Barbie: Her Intentions and Her Impact
Barbie, an American icon that was a product of the Mattel Company, revolutionized the
lives of young girls and women for many decades. The creation of Barbie, meant
for many young girls the opportunity to have choices during a time when women
were limited. Although, Barbie has long been criticized for being associated
with domesticity and her appearance among many other things, she is nonetheless
an iconic figure in American History. As a female who grew up playing with
Barbie dolls, for many people like myself, she was more than a toy, she was an
influence that many woman have tried to emulate because she was an innovate
figure in the 1960s and has continued to be well into today. The intention of
this paper is to examine what were the intentions of Barbie doll creator Ruth
Handler when the doll debuted in 1959 as well as the magnitude of Barbie’s
impact on women and women’s history.
Ruth Handler, the creator of the Barbie doll conceived the idea of
creating a doll after a family trip to Europe where she discovered an adult doll
that was a German sex toy. Once she returned to the United States she made a
discovery in regards to the toys of young girls saying as quote” I saw these
little girls playing grown up and knew that the only dolls available on the
market were baby dolls where the child is limited to playing mommy, or toddler
or companion dolls where the child is limited to playing with a girlfriend;
there was no adult doll with which a child could truly dream her dreams in the
early fifties” (Piche). Hence the Barbie doll made its debut through her company
Mattel in March of 1959, it not only revolutionized the way women thought of
themselves but caused controversy because it did not directly encourage
domesticity. When Barbie made her debut in 1959, “she wore a black-and-white
striped one-piece bathing suit, black heels, white sunglasses and too much
eyeliner, the makeup was applied because Barbie was meant to be older than
traditional dolls marketed to preteens”(Crosby). Her appearance was modern yet
it she did not resemble a housewife or a mother and because of this the
controversy began. Many mothers were outraged this doll encouraged their
daughters to want to rebel against the social norms of the 1960s and aspire to
be an independent woman. By the year 1965, Barbie had evolved into a working
woman, taking on roles such as: a registered nurse, flight attendant, career
girl and astronaut (Johansen). She had begun to take on roles that were before
her time that would mimic the roles of women in the future. At the same time
Barbie appeared to be a symbol of an independent woman for young girls, “others
believed she was limited to a traditional woman’s place in the 1950s and 1960s”
(Piche). The reasoning behind this was that through various commercials and
novels that were about Barbie, other dolls were introduced like Ken and Skipper
who defeated the image that Barbie was an independent woman who had choices. The
creation of the doll Ken caused controversy because it alluded to the idea that
Barbie could not exist without a male companion. In addition to that, Barbie no
longer had major career roles after the creation of Ken without having to assist
him as her new role. Then when her sister Skipper was created, Barbie had
responsibilities and had to answer to her parents. Handler’s response to this
criticism of Barbie limiting young women was “if that is so, it’s because the
little girls who is playing with her chooses to concentrate on those facers of a
woman’s life” (Shannon). She felt that the purpose of Barbie was to be a
positive influence and encourage self-suffiency, that all the criticism was
derived from interpretations of close minded people. Prior to the creation of
Ken and Skipper, Barbie was idolized for the fact that “there were no parents or
husbands or offspring in Barbie’s world; she didn’t define herself through
relationship of responsibility to men or to her family” (Piche). This reasoning
alone gave young girls hope and inspiration that they could emulate Barbie and
not have to conform to the social norms of the 1950s and 1960s or follow the
example that their mothers set for them as housewives and mothers. The Barbie
doll was the example of self-sufficiency and independence in the 1960s during a
time when woman were reliant on the men in their lives in order financially and
emotionally survive.
It is an understatement to say that the Barbie doll has impacted the
lives of many different generations of women. The Barbie doll most likely
impacted women to an equal degree to that of powerful female icons like Oprah
Winfrey, Marilyn Monroe, and Aubrey Hepburn because she is timeless and
innovative. Her creation contradicted the idea of True Womanhood because she
encouraged women to leave home and be self-sufficient instead of staying home
and being submissive to their husbands. While the appearance of Barbie
encouraged women to take care of themselves and seek various kinds of careers.
It was also discouraging to women because she had an unrealistic body type. Due
to the fact that Barbie is an icon, many women have tried to emulate Barbie
specifically because of her appearance. In doing so it caused self-esteem issues
instead of empowering women to do and be whoever and whatever they wanted. As
time has progressed, it has been discovered that “Barbie is no longer forced to
shoulder the burden of American female self-esteem by herself the way she had to
when she first appeared on the market”(Crosby). Barbie’s image has evolved into
that of a role-model and a trailblazer because of what she means to women and
how she encouraged women in the 1960s until now to want the career, the family,
and the independence all at the same time.
