Barbie

Early Barbie dolls are organized into five major groups based on various physical characterstics that can be used to determine when a particular doll was manufactured. By the same token, many cheaper types of generally mediocre quality but basically sound design may have a few exceptionally good units. Dolls with this hairstyle are referred to by collectors as the "ponytail" dolls. Binoculars of the same make and model may vary from unit to unit, although hopefully less so for the more highly priced models from quality manufacturers, so the experienced user may benefit from trying several samples. Ponytail - Barbie's first hairstyle consisted of a top-knot ponytail with tightly-curled bangs. Such models would have been called "fixed-focus" in more honest times: they have a depth of field from a relatively large closest distance, to infinity, and perform exactly the same as a focussing model of the same optical quality (or lack of it) focussed on the middle distance. Denotes a doll that is still dressed in the swimsuit it originally came in. This is an example of marketing departments making a virtue of necessity.

OSS - Stands for "original swimsuit". Some binoculars (and cameras) claim to be "focus-free". These dolls generally feature higher-quality materials and construction than non-limited dolls. Zoom binoculars, while in principle a good idea, do not perform very well. Limited Edition - Collector Edition dolls produced in limited quantities worldwide, which are often available only from specific retailers. The trade-off is that compared to unstabilised binoculars of the same parameters, stabilised binoculars are more expensive, larger and heavier, less reliable due to their complexity, more subject to obsolescence, and consume batteries. Customized - Dolls designed exclusively for specific retail stores are referred to as "customized". Image stabilisation much improves image steadiness and allows the use of higher magnification in hand-held applications.

Collector Edition dolls usually come in showcase packaging, with a stand and a certificate of authenticity. If more compact binoculars are required, smaller objectives may be used at some loss of performance and increase in price. Collector Edition - Dolls designed specifically for collectors aged 14 and over. Larger objective diameters have better light-gathering power, and can view fainter objects for astronomical use. Though not feature length, they are fairly abundant in plot. 7x50 is brighter for night use. 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 in the Nutcracker, Barbie as Rapunzel, Barbie of Swan Lake, Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper, Barbie:Fairytopia, and Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus, all of which were accompanied by small product lines, including dolls. For general-purpose use, 8x40 is a good combination.

By the late-1990s, Mattel had moved to featuring her in interactive 3D video games for both gaming consoles and personal computers. The magnification and objective diameter must be chosen to suit the requirement, remembering that higher magnification exaggerates shake when hand-held, and that larger objective lenses increase the weight and size. In the late 1980s, Barbie had two videos, Barbie and the Rockers and Barbie and the Sensations. For roof-prism models, phase coating is better. This new series showcased Barbie's adventurous exploits. Fully multi-coated (FMC) models should be better in this respect than others. In the mid-1990s, a new line of novels about Barbie appeared. All binoculars should be reasonably free from reflections.

Books about Barbie first emerged in the 1960s. Completely waterproof (submersible) binoculars are available. [9]. Hermetically sealed binoculars filled with dry gas (usually nitrogen) will not be susceptible to clouding due to condensation at low temperatures; this will also help to prevent mildew, although air may leak in over a period of years if the binoculars are not overhauled. While the original Barbie sold for $3.00 in 1959, a mint boxed Barbie from 1959 sold for $3552.50 on eBay in October 2004. Roof-prism models will be lighter and more compact for a given size, but more expensive than equivalent Porro models. Forty-five-percent of them spend upwards of $1000 a year. All binoculars should be accurately aligned and collimated, comfortable to use, and robust.

Ninety-percent are women, at an average age of 40, purchasing more than 20 Barbie dolls each year. Real binoculars depart to a greater or lesser extent from the ideal. Mattel estimates that there are well over 100,000 avid Barbie collectors. The two images will be identical (apart from the slightly different viewpoint), with no differences in size, orientation, aberrations, etc. See also Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story. Ideally a pair of binoculars will produce two uniformly sharp images, each of perfect quality, with no errors of geometry or colour-correction and no internal reflections. A commercial by automobile company Nissan featured dolls similar to Barbie and Ken driving in a toy car was the subject of another lawsuit on September 18, 1997 [8]. The cinematic convention to represent a view through binoculars as two circles partially overlapping in a figure-of-eight shape is not true to life.

