Barbie is 54. Ruth Handler, creator of Barbie and co-owner of Mattel, had no idea how much popularity her plastic doll would accrue when she debuted at the American Toy Fair in New York City in 1959. She wanted a doll that served as an ode to feminist empowerment and independence, so she created Barbie.
"Barbie has always represented that a woman has choices. Barbie has sold more than 1 billion dolls since its initial launch, with 99% of girls between the ages of three to 10 owning at least one.
Dittman and Halliwell argue Barbie’s adherence to the male gaze’s perception of beauty and a distortedly thin frame decreases self-esteem among girls. One of their studies found a direct correlation between increased body dissatisfaction and exposure to the Barbie doll. Most of the girls included in the study desired an ultrathin figure similar to Barbie’s, not realizing how unattainable this longing is.
If Barbie were a real woman, her measurements would be 36-18-38. Finland’s University Central Hospital in Helsinksi even found Barbie lacking the appropriate percentage of body fat required for menstruation. Barbie’s figure is not only unhealthy, it is almost unachievable. Thelikelihood of a woman having Barbie's body shape is one in 100,000.
Young girls don’t realize this. British researchers examined the effect of Barbie on children and found girls were more displeased with their bodies after seeing images of Barbie. Mattel has propelled this notion with several product launches designed to "fix" girls. In 1965, Mattel released "Slumber Party Barbie." This incident also speaks to another bolded critique of Mattel’s marketing of Barbie. The first talking Barbie embodied this when she uttered the phrase, "Math is tough." Women are often left out of STEM careers with fewer entering these fields opposed to women-dominated trades. Barbie continues to perpetuate that notion.
Why can’t Barbie be fashionable and intelligent, accomplished and beautiful, brilliant and chic?
The organization empowers girls by showing them the various careers Barbie has portrayed and encouraging them to seek success as well. One of the initiatives included the release of computer engineer Barbie, but she hasn’t been mass-marketed for retail. Parents have to seek this specific Barbie doll at specialty stores. But fashion model Barbie is easily accessible. The pressure to fit into confined limitations of girldom and femininity is leading some girls to drastic measures to achieve the perfection Barbie emanates.
Barbie is 54 with no wrinkles or sprinkles of gray in her flowing tresses. Young girls think Barbie is perfect and are dying to see her face in their mirror reflections. Happy anniversary, Barbie.