Barbie: The Doll That Changed the World

Written by: Anna Pafenberg

In the 1950’s, when asked to picture a doll, most little girls would picture their baby doll. There was no such thing as a handheld dress up doll that young kids could play with. By the end of the decade Mattel, founded by Ruth Handler and her husband Elliot Handler, had put out a doll that would change lives for decades to come.

The Origin of Barbie

Ruth Handler one day noticed that her daughter had no doll to play with that wasn’t ababy or a kitchen set. Her daughter, Barbara, had started playing with homemade paper dolls to fill the gap in her toy box. These paper dolls became the inspiration for Barbara Milicent Roberts, or the wildly successful doll, Barbie. When she was released in 1959, she had the classic blonde hair, red lip, and iconic black and white swimsuit. While some people thought that Barbie was just another woman wearing a swimsuit and looking pretty, she was so much more than that. In the past, most girls didn’t necessarily look up to their toys, but Barbie became a new role model for little girls all over the world. Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken Carson, was released in 1961 after a wildly successful time for Barbie. She was originally sold for $3 and 300,000 dolls were sold. For the first time, the man in a relationship was not the breadwinner. Barbie has had over 250 careers and is wildly successful in all of them. 

Fashion Influence

Barbie is most well known for her beautifully designed outfits, but where did they come from? Barbie’s clothes depicted the time period they were released in. For example, the original 1959 Barbie had red lips like Marilyn Monroe. Then in the Jackie Kennedy Era in the 60’s, Barbie was seen sporting outfits like the first lady. There have also been many Barbie’s modeled after celebrities such as Tina Turner and even Jane Goodall!

Barbie’s Controversy

Despite Barbie’s success, she faced some controversy. People thought Barbie was too conventional and had unrealistic body standards for young girls. Barbie became a harmful term that men referred to women as, but Barbie reclaimed her name easily. At first in 1960, she took on more feminine jobs like a nurse and ballerina, but in the years moving forward she became a skier, surgeon, and even the president. Even through all of her hardship and controversy, she still showed little girls that they could do anything they dreamed of.

All in all, Barbie has changed millions of lives with over 1 billion dolls sold. Without her, young girls might not have started to believe that they can do anything, just like Barbie has. She is a symbol of the modern feminist movement and shows young kids that just because she is a girl, doesn’t mean she can’t be anything she wants to be.