However, it was dismissed by the court as parody on May 15, 1998. Departure from the ideal causes, at best, vague discomfort and visual fatigue, but the perceived field of view will be close to circular anyway. Mattel used this as grounds for a trademark infringement and defamation lawsuit filed on September 11, 1997. A well-collimated pair of binoculars should produce, when viewed through human eyes and processed by a human brain, a single circular, apparently three-dimensional, image, with no visible indication that we are actually viewing two distinct images from slightly different viewpoints. It contained lyrics such as "You can brush my hair/Undress me everywhere" and used graphics similar to the pink Barbie logo. Instructions for checking binoculars for collimation errors, and for collimating them, can be found on the Internet (search for collimation binoculars and the model). The European pop-dance group Aqua released a song called "Barbie Girl" in 1997. While it is inadvisable for the non-expert to try to repair quality instruments, collimation by the owner may be justified for maladjusted binoculars which are not good enough to merit the expense of professional attention.

Many artists have referred to Barbie and her accompanying products, either as homage or as parody. If the binoculars are basically sound, this can be remedied by small movements to the prisms, often by turning screws accessible without opening the binoculars. [7]. This may be due to poor manufacturing quality control (more likely with cheaper binoculars) or to a shock (being dropped) or drift over time. She also ran for President after breaking up with Ken. If the binoculars are not collimated properly, i.e., if the images from the two tubes are not properly aligned, then they will give poor results and can be uncomfortable and tiring to use. These include astronaut, gymnast, rapper and soldier models. Stabilisation is not suitable when tracking moving objects.

To counter accusations of gender stereotyping, career Barbies have been released. They are also more expensive, heavier, and battery life tends to be short. As of 2005 there are also a "Kelly: Dolls of the World" where Barbies "little sister" and two friends represent different European countries. There are some disadvantages: the image may not be quite as good as the best unstabilised binoculars when tripod-mounted, and stabilised binoculars contain more advanced technology to go wrong, and to become obsolete. In 2001 The Princess Collection" was issued for instance with dolls named Princess of India, Princess of the Navajo, Princess of the Vikings. These techniques allow binoculars up to 20× to be hand-held, and much improve the image stability of lower-power instruments. The European countries are highly over-represented but there are also Peruvian, Kenyan, Chinese, Arctic, Japanese and Australian Barbies. Stabilisation may be enabled or disabled by the user as required.

The dolls are dressed in more or less traditional clothes, each representing a nation. Parts of the instrument which change the position of the image may be held steady by powered gyroscopes or by powered mechanisms driven by gyroscopic or inertial detectors, or may be mounted in such a way as to oppose and dampen sudden movement. Mattel also released an international collection, the Dolls Of The World, in 1980, with Barbies from different parts of the world. Shake can be much reduced, and higher magnifications used, with binoculars using image stabilisation technology. Most commonly the Hispanic Teresa and African-American Christie appear as Barbie's "ethno-friend" alongside Skipper and occasionally red-head Midge, who has been around since the sixties. When buying binoculars of lower price, Porro prism binoculars can be expected to give more image quality for money. Still, these Barbies are exact replicas of the original Barbie, with no individualism other than skin, hair, and eye color. The major European optical manufacturers (Leica, Zeiss, Swarovski) have discontinued their Porro lines; Japanese manufacturers (Nikon, Fujinon, etc.) may follow suit.

Barbies of different nationalities have also been created, including African, Hispanic, Asian and Native American Barbies. However, as of 2005, the optical quality of the best roof-prism binoculars with up-to-date coating processes as used in Schmidt-Pechan models is comparable with the best Porro glasses, and it appears that roof prisms will dominate the market for high-quality portable binoculars in spite of their higher price. One of the most publicized responses happened around the turn of the century, as Barbie's waist widened to more natural proportions. A Porro prism binocular will inherently produce an intrinsically brighter image than a roof prism binocular of the same magnification, objective size, and optical quality, as less light is absorbed along the optical path. [6]. Different optical construction affects reflections and brightness. Dr Agnes Nairn said: "When we asked groups of junior school children about Barbie, the doll provoked rejection, hatred and violence." Dr Nairn went on to suggest that older girls rejected Barbie dolls because they were seen as an unwelcome reminder of their childhood. (The advanced naval binocular rangefinders of the mid-twentieth century had perhaps 150 glass elements; absorption of light would have been significant.).

