Barbie
Barbie is the world's best-selling doll and was first sold on March 9, 1959. The best-selling Barbie was one released in 1992, Totally Hair Barbie, with stylable hair so long it reached from her head down to her toes. DevelopmentRuth Handler had noted that her daughter Barbara preferred playing with paper dolls that looked like adults rather than like children. During a trip to Europe with her daughter, Handler noticed a German doll named Lilli and bought it for Barbara. In fact, the Lilli doll was based on the character of a prostitute in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for die Bild Zeitung. The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955. The dolls were manufactured in Hamburg, where legal, licensed prostitutes are ubiquitous. The doll was marketed to adult men in bars and tobacco shops, not to children. M. G. Lord, in her Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll, characterized the original doll as a "gag gift for men, a pornographic character." [1] (http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/1997/11/26harlot.html) Ruth Handler says that when she bought Lilli for her daughter, she was ignorant of its adult nature. Ruth Handler and Elliott Handler, the co-founders of Mattel, bought the rights to market Lilli: with a hair color change from blonde to brunette, and a name change to Barbie (after Ruth's daughter Barbara) she was sold in the United States starting in 1959 at New York's annual Toy Fair. The first Barbie doll had a black-and-white striped swimsuit and signature ponytail. In the succeeding years, Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson based Barbie doll fashion designs on the Paris fashions. Ruth Handler had stated that she thought it "was important to a girl's esteem that she play with a doll with breasts," and Barbie was certainly qualified to be that doll. If the doll originally marketed were human-sized, her measurements would have been 39 by 18 by 33 in. These measurements were not based on actual human metrics, and the unrealistic size of Barbie has been controversial, with many suggesting that playing with Barbie decreases rather than enhances a girl's self-esteem. In response to criticism, Mattel adjusted the chest measurement down, and the waist measurement up, though the proportions are still uncharacteristic of most women. Redesigned by Jack Ryan and manufactured by Mattel, this one doll is a $1.9 billion dollar a year industry, with two Barbies being bought every second. Biography of Barbara Millicent RobertsBarbie's fictional biography has developed as her sales continued. She has been given the fuller name Barbara Millicent Roberts, and a family and friends have been manufactured for her, starting with her permanent beau Ken. Additions to the family tree include Skipper (debut 1964), twins Tutti and Todd (1966), Stacie (1992), Kelly (1995), and baby Krissy (1999). Barbie has dated Ken since 1961, and after a long estrangement was reunited with her best friend Midge in the early nineties. Other longstanding friends in Barbie's ethnically diverse social circle include Hispanic Teresa, African-American Christie and Steven (Christie's boyfriend), and the ethnically-ambiguous Kayla.
Barbie has been said to attend Willows High School in Willows, Wisconsin and Manhattan International High School in New York City (based on the real-life Stuyvesant High School). Barbie has thirty-eight recorded pets, including cats and dogs, horses, a panda, a lion cub, and a zebra. Barbie has used her driver's license to the fullest, with pink convertibles, trailers and more. She also has a pilot's license, and operates commercial airliners, when not serving as a stewardess. Ken Carson c.1960Barbie and Ken's break-upOn February 12, 2004, just days before Valentine's, Mattel spokespeople announced the split of Barbie and Ken after 43 years of dating, saying in their press release that they "have decided to spend some time apart." "Barbie and Ken have always been an extraordinary couple with so much on- and off-screen chemistry," said the pair's business manager, Russell Arons, Vice President Marketing, Mattel. "In fact, they just finished wrapping their fourth movie together, 'Barbie™ as The Princess and the Pauper,' which debuts this fall. And now they feel it's time to spend some quality time – apart." A Mattel press release ended saying "Although their future is yet to be set in "cement," one thing is for certain - Barbie and Ken will always remain the best of friends." 2004 campaign for presidencyOn August 12, 2004, Barbie announced she was running for the presidential office, as a member of the Party of Girls. According to a Mattel press release:
Cultural effectBarbie has been used in an effort to promote gender equality, showing that women can work at anything. Career woman Barbie has taken up many occupations over the years, they include:
