96] In 2004, Mattel introduced the Color Tier system for its collector's edition Barbie dolls including pink, silver, gold, and platinum, depending on how many of the dolls are produced.[97] In 2020, Mattel introduced theDia De Los Muertos collectible Barbie doll, the second collectible released as part of the company's La Catrina line which was launched in 2019.[98]
Mattel sued artistTom Forsythe over a 1999 series of photographs calledFood Chain Barbie in which Barbie winds up in ablender.[99][100][101] Mattel lost the lawsuit and was forced to pay Forsythe's legal costs.[99]
On the 25th episode ofIn Living Color, in December 1990, aHomey D. Clown sketch found HDC filling in forSanta Claus at a shopping mall. A little girl (Kelly Coffield) asks for a Malibu Barbie & Condominium playset; instead, "Homey Claus" gives her "Compton Carlotta" (a crude doll made of sticks and bottlecaps) with a slum-apartment (a milk carton). When the girl complains, Homey raises his signatureblackjack and wishes her a Merry Christmas; taking the hint, she thanks him and hastily retires.
In Latin America, notable controversies include a 2018 legal dispute involving the Panama-based Frida Kahlo Corporation's allegations thatFrida Kahlo's great-niece in Mexico had wrongly licensed the Frida Kahlo trademark for the "Frida Kahlo Barbie" doll.[102]
Mattel filed a lawsuit in 2004 in the U.S. against Barbara Anderson-Walley, a Canadian business owner whose nickname isBarbie, over her website, which sellsfetish clothing.[103][104] The lawsuit was dismissed.[99]
In 2011,Greenpeace parodied Barbie, calling on Mattel to adopt a policy for its paper purchases that would protect the rainforest. Four months later, Mattel adopted a paper sustainability policy.[105]
Saturday Night Live aired a parody of the Barbie commercials featuring "Gangsta Bitch Barbie" and "Tupac Ken".[106] In 2002, the show also aired a skit, which starredBritney Spears as Barbie's sisterSkipper.[107]
In November 2002, a New York judge refused aninjunction against the British-based artist Susanne Pitt, who had produced a "Dungeon Barbie" doll inbondage clothing.[108]
Two commercials by automobile companyNissan featuring dolls similar to Barbie and Ken was the subject of another lawsuit in 1997. In the first commercial, a female doll is lured into a car by a doll resemblingG.I. Joe to the dismay of a Ken-like doll, accompanied byVan Halen's "You Really Got Me".[111] In the second commercial, the "Barbie" doll is saved by the "G.I. Joe" doll after she is accidentally knocked into a swimming pool by the "Ken" doll toKiss's "Calling Dr. Love".[112] The makers of the commercial said that the dolls' names were Roxanne, Nick and Tad. Mattel claimed that the commercial did "irreparable damage" to its products,[113][114] but settled.[115]
In 1999, Canadian nude model Barbie Doll Benson was involved in a trademark infringement case over her domain name, BarbieBenson.com.[116]
In 1993, a group calling itself theBarbie Liberation Organization secretly modified a group of Barbie dolls by implanting voice boxes fromG.I. Joe dolls, then returning the Barbies to the toy stores from where they were purchased.[117][118]
Savior Barbie refers to a satirical Instagram account. Savior Barbie is depicted as being in Africa where she runs an NGO that provides drinking water to locals and makes sure to provide footage that depicts her glorious acts of goodness. The account is likely to have inspired others such as "Hipster Barbie" and "Socality Barbie".[119][120]
Competition from Bratz dolls
In May 2001,MGA Entertainment launched theBratz series of dolls, a move that gave Barbie her first serious competition in the fashion doll market. In 2004, sales figures showed that Bratz dolls were outselling Barbie dolls in the United Kingdom, althoughMattel maintained that in terms of the number of dolls, clothes, and accessories sold, Barbie remained the leading brand.[121] In 2005, figures showed that sales of Barbie dolls had fallen by 30% in the United States, and by 18% worldwide, with much of the drop being attributed to the popularity of Bratz dolls.[122]
In December 2006, Mattel sued MGA Entertainment for $1 billion, alleging that Bratz creatorCarter Bryant was working for Mattel when he developed the idea forBratz.[123] On July 17, 2008, a federal jury agreed that the Bratz line was created by Carter Bryant while he was working for Mattel and that MGA and its chief executive officerIsaac Larian were liable for converting Mattel property for their own use and intentionally interfering with the contractual duties owed by Bryant to Mattel.[124] On August 26, the jury found that Mattel would have to be paid $100 million in damages. On December 3, 2008, U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson banned MGA from selling Bratz. He allowed the company to continue selling the dolls until the winter holiday season ended.[125][126] On appeal, a stay was granted by theU.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; the Court also overturned the District Court's original ruling for Mattel, where MGA Entertainment was ordered to forfeit the entireBratz brand.[127][128]
Mattel Inc. andMGA Entertainment Inc. returned to court on January 18, 2011, to renew their battle over who ownsBratz, which this time included accusations from both companies that the other side stole trade secrets.[129] On April 21, 2011, a federal jury returned a verdict supporting MGA.[130] On August 5, 2011, Mattel was also ordered to pay MGA $310 million for attorney fees, stealing trade secrets, and false claims rather than the $88.5 million issued in April.[131]