In December 2005 research published by psychologists at Bath University in England suggested that girls often mutilate their Barbie dolls in a variety of ways, including decapitation and placing the doll in a microwave oven. This reduces brightness, and is also undesirable, although less of a problem than reflections in most cases. [5]. When light traverses an optically transmissive material, some light is absorbed. These dolls are not produced or endorsed by Mattel but are similar in appearance and are dressed in traditional Islamic costumes such as a full length dress and headscarf. Phase-corrected prism coating and dielectric prism coating are recent (in 2005) effective techniques for reducing reflections. Opposition to Barbie dolls in the Middle East has led to the sale of a Barbie-like doll called Fulla. Light can also be reflected from the interior of the instrument, but it is simple to minimise this to negligible proportions.

This resulted in the new modified Barbie saying, "Eat lead, Cobra!" and "Dead men tell no lies." [4]. Reflection can be reduced, but not eliminated, by applying optical coatings to interfaces; this is of great importance for any optical instrument with multiple interfaces. 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. In any sort of image-forming optical instrument (telescope, camera, microscope, etc.), ideally no light should be reflected; instead of forming an image, light which reaches the viewer after being reflected is distributed in the field of view, and reduces the contrast between the true image and the background. One of these 270 phrases was "Math is tough!" Although only about 1.5% of all the dolls sold said the phrase, it caused public outcry over Barbie's representation of women, and the infamous phrase quickly became a common pop culture reference. When light strikes an interface between two materials of different refractive index (e.g., at an air-glass interface), some of the light is transmitted, some reflected. 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 exactly the same. For daytime use an exit pupil of 3mm—matching the eye's contracted pupil—is sufficient.

This culminated in 1992 when Mattel released "Teen Talk Barbie", a talking version of the doll. The current trend favours models with 5mm exit pupil, such as 10x50, or 8x40; 7x50 is falling out of favour. Her accessories reflect a lifestyle that is unobtainable for most of the girls who play with her. A large exit pupil facilitates viewing larger objects such as nearby galaxies, though. The enormous range of available accessories relating to clothes, hair, make-up, parties and looking pretty give rise to the accusation that Barbie encourages young girls to focus on shallow trivia. However, for viewing stars and small astronomical objects, a large exit pupil will mostly image the night sky background, effectively decreasing contrast, making the detection of faint objects more difficult except perhaps in remote locations with negligible light pollution. Barbie's defenders say that her exaggerated proportions are necessary for her to look natural when wearing clothing. Light gathered by a larger exit pupil is wasted.

She would wear size 3 children's shoes, far too small to support her top-heavy frame with size-39 breasts. For maximum effective light-gathering and brightest image, the exit pupil should equal the diameter of the fully dilated human eye—about 7mm, reducing with age. Barbie would be unable to stand on her feet. Binoculars concentrate the light gathered by the objective into a beam, the exit pupil whose diameter is the objective diameter divided by the magnifying power. These rings crush the collar bone over time to give the appearance of an elongated neck. Of particular relevance for low-light and astronomical viewing, as against astrophotography, is the ratio between magnifying power and objective lens diameter. Long necks are valued in many societies; for example, the Burmese sometimes practice neck enlongation body modification by using neck rings. Much larger binoculars have been made by dedicated amateur astronomers, essentially using two refracting or reflecting astronomical telescopes, with results claimed to be impressive.

1995 Nov;18(3):295-8) to match Barbie's proportions. Larger models with objectives of up to about 150mm are used on supports, typically for amateur astronomy. (Int J Eat Disord. Hand-held binoculars range from small 3x10 Galilean opera glasses used in theaters, to glasses with 7 to 12 diameters magnification and 30 to 50mm objectives for typical outdoor use. According to research the by Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders, a healthy woman would have to have her neck elongated by 3.2 in. For general night use, a 50mm objective gives maximum brightness for 7 diameters magnification; objective diameter must be increased for higher magnifications at night. [3]. 7×30 is good for daytime use.

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. For general hand-held use, subject to shake, 7 diameters is a good compromise between power and image steadiness for most people. If scaled into real life proportions, she would be 5 feet, 9 inches, (1.75 m) measuring 36-18-33. Simple Galilean binoculars have the disadvantage of a narrower field of view—this is the reason for the prevalence of the more complex optical arrangements used. Barbie's height and exaggerated hourglass figure drew criticism from parents and anorexia nervosa groups. The field of view depends upon the optical construction of the binoculars. The first African-American Barbie, "Black Barbie," appeared thirteen years later. The objective lens needs to be large enough to give acceptable resolution in all circumstances, but must be larger for low-light and night use.