Many designers have been honored with the opportunity to design clothing for Barbie. Included in the list of accomplished creators and labels are Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Bob Mackie, Nicole Miller, Christian Dior, Escada, Anne Klein, Ralph Lauren, Donatella Versace and Bill Blass. She has also been portrayed as a tourist at Walt Disney World and a customer at McDonalds. ControversiesBarbie is often looked upon as an icon of Western childhood. Her popularity ensures that her effect on the play of Western children attracts a high degree of scrutiny. The criticisms leveled at her are often based around the idea of children considering Barbie a role model and attempting to emulate her. The Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia outlawed Barbie dolls on September 10, 2003. "Barbie" is sometimes used as a derogatory slang term for a person, particularly a girl or woman, who is stupid. See bimbo. Physical characteristicsBarbie's height and exaggerated hourglass figure drew criticism from parents and anorexia groups. If scaled into real life proportions, she would be 5 feet, 9 inches, (1.75 m) measuring 36-18-33. According to research by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, she would lack the requisite 17 to 22 percent of body fat required to menstruate. [2] (http://site.www.umb.edu/forum/1/AMSTJess/member/Forums/481613252.html) The chances of meeting someone with Barbie's measurements is 1 in 100,000. StereotypingThe enormous range of available accessories relating clothes, hair, make-up, parties and looking pretty give rise to the accusation that Barbie encourages young girls to focus on shallow trivia. Her accessories reflect a lifestyle that is unobtainable for most of the girls who play with her. This culminated in 1993 when Mattel released "Teen Talk Barbie", a talking version of the doll. It spoke a number of phrases such as, "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 chances were good that no two dolls owned by a girl or her friends would be the same. One of these 270 phrases was "Math class is tough!" Although only about 1.5% of all the dolls sold said the phrase, it caused a large public outcry over Barbie's representation of women, and the infamous phrase quickly became a common pop culture reference. A group of parents, feminists and other activists known as the Barbie Liberation Organization bought hundreds of Barbies and GI Joe dolls, and switched their voice circuitry. This resulted in the new modified Barbie saying, "Eat lead, Cobra!" and "Dead men tell no lies." [3] (http://www.etext.org/Zines/UnitCircle/uc3/page10.html) ResponsesOne of the most publicized responses happened around the turn of the century, as Barbie's waist widened to more natural proportions. Barbies of different nationalities have also been created, including African, Hispanic, Asian and Native American Barbies. Most commonly the Hispanic Teresa and African-American Christie appear as Barbie's "ethno-friend" alongside Skipper and occasionally red-head Midge, who's been around since the sixties. Mattel also released an "International collection" in 1980, with Barbies from different parts of the world. The dolls are dressed in more or less traditional clothes, each representing a nation. The European countries are highly over-represented but there are also i.e. Peruvian, Kenyan, Japanese and Australian Barbies. In 2001 "The Princess Collection" was issued for instance with dolls named Princess of India, Princess of the Navajo, Princess of the Vikings. As of 2005 there are also a "Kelly; Dolls of the World" where Barbies "little sister" and two friends represent different European countries. To counter accusations of gender stereotyping, career Barbies have been released. These include astronaut, gymnast, rapper and soldier. She also ran for President after breaking up with Ken. [4] (http://www.adiosbarbie.com/bology/bology_timeline.html) Parodies and lawsuitsMany artists have referred to Barbie and her accompanying products, either as homage or as parody. The European pop-dance group Aqua released a song called "Barbie Girl" in 1997. It contained lyrics such as "You can brush my hair/Undress me everywhere" and used a graphics similar to the pink Barbie logo. Mattel used this as grounds for a trademark infringement and defamation lawsuit filed on September 11, 1997. However, it was dismissed by the court as parody on May 15, 1998. A commercial by automobile company Nissan featuring dolls similar to Barbie and Ken driving in a toy car was the subject of another lawsuit on September 18, 1997 [5] (http://www.eonline.com/News/Court/0997.barbie.html). CollectingMattel estimates that there are well over 100,000 avid Barbie collectors. Ninety-percent are women, at an average age of 40, purchasing more than 20 Barbie dolls each year. Forty-five-percent of them spend upwards of $1000 a year. Related merchandiseThe mid-1990s saw a line of early novels, featuring her adventurous exploits. By the late-1990s, Mattel had moved to featuring her in interactive 3D video games for both gaming consoles and personal computers. In recent years, she has taken the computer animated movie industry by storm, guest appearing in Toy Story 2, and later her own direct-to-video movies, Barbie's Nutcracker, The Princess and the Pauper and Rapunzel Barbie, all of which were accompanied by small product lines, including dolls of Barbie in the costumes portrayed in the shorts. Though not feature length, they are fairly abundant in plot, for the younger audience, of course. TerminologyCollector Edition - Dolls produced in limited quantities. Designed for collectors and display. Usually they come in showcase packaging [a stand and a Certificate of Authenticity]. Customized - Dolls created exclusively for a specific store. Usually they come in showcase packaging [a stand and a Certificate of Authenticity]. Limited Edition - Dolls produced in limited quantities worldwide. Limited to specific retailers. Featuring special fabrics and details. Designed for collectors and display. They come in showcase packaging [a stand and a Certificate of Authenticity included]. Modern Barbie - Dolls produced after 1972. OSS - Dolls with original swimsuit. Ponytail - This denotes the age and type of Barbie a particular doll is. There are five types:
Timeless Treasures™ - Celebrity or character dolls. Twist 'N Turn Waist - A movable waist of mid-1960s and later Barbie doll [or a variation]. Vintage Barbie - All dolls produced before 1972. Timeline
Trivia
Further reading
This page about Barbie includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Barbie News stories about Barbie External links for Barbie Videos for Barbie Wikis about Barbie Discussion Groups about Barbie Blogs about Barbie Images of Barbie |
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There are five types:. In 2003, Alex Rodriguez gave a $10 million gift to the University of Miami to build a new baseball stadium. Ponytail - This denotes the age and type of Barbie a particular doll is. was the previous record holder by reaching 400 home runs at 30 years and 141 days old. OSS - Dolls with original swimsuit. Ken Griffey, Jr. Modern Barbie - Dolls produced after 1972. On June 8th, Rodriguez hit his 400th career home run, becoming the youngest player in Major League history to do so at 29 years and 316 days old. They come in showcase packaging [a stand and a Certificate of Authenticity included]. Alex Rodriguez's salary of $25,705,118 is the highest in Major League Baseball in the 2005 season. Designed for collectors and display. But the umpires huddled and ended up calling him out, which made Jeter return to first base. This action by Rodriguez has given him a bad image, especially among Red Sox fans. Featuring special fabrics and details. Rodriguez was called safe at first, and Derek Jeter scored from first base. Limited to specific retailers. During the 2004 American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, Alex Rodriguez caused controversey when he "slapped" the baseball out of pitcher Bronson Arroyo's glove when running to first base. Limited Edition - Dolls produced in limited quantities worldwide. 2 spot in the batting order, directly behind Jeter. Usually they come in showcase packaging [a stand and a Certificate of Authenticity]. Near the end of the season, Yankees manager Joe Torre moved Rodriguez to the No. Customized - Dolls created exclusively for a specific store. Rodriguez performed well, though average by his standards, in his first season with the Yankees, hitting .286 with 36 home runs and 106 runs batted in, his seventh consecutive season with at least 100 RBI. Usually they come in showcase packaging [a stand and a Certificate of Authenticity]. There was some speculation as to what his number would be, but in spring training he showed up with uniform number 13, answering the question. Designed for collectors and display. He had worn uniform number 3 his entire career, but that number on the Yankees is retired in honor of Babe Ruth. Collector Edition - Dolls produced in limited quantities. In addition to moving from shortstop to third, Rodriguez had to make another change upon joining the Yankees. Though not feature length, they are fairly abundant in plot, for the younger audience, of course. After Rodriguez agreed to switch positions and play third base, the deal between New York and Texas was consummated. In recent years, she has taken the computer animated movie industry by storm, guest appearing in Toy Story 2, and later her own direct-to-video movies, Barbie's Nutcracker, The Princess and the Pauper and Rapunzel Barbie, all of which were accompanied by small product lines, including dolls of Barbie in the costumes portrayed in the shorts. Since New York already had a star shortstop in team captain Derek Jeter, the trade developed only after New York's third baseman, Aaron Boone, suffered a season-ending knee injury while playing a game of pickup basketball during the off-season. By the late-1990s, Mattel had moved to featuring her in interactive 3D video games for both gaming consoles and personal computers. In the trade, the Rangers will have to pay $67 million of the $179 million left on Rodriguez's contract. The mid-1990s saw a line of early novels, featuring her adventurous exploits. On February 15, 2004, after a period in which he had been courted by the Boston Red Sox and named as the Rangers' captain, Rodriguez was traded to the New York Yankees for second baseman Alfonso Soriano and a player to be named later. Forty-five-percent of them spend upwards of $1000 a year. He hit .298 with 47 home runs, won his second consecutive Gold Glove Award and was named the league's MVP, despite the Rangers remaining mired in last place. Ninety-percent are women, at an average age of 40, purchasing more than 20 Barbie dolls each year. Rodriguez 's last season with Texas, 2003, was another productive year for A-Rod. Mattel estimates that there are well over 100,000 avid Barbie collectors. Although Tejada had lesser numbers than Rodriguez, he played for a championship-caliber team. The Mariners