In August 2009, MGA introduced a range of dolls calledMoxie Girlz, intended as a replacement for Bratz dolls.[132]
Effects on body image
From the start, some have complained that "the blonde, plastic doll conveyed an unrealistic body image to girls."[133]
Criticisms of Barbie are often centered around concerns that children consider Barbie a role model and will attempt to emulate her. One of the most common criticisms of Barbie is that she promotes an unrealistic idea of body image for a young woman, leading to a risk that girls who attempt to emulate her will becomeanorexic. Unrealistic body proportions in Barbie dolls have been connected to someeating disorders in children.[134][135][136][137]
A standard Barbie doll is 11.5 inches (29 cm) tall, giving a height of 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) at 1/6 scale. Barbie's vital statistics have been estimated at 36 inches (91 cm) (chest), 18 inches (46 cm) (waist) and 33 inches (84 cm) (hips). According to research by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, she would lack the 17 to 22 percent body fat required for a woman tomenstruate.[138] In 1963, the outfit "Barbie Baby-Sits" came with a book titledHow to Lose Weight which advised: "Don't eat!"[139] The same book was included in another ensemble called "Slumber Party" in 1965 along with a pink bathroom scale permanently set at 110 pounds (50 kg),[139] which would be underweight for a woman 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall.[140] Mattel said that the waist of the Barbie doll was made small because the waistbands of her clothes, along with their seams, snaps, and zippers, added bulk to her figure.[141] In 1997, Barbie's body mold was redesigned and given a wider waist, with Mattel saying that this would make the doll better suited to contemporary fashion designs.[142][143]
In 2016, Mattel introduced a range of new body types: 'tall', 'petite', and 'curvy', releasing them exclusively as part of the Barbie Fashionistas line. 'Curvy Barbie' received a great deal of media attention[144][145][146] and even made the cover ofTime magazine with the headline "Now Can We Stop Talking About My Body?".[147] Despite the curvy doll's body shape being equivalent to a US size 4 in clothing,[144] some children reportedly regarded her as "fat".[147][148]
Although Barbie had been criticized for its unrealistic-looking "tall and petite" dolls, the company has been offering more dolls set to more realistic standards in order to help promote a positive body image.[149]
Barbie's waist has been widened in more recent versions of the doll.
Back cover of the vintage booklet titledHow to Lose Weight, stating "Don't Eat!"
Bathroom scale from 1965, permanently set at 110 pounds (50 kg)
"Barbie syndrome"
"Barbie syndrome" is a term that has been used to depict the desire to have a physicalappearance and lifestyle representative of the Barbie doll. It is most often associated with pre-teenage andadolescent girls but is applicable to any age group or gender. A person with Barbie syndrome attempts to emulate the doll's physical appearance, even though the doll has unattainable body proportions.[150] This syndrome is seen as a form ofbody dysmorphic disorder and results in various eating disorders as well as an obsession with cosmetic surgery.[151]
Ukrainian modelValeria Lukyanova has received attention from the press, due in part to her appearance having been modified based on the physique of Barbie.[152][153] She stated that she has only had breast implants and relies heavily on make up and contacts to alter her appearance.[154] Similarly,Lacey Wildd, an American reality television personality frequently referred to as "Million Dollar Barbie", has also undergone 12 breast augmentation surgeries to become "the extreme Barbie".[155]
Jessica Alves, prior to coming out as transgender, underwent over £373,000 worth of cosmetic procedures to match the appearance of Barbie's male counterpart, garnering her the nickname the "Human Ken Doll". These procedures have included multiple nose jobs, six pack ab implants, a buttock lift, and hair and chest implants.[154] Sporting the same nickname,Justin Jedlica, the American businessman, has also received multiple cosmetic surgeries to enhance his Ken-like appearance.
In 2006, researchers Helga Dittmar, Emma Halliwell, and Suzanne Ive conducted an experiment testing how dolls, including Barbie, affect self-image in young girls. Dittmar, Halliwell, and Ive gave picture books to girls age 5–8, one with photos of Barbie and the other with photos of Emme, a doll with more realistic physical features. The girls were then asked about their ideal body size. Their research found that the girls who were exposed to the images of Barbie had significantly lower self-esteem than the girls who had photos of Emme.[156] However,Benjamin Radford noted that the answer may not be this simple since this research also showed that the age of the girl was a significant factor in the influence the doll had on her self esteem.[157]
^In an interview with Mary G. Lord, the author ofForever Barbie, Ruth Handler said that she saw the doll inLucerne, Switzerland. However, the book points out that on other occasions Handler said that she saw the doll inZürich orVienna.
^Ducille, Ann (1994). "Dyes and Dolls: Multicultural Barbie and the merchandising of difference".Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies.6: 46.
^Published on Friday November 8, 2002 00:00 (November 8, 2002)."The Scotsman".The Scotsman. Archived fromthe original on October 13, 2007. RetrievedMarch 3, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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