According to Marilyn Motz, Barbie is the woman excluded from the world of
work with its attendant sense of achievement, to live a life based on leisure
activities, personal appearance, an accumulation of possession and the search
for popularity, while many women reject this role, Barbie embraces it (Motz).
Barbie has become a product of her environment in regards to the present. She
was innovative and revolutionary because she was self-sufficient, glamorous,
and independent, which would later become the characteristics of the modern
woman. She has transformed history because she in essence was her own movement
of feminism prior to the first and second wave of feminism in American history.
Unfortunately, despite Handler’s and Mattel’s intention for Barbie to be
independent and innovative, Barbie’s concept has changed as a response to a
competitive toy market and consumer requests (Piche). Presently, Barbie is no
longer as popular as she once was because she no longer has to fulfill the role
as a feminist rights activist for women. She was an activist in the form of her
clothing, the marketing scheme behind her, and the many options she gave young
women. Regardless, the Barbie doll will forever be an icon, because of her
influence and impact on the modern
woman.
lives of young girls and women for many decades. The creation of Barbie, meant
for many young girls the opportunity to have choices during a time when women
were limited. Although, Barbie has long been criticized for being associated
with domesticity and her appearance among many other things, she is nonetheless
an iconic figure in American History. As a female who grew up playing with
Barbie dolls, for many people like myself, she was more than a toy, she was an
influence that many woman have tried to emulate because she was an innovate
figure in the 1960s and has continued to be well into today. The intention of
this paper is to examine what were the intentions of Barbie doll creator Ruth
Handler when the doll debuted in 1959 as well as the magnitude of Barbie’s
impact on women and women’s history.
Ruth Handler, the creator of the Barbie doll conceived the idea of
creating a doll after a family trip to Europe where she discovered an adult doll
that was a German sex toy. Once she returned to the United States she made a
discovery in regards to the toys of young girls saying as quote” I saw these
little girls playing grown up and knew that the only dolls available on the
market were baby dolls where the child is limited to playing mommy, or toddler
or companion dolls where the child is limited to playing with a girlfriend;
there was no adult doll with which a child could truly dream her dreams in the
early fifties” (Piche). Hence the Barbie doll made its debut through her company
Mattel in March of 1959, it not only revolutionized the way women thought of
themselves but caused controversy because it did not directly encourage
domesticity. When Barbie made her debut in 1959, “she wore a black-and-white
striped one-piece bathing suit, black heels, white sunglasses and too much
eyeliner, the makeup was applied because Barbie was meant to be older than
traditional dolls marketed to preteens”(Crosby). Her appearance was modern yet
it she did not resemble a housewife or a mother and because of this the
controversy began. Many mothers were outraged this doll encouraged their
daughters to want to rebel against the social norms of the 1960s and aspire to
be an independent woman. By the year 1965, Barbie had evolved into a working
woman, taking on roles such as: a registered nurse, flight attendant, career
girl and astronaut (Johansen). She had begun to take on roles that were before
her time that would mimic the roles of women in the future. At the same time
Barbie appeared to be a symbol of an independent woman for young girls, “others
believed she was limited to a traditional woman’s place in the 1950s and 1960s”
(Piche). The reasoning behind this was that through various commercials and
novels that were about Barbie, other dolls were introduced like Ken and Skipper
who defeated the image that Barbie was an independent woman who had choices. The
creation of the doll Ken caused controversy because it alluded to the idea that
Barbie could not exist without a male companion. In addition to that, Barbie no
longer had major career roles after the creation of Ken without having to assist
him as her new role. Then when her sister Skipper was created, Barbie had
responsibilities and had to answer to her parents. Handler’s response to this
criticism of Barbie limiting young women was “if that is so, it’s because the
little girls who is playing with her chooses to concentrate on those facers of a
woman’s life” (Shannon). She felt that the purpose of Barbie was to be a
positive influence and encourage self-suffiency, that all the criticism was
derived from interpretations of close minded people. Prior to the creation of
Ken and Skipper, Barbie was idolized for the fact that “there were no parents or
husbands or offspring in Barbie’s world; she didn’t define herself through
relationship of responsibility to men or to her family” (Piche). This reasoning
alone gave young girls hope and inspiration that they could emulate Barbie and
not have to conform to the social norms of the 1950s and 1960s or follow the
example that their mothers set for them as housewives and mothers. The Barbie
doll was the example of self-sufficiency and independence in the 1960s during a
time when woman were reliant on the men in their lives in order financially and
emotionally survive.