didn't miss him; they won 116 games in their first year without him. A commercial by automobile company Nissan featuring dolls similar to Barbie and Ken driving in a toy car was the subject of another lawsuit on September 18, 1997 [5] (http://www.eonline.com/News/Court/0997.barbie.html). Unfortunately, the Rangers made no real improvement in the two years he played there, finishing last both times, and it likely cost him the MVP award in 2002, as he finished second to fellow shortstop Miguel Tejada. However, it was dismissed by the court as parody on May 15, 1998. Despite the enormous pressure carried by the contract, Rodriguez continued to produce, and has been even better than before. He hit 52 home runs in 2001, and followed that up with a major league best 57 home runs in 2002, the most ever for a shortstop. He put a bookend on that year by winning his first Gold Glove Award. It contained lyrics such as "You can brush my hair/Undress me everywhere" and used a graphics similar to the pink Barbie logo. Mattel used this as grounds for a trademark infringement and defamation lawsuit filed on September 11, 1997. A free agent after the season, Rodriguez, who wanted to go to a Series-caliber team, was immediately rumored to be heading to the Mets because of his appearance at Shea, but instead chose to go to the Texas Rangers (last in their division in 2000), signing what is the largest contract in American sports history, a 10-year contract worth an astounding $252 million. Because of the contract, considered outrageous by many fans, Mariners fans that loved him immediately turned on him for taking the money and running instead of staying with a winner; to this day he's regularly booed every time he returns to Seattle. The European pop-dance group Aqua released a song called "Barbie Girl" in 1997. He still made an appearance in the Series, sitting in the stands of Shea Stadium watching his friend Derek Jeter play in that year's all-New York World Series between the Yankees and New York Mets. Many artists have referred to Barbie and her accompanying products, either as homage or as parody. Winning the AL West in 2000, Rodriguez hit well in the playoffs, but the Mariners lost to the World Series champion New York Yankees in the LCS. [4] (http://www.adiosbarbie.com/bology/bology_timeline.html). Rodriguez continued to put up great numbers as the team's remaining superstar, and hit 41 more HR's in 2000 as he hit .316, doing so playing in the best pitcher's park in the AL. She also ran for President after breaking up with Ken. in the past two seasons. These include astronaut, gymnast, rapper and soldier. The Mariners entered 2000 with A-Rod as the cornerstone of the franchise, having dealt superstars Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey, Jr. To counter accusations of gender stereotyping, career Barbies have been released. Despite missing 30+ games with an injury and playing home games at Safeco Field (a considerably less hitter-friendly ballpark than the Kingdome) for the second half of the season, he matched his HR total in 1999. As of 2005 there are also a "Kelly; Dolls of the World" where Barbies "little sister" and two friends represent different European countries. He recovered with authority in 1998 by becoming the 3rd member of the 40 homers/40 stolen bases club, racking up 42 HR and 46 SB. In 2001 "The Princess Collection" was issued for instance with dolls named Princess of India, Princess of the Navajo, Princess of the Vikings. He hit for the cycle with them in 1997, but slumped that year with only 23 home runs and a "mere" .300 average; the Mariners nonetheless won the division but were quickly eliminated from the playoffs. Peruvian, Kenyan, Japanese and Australian Barbies. Rodriguez was a favorite with Mariners fans. The European countries are highly over-represented but there are also i.e. He came close to being the youngest MVP in baseball history, but fell 3 points short to Juan González; possibly denying him this honor were the two Seattle-area sportswriters who voted for the award, as they gave him 8th and 9th place votes. The dolls are dressed in more or less traditional clothes, each representing a nation. He took over as the regular shortstop the following year, and immediately became a superstar, hitting 36 home runs and pacing the American League with a .358 batting average, and leading the league in runs, total bases, and doubles; great numbers even by the standards of the Kingdome, one of the American League's best hitter's parks. Mattel also released an "International collection" in 1980, with Barbies from different parts of the world. One of his most important contributions in the playoffs was consoling second baseman Joey Cora, who memorably broke down in tears after the Mariners' loss in the League Championship Series. Most commonly the Hispanic Teresa and African-American Christie appear as Barbie's "ethno-friend" alongside Skipper and occasionally red-head Midge, who's been around since the sixties. After his major league campaign in 1994 was cut short by the players' strike, he split most of 1995 between Seattle and their AAA club 30 miles away in Tacoma before staying on the major league roster in August, making a pair of postseason appearances on the Mariners' playoff run. Barbies of different nationalities have also been created, including