The first of Barbie's black friends, "Colored Francie," debuted in 1967, but racial tensions quickly caused this doll to be discontinued. The magnification required depends upon the application, but with the major proviso that large magnifications give an image much more susceptible to shake when hand-held. See bimbo. 7×50. "Barbie" is sometimes used as a derogatory slang term for a person, particularly a girl or woman, who is stupid. It is customary to categorise binoculars by the magnification × the objective diameter in mm; e.g. In addition, Saudi authorities determined Barbie to be a Jewish doll, as her creator was of Jewish descent. The ratio of the focal lengths of the objective and the ocular lenses gives the linear magnifying power (expressed in "diameters").

The Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia outlawed the sale of Barbie dolls on September 10, 2003 for not conforming to the ideals of Islam. The diameter of the objective lenses determines the light-gathering power and the ultimate resolving power of the binoculars. The criticisms leveled at her are often based around the idea of children considering Barbie a role model and attempting to emulate her. The distance between the eyepieces on most binoculars can be adjusted to accommodate viewers with different eye separation. Her popularity ensures that her effect on the play of Western children attracts a high degree of scrutiny. Once this adjustment has been made for a given viewer, the binoculars can be refocussed on an object at a different distance by using the focusing wheel to move both tubes together without eyepiece readjustment. Barbie is often looked upon as an icon of Western childhood. It is more convenient for the viewer to focus both tubes with one action (usually rotation of a central focussing wheel), and for one of the two eyepieces to be adjustable to compensate for differences between the viewer's eyes (usually by rotating the eyepiece in its mount).

Among them are Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Bob Mackie, Nicole Miller, Christian Dior, Escada, Anne Klein, Ralph Lauren, Donatella Versace, Bill Blass and Paul Frank. In some cases the two telescopes are focused independently by changing the distance between ocular and objective lenses.
Many designers have been given the opportunity to design clothing for Barbie. Binoculars to be used to view objects which are not at a fixed distance must have a focussing arrangement. Many groups say that young girls may set the doll as their model, leading to issues with body image and gender role insercurities later in life. They have objective lenses which are approximately in line with the eyepieces. However, recently Barbie's presence in in the life of an American girl has been said to be a negative influence. Binoculars which use roof prisms (either the Abbe-Koenig or Schmidt-Pechan designs) are narrower, more compact, lighter, and more expensive than those which use Porro prisms.

Here are some of them:. This results in a set of binoculars which is wide, with objective lenses which are well-separated but offset from the eyepieces. She has taken up many occupations over the years. Binoculars with prisms to shorten the optical path and erect the image may have double Porro prism design which gives a Z-shaped optical path. Barbie has often been used to promote gender equality as an example that women can "be anything". . According to a Mattel press release:. While not intended to be held to the eyes of a viewer (!), the use of two telescopes to view the same object gives additional information due to the larger field of view that results from the separation of the objective mirrors.

On August 12, 2004, Barbie announced she was running for the presidency of the United States, as a member of the Party of Girls. The LBT comprises two 8-meter reflector telescopes. Mattel admits that much of the Ken narrative has been shaped by feedback from fans submitted to the Barbie website.[2]. An extreme example, although not one would that normally be called binoculars, is the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona, USA, which produced its "First Light" image on 26 October 2005. His new look includes a more rugged jaw-line, softer mouth, and a more defined nose, with a wardrobe by celebrity stylist Phillip Broch which includes cargo pants, motorcycle jackets, and fitted suits with peak lapels. Very large binoculars with a very wide separation (up to 15 meters, weight 10 tonnes, for ranging Second World War naval gun targets 25km away) have been used for accurate rangefinding, although late twentieth century technology made this application redundant. Since the break-up, he has traveled the world with stops in Europe and the Middle East, dabbled in Buddhism and learned to cook. Larger binoculars become uncomfortable and difficult to hold steady, and are mounted on tripods or other supports.

On February 8, 2006, almost two years after the break-up and co-inciding with the opening of the American International Toy Fair, Mattel announced Ken has resurfaced and has caught Barbie's interest again. All practical binoculars display an erect image, obtained either by using simple Galilean optics ("field glasses", "opera glasses"), or by using optical prisms both to erect the image and to fold the optical path. [1]. The folding of the optical path allows the separation between the objective lenses to be increased, allowing larger lenses to be used and giving a better sensation of depth. He is available in the "Cali Guy" range that accompanies the "Cali Girl" range of Barbie dolls that show Barbie with suntanned skin. The most commonly seen binoculars are of a size to be held by hand, and contain optical elements to fold the optical path so that the physical length of the binoculars is less than the focal length of the lenses. For a time, Barbie's new beau was Blaine, a surfer from Sydney, Australia who has just moved to California. The advantages of a binocular over a monocular telescope are:.