It is an understatement to say that the Barbie doll has impacted the
lives of many different generations of women. The Barbie doll most likely
impacted women to an equal degree to that of powerful female icons like Oprah
Winfrey, Marilyn Monroe, and Aubrey Hepburn because she is timeless and
innovative. Her creation contradicted the idea of True Womanhood because she
encouraged women to leave home and be self-sufficient instead of staying home
and being submissive to their husbands. While the appearance of Barbie
encouraged women to take care of themselves and seek various kinds of careers.
It was also discouraging to women because she had an unrealistic body type. Due
to the fact that Barbie is an icon, many women have tried to emulate Barbie
specifically because of her appearance. In doing so it caused self-esteem issues
instead of empowering women to do and be whoever and whatever they wanted. As
time has progressed, it has been discovered that “Barbie is no longer forced to
shoulder the burden of American female self-esteem by herself the way she had to
when she first appeared on the market”(Crosby). Barbie’s image has evolved into
that of a role-model and a trailblazer because of what she means to women and
how she encouraged women in the 1960s until now to want the career, the family,
and the independence all at the same time.
According to Marilyn Motz, Barbie is the woman excluded from the world of
work with its attendant sense of achievement, to live a life based on leisure
activities, personal appearance, an accumulation of possession and the search
for popularity, while many women reject this role, Barbie embraces it (Motz).
Barbie has become a product of her environment in regards to the present. She
was innovative and revolutionary because she was self-sufficient, glamorous,
and independent, which would later become the characteristics of the modern
woman. She has transformed history because she in essence was her own movement
of feminism prior to the first and second wave of feminism in American history.
Unfortunately, despite Handler’s and Mattel’s intention for Barbie to be
independent and innovative, Barbie’s concept has changed as a response to a
competitive toy market and consumer requests (Piche). Presently, Barbie is no
longer as popular as she once was because she no longer has to fulfill the role
as a feminist rights activist for women. She was an activist in the form of her
clothing, the marketing scheme behind her, and the many options she gave young
women. Regardless, the Barbie doll will forever be an icon, because of her
influence and impact on the modern
woman.
Bibliography
Crosley, Sloane. "Smithsonian.com." Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian.com, Nov. 2013.
Web. 27 Nov. 2013.
Johansen, Michele. "The Evolution of Working Women: What Barbie Has Taught Us." Atom.
N.p., 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
Motz, Marilyn F. "Seen Through the Rose Tinted Glass." Popular Culture (1992): n. pag.
Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
Piche, Briana. Constructing the Past. "The Intentions Behind the Creation of Barbie" by
Briana Piche. Illinois Wesleyan University, 2009. Web. 20 Nov.
2013.
Shannon, Jacqueline. "Primary Sources: Ruth Handler: Staying Home Wasn't in My Makeup."
PBS. PBS, 1994. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Web. 27 Nov. 2013.
Johansen, Michele. "The Evolution of Working Women: What Barbie Has Taught Us." Atom.
N.p., 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
Motz, Marilyn F. "Seen Through the Rose Tinted Glass." Popular Culture (1992): n. pag.
Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
Piche, Briana. Constructing the Past. "The Intentions Behind the Creation of Barbie" by
Briana Piche. Illinois Wesleyan University, 2009. Web. 20 Nov.
2013.
Shannon, Jacqueline. "Primary Sources: Ruth Handler: Staying Home Wasn't in My Makeup."
PBS. PBS, 1994. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Primary Source: Dream Doll: The Ruth Handler Story.
In her memoir, the California woman who co-founded Mattel and brought the
world an iconic doll
reflected on her own choices about balancing work and family.
I'm sure you've heard some of the criticism that's been lobbed at Barbie in
the last several years. Barbie cares only about clothes. Barbie's "mind" is
filled only with Saturday-night dates and/or wedding plans. My response is if
that is so, it's because the little girl who is playing with her chooses
to concentrate on those facets of a woman's life.
Unlike play with a baby doll -- in which a little girl is pretty much limited
to assuming the role of Mommy -- Barbie has always represented the fact that a
woman has choices. Even in her early years Barbie did not have to settle
for being only Ken's girlfriend or an inveterate shopper, She had the clothes,
for example, to launch a career as a nurse, a stewardess, a nightclub singer. I
believe that the choices Barbie represents helped the doll catch on initially,
not just with daughters -- who would one day make up the first major wave of
women in management and the professions -- but also with their mothers, who
absolutely flipped over Barbie when she was introduced. Most of these mothers
were confined to a rigidly prescribed
existence epitomized by [TV character] June Cleaver. And most
were pleased with the idea that their daughters could play with -- aspire
with -- a doll who had many more choices in life than
adult women had at that time.