African, Hispanic, Asian and Native American Barbies. He made a rapid rise through the organization and made his major league debut at just 18 years of age, becoming one of the youngest players to appear in a game at shortstop. One of the most publicized responses happened around the turn of the century, as Barbie's waist widened to more natural proportions. His skills were rewarded when the Seattle Mariners made the 17-year old the #1 pick of the amateur draft in 1993. This resulted in the new modified Barbie saying, "Eat lead, Cobra!" and "Dead men tell no lies." [3] (http://www.etext.org/Zines/UnitCircle/uc3/page10.html). Rodríguez was a star player at Miami Westminster Christian High School. A group of parents, feminists and other activists known as the Barbie Liberation Organization bought hundreds of Barbies and GI Joe dolls, and switched their voice circuitry. Rodríguez has said in interviews he can forgive his father for abandoning the family, but that he will never forget. One of these 270 phrases was "Math class is tough!" Although only about 1.5% of all the dolls sold said the phrase, it caused a large public outcry over Barbie's representation of women, and the infamous phrase quickly became a common pop culture reference. There, Alex's father announced he had to go to New York for a short time; he never returned. It spoke a number of phrases such as, "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 chances were good that no two dolls owned by a girl or her friends would be the same. They moved to Miami, Florida 4 years later. This culminated in 1993 when Mattel released "Teen Talk Barbie", a talking version of the doll. Born in New York City, Rodríguez moved back with his parents to their native Dominican Republic when he was 4. Her accessories reflect a lifestyle that is unobtainable for most of the girls who play with her. Less than three weeks later, he was traded to the Yankees, the first reigning MVP to be traded in the history of Major League Baseball. The enormous range of available accessories relating clothes, hair, make-up, parties and looking pretty give rise to the accusation that Barbie encourages young girls to focus on shallow trivia. Then on January 25, 2004, he was named captain of the Rangers. [2] (http://site.www.umb.edu/forum/1/AMSTJess/member/Forums/481613252.html) The chances of meeting someone with Barbie's measurements is 1 in 100,000. The Players Association blocked the deal, however, because the Red Sox wanted to cut Rodriguez's salary. If scaled into real life proportions, she would be 5 feet, 9 inches, (1.75 m) measuring 36-18-33. According to research by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, she would lack the requisite 17 to 22 percent of body fat required to menstruate. The following month the Rangers tried unsuccessfully to trade Rodriguez and his hefty salary to the Boston Red Sox. Barbie's height and exaggerated hourglass figure drew criticism from parents and anorexia groups. It was the second time in MLB history that a player of a team finishing last in the league was given the award (Andre Dawson also won the award for the last place Chicago Cubs). See bimbo. On November 17, 2003, Rodriguez won his first American League Most Valuable Player award. "Barbie" is sometimes used as a derogatory slang term for a person, particularly a girl or woman, who is stupid. He has been married to the former Cynthia Scurtis since November 2, 2002: the couple's first child, Natasha Alexander, was born on November 18, 2004. The Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia outlawed Barbie dolls on September 10, 2003. In 2003 he became the youngest player in major league history to reach 300 home runs, and, on June 8, 2005, he became the first to to hit 400 home runs before the age of 30. The criticisms leveled at her are often based around the idea of children considering Barbie a role model and attempting to emulate her. Rodriguez began his career as a shortstop, but switched positions to third base upon joining the Yankees. Her popularity ensures that her effect on the play of Western children attracts a high degree of scrutiny. Starting his major league career with the Seattle Mariners, he signed an unprecedented free-agent deal with the Texas Rangers, before being traded to the New York Yankees. Barbie is often looked upon as an icon of Western childhood. Alexander Emanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975 in New York City), nicknamed A-Rod, is widely regarded as one of the best players in Major League Baseball today and at a young age is already being talked about among the all-time greats. She has also been portrayed as a tourist at Walt Disney World and a customer at McDonalds. Included in the list of accomplished creators and labels are Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Bob Mackie, Nicole Miller, Christian Dior, Escada, Anne Klein, Ralph Lauren, Donatella Versace and Bill Blass. Many designers have been honored with the opportunity to design clothing for Barbie. Career woman Barbie has taken up many occupations over the years, they include:. Barbie has been used in an effort to promote gender equality, showing that women can work at anything. According to a Mattel press release:. On August 12, 2004, Barbie announced she was running for the presidential office, as a member of the Party of Girls. A Mattel press release ended saying "Although their future is yet to be set in "cement," one thing is for certain - Barbie and Ken will always remain the best of friends.". And now they feel it's time to spend some quality time – apart.". "In fact, they just finished wrapping their fourth movie together, 'Barbie™ as The Princess and the Pauper,' which debuts this fall. "Barbie and Ken have always been an extraordinary couple with so much on- and off-screen chemistry," said the pair's business manager, Russell Arons, Vice President Marketing, Mattel. On February 12, 2004, just days before Valentine's, Mattel spokespeople announced the split of Barbie and Ken after 43 years of dating, saying in their press release that they "have decided to spend some time apart.". She also has a pilot's license, and operates commercial airliners, when not serving as a stewardess. Barbie has used her driver's license to the fullest, with pink convertibles, trailers and more. Barbie has thirty-eight recorded pets, including cats and dogs, horses, a panda, a lion cub, and a zebra. Barbie has been said to attend Willows High School in Willows, Wisconsin and Manhattan International High School in New York City (based on the real-life Stuyvesant High School). Other longstanding friends in Barbie's ethnically diverse social circle include Hispanic Teresa, African-American Christie and Steven (Christie's boyfriend), and the ethnically-ambiguous Kayla. Barbie has dated Ken since 1961, and after a long estrangement was reunited with her best friend Midge in the early nineties. Additions to the family tree include Skipper (debut 1964), twins Tutti and Todd (1966), Stacie (1992), Kelly (1995), and baby Krissy (1999). She has been given the fuller name Barbara Millicent Roberts, and a family and friends have been manufactured for her, starting with her permanent beau Ken. Barbie's fictional biography has developed as her sales continued. Redesigned by Jack Ryan and manufactured by Mattel, this one doll is a $1.9 billion dollar a year industry, with two Barbies being bought every second. In response to criticism, Mattel adjusted the chest measurement down, and the waist measurement up, though the proportions are still uncharacteristic of most women. These measurements were not based on actual human metrics, and the unrealistic size of Barbie has been controversial, with many suggesting that playing with Barbie decreases rather than enhances a girl's self-esteem. If the doll originally marketed were human-sized, her measurements would have been 39 by 18 by 33 in. Ruth Handler had stated that she thought it "was important to a girl's esteem that she play with a doll with breasts," and Barbie was certainly qualified to be that doll. In the succeeding years, Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson based Barbie doll fashion designs on the Paris fashions. The first Barbie doll had a black-and-white striped swimsuit and signature ponytail. Ruth Handler and Elliott Handler, the co-founders of Mattel, bought the rights to market Lilli: with a hair color change from blonde to brunette, and a name change to Barbie (after Ruth's daughter Barbara) she was sold in the United States starting in 1959 at New York's annual Toy Fair. Ruth Handler says that when she bought Lilli for her daughter, she was ignorant of its adult nature. Lord, in her Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll, characterized the original doll as a "gag gift for men, a pornographic character." [1] (http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/1997/11/26harlot.html). G. M. The doll was marketed to adult men in bars and tobacco shops, not to children. The dolls were manufactured in Hamburg, where legal, licensed prostitutes are ubiquitous. The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955. In fact, the Lilli doll was based on the character of a prostitute in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for die Bild Zeitung. During a trip to Europe with her daughter, Handler noticed a German doll named Lilli and bought it for Barbara. Ruth Handler had noted that her daughter Barbara preferred playing with paper dolls that looked like adults rather than like children. The best-selling Barbie was one released in 1992, Totally Hair Barbie, with stylable hair so long it reached from her head down to her toes. Barbie is the world's best-selling doll and was first sold on March 9, 1959. Paperback ISBN 0761958886. Rogers, Mary F., "Barbie Culture". Paperback ISBN 0802776949. Lord, M.G., Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll. In The Simpsons, there is a parody of Barbie, called Malibu Stacy. When this gene is absent, the flies form without external genitalia. There is a gene in the Drosophila fruit-fly called the "ken and barbie" gene (abbreviated ken). In Sweden, more Barbie dolls have been sold than the country's current population. See full list of Barbie's careers. Firefighter
Model - Barbie was originally marketed as a "teen-age fashion model". Fashion designer. Astronaut - An astronaut suit was sold for Barbie around the same time the first real female, Valentina Tereshkova, entered space. Doctor, dentist, nurse, and veterinarian. Paleontologist. Olympic athlete (including gymnastics and figure skating). List of Barbie's friends and family. |