There's a great irony in all this: My own daughter wanted me to be... June
Cleaver... As a child, Barbara longed for an "ordinary" life. Her definition of
such a life included a mother who was always available, always home. And
though I dearly loved my children -- each was a planned-for and very wanted baby
-- and made them my first priority, the staying home part just wasn't in my
makeup.
Excerpt from Ruth Handler with
Jacqueline Shannon, Dream Doll: The Ruth Handler Story. Stamford, CT:
Longmeadow Press, 1994, pp.43-44.
Shannon, Jacqueline. "Primary Sources: Ruth Handler: Staying
Home Wasn't in My Makeup." PBS. PBS, 1994. Web. 20 Nov. 2013
world an iconic doll
reflected on her own choices about balancing work and family.
I'm sure you've heard some of the criticism that's been lobbed at Barbie in
the last several years. Barbie cares only about clothes. Barbie's "mind" is
filled only with Saturday-night dates and/or wedding plans. My response is if
that is so, it's because the little girl who is playing with her chooses
to concentrate on those facets of a woman's life.
Unlike play with a baby doll -- in which a little girl is pretty much limited
to assuming the role of Mommy -- Barbie has always represented the fact that a
woman has choices. Even in her early years Barbie did not have to settle
for being only Ken's girlfriend or an inveterate shopper, She had the clothes,
for example, to launch a career as a nurse, a stewardess, a nightclub singer. I
believe that the choices Barbie represents helped the doll catch on initially,
not just with daughters -- who would one day make up the first major wave of
women in management and the professions -- but also with their mothers, who
absolutely flipped over Barbie when she was introduced. Most of these mothers
were confined to a rigidly prescribed
existence epitomized by [TV character] June Cleaver. And most
were pleased with the idea that their daughters could play with -- aspire
with -- a doll who had many more choices in life than
adult women had at that time.
There's a great irony in all this: My own daughter wanted me to be... June
Cleaver... As a child, Barbara longed for an "ordinary" life. Her definition of
such a life included a mother who was always available, always home. And
though I dearly loved my children -- each was a planned-for and very wanted baby
-- and made them my first priority, the staying home part just wasn't in my
makeup.
Excerpt from Ruth Handler with
Jacqueline Shannon, Dream Doll: The Ruth Handler Story. Stamford, CT:
Longmeadow Press, 1994, pp.43-44.
Shannon, Jacqueline. "Primary Sources: Ruth Handler: Staying
Home Wasn't in My Makeup." PBS. PBS, 1994. Web. 20 Nov. 2013
Link to Source http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/filmmore/ps_handler.html
My Primary Source originates from an autobiography written by Ruth Handler herself and Jacqueline Shannon called Dream Doll: The Ruth Handler Story. It is an excerpt from the book in which Ruth Handler addresses the criticism that Barbie has received and the reasoning behind her creation of Barbie. This source is significant because she emphasizes that the negative feedback Barbie has received is due to the fact that "the little girls who play with these doll choose to focus on the those facets of women's life." This meaning that Barbie's intended purpose was to give young girls choices and to take their experience playing with Barbie's and use it to influence them to want to have choices as a woman in a male dominated society. Handler goes on to talk about her strategy behind the different types of career clothes that Barbie had were purposeful in her hopes that Barbie would inspire young girls to aspire to be career women and women in management positions. The release of Barbie was to give young girls something to aspire to be in the 1960s, even when they did not have the same opportunities that Barbie had at that time.
Multimedia Gallery: Barbie: Her intentions and Her Impact
This picture is a sketch of how the very first Barbie that debuted in 1959 looked like. She is wearing a bathing suit, red lipstick, and eyeliner. This is purposeful because she was made to look like an older doll or an adult doll for young girls instead of a baby doll. This is important because Handler wanted to ensure that the Barbie doll was diverse in a market where baby dolls were the primary toys for young girls.
This video is about how Barbie was created from the creators Ruth Handler and her husband Elliot Handler. It is significant because it describes the reason why Handler felt the need to create a new doll in a market where dolls were not selling very well. Although, Barbie was not successful when it initially debuted, not soon after consumerism launched Barbie from a toy to an American Icon.
This image is of the Astronaut Barbie that debuted in 1965. It is significant because not only did it appear before NASA had actually sent people to the moon, but it also came out 18 years before there was an actual female astronaut. Barbie was the first.
This is a commercial of the debut of Ken, Barbie's boyfriend. In essence, this is a controversial ad because some consumers felt that it alluded to the fact that Barbie was like every other woman in the 1960s and had to depend on a man. The fact that Barbie was dating Ken, "violated social norms and defied parental standards." She was no longer seen as self-sufficient and independent when Ken was created.