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.". By contrast, relatively small single-tube telescopes are often called "monoculars". And now they feel it's time to spend some quality time – apart.". Binocular telescopes, or binoculars, are two identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, one to be viewed through each of the user's eyes. "In fact, they just finished wrapping their fourth movie together, 'Barbie™ as The Princess and the Pauper,' which debuts this fall. Yunnan State optics (MS series: Porro). "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. WDtian (from Yunnan State optics, all Porro).

On February 12, 2004, just days before Valentine's, Mattel spokespeople announced the split of Barbie and Ken after 43 years of dating. Navigator series: Roof; Ares series: Porro).
. Sicong (from Xian Stateoptics. She also has a pilot's license, and operates commercial airliners, when not serving as a stewardess. (Specialized in over-sized Porro binocualars). Barbie has used her driver's license to the fullest, with pink convertibles, trailers and more. Miyauchi Co.

Barbie has thirty-eight recorded pets, including cats and dogs, horses, a panda, a lion cub, and a zebra. (Apex/Apex Pro: Roof; Ultima: Porro). 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). Vixen Co. 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. (Activa, some are Roof, some are Porro). Barbie has dated Ken since 1961, and after a long estrangement was reunited with her best friend Midge in the early nineties. Minolta Co.

Additions to the family tree include Skipper (debut 1964), twins Tutti and Todd (1966), Stacie (1992), Kelly (1995), and baby Krissy (1999). (EXWPI series: Roof). She has been given the fuller name Barbara Millicent Roberts, and a family and friends have been manufactured for her, starting with her beau Ken. OLympus Co. Barbie's fictional biography has developed as her sales continued. (DCFSP/XP series; Roof, UCF series: Inverted Porro; PCFV/WP/XCF series: Porro). Mattel has claimed that approximately three Barbie dolls are sold every second. Pentax Co.

The Barbie doll is a $1.9 billion dollar a year industry. (BD series: Roof). Mattel has adjusted Barbie's proportions in recent years as an answer to current fashion trends, but the present Barbie doll body is still uncharacteristic of most women. Kowa Co. Mattel asserts that Barbie's exaggerated proportions are necessary to allow clothes to fit properly on such a small scale, but many have suggested that Barbie's unrealistic proportions may contribute to self-esteem and body image problems in young girls. (FMTSX, MTSX series: Porro). However, Barbie's exaggerated proportions have always been a point of contention for her detractors. Fujinon Co.

Ruth Handler stated that she felt it was "important to a little girl's self-esteem to play with a doll that [had] breasts", believing it would allow them role-play and imagine their future lives as adult women. (High Grade series, Monarch series,RAII, Spotter series: Roof; Prostar series, Superior E series, E series, Action EX series: Porro). Barbie's wardrobe was designed by esteemed Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson, whose inspiration came from the fashion runways of Paris. Nikon Co. The doll was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model", so many fashions were available for her as well. series, Porro variants?). In succeeding years, Barbie dolls were made available with other hair styles and colors. (I.S.

The dolls were available either as blonds or brunettes. Canon Co. The first Barbie doll wore a black-and-white "zebra-striped" swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail with tightly-curled bangs. Russian Military Binoculars (BPOc 10x42 7x30, BKFC series). (This date is also used as Barbie's official "birthday".). Steiner (Commander, Nighthunter: Porro; Predator, Wildlife: Roof). The doll made its debut at the New York International American Toy Fair on March 9, 1959. Optolyth (Royal: Roof; Alpin: Porro).

A new sculpt was designed (with help from engineer Jack Ryan), the concept was revamped, and the doll was given a new name: Barbie, after Handler's daughter, Barbara. Docter Optik (Nobilem: Porro). At some point, Mattel acquired the rights to the Lilli doll. Zeiss GmbH (FL,Victory, Conquest: all are Roof; 7x50 BGAT/T, 15x60 BGA/T:Porro, but to be discontinued). The doll was so popular, she was even exported to other countries, including the United States. Swarovski Optik (SLC, EL: all are Roof; Habicht: Porro, but to be discontinued). Although the doll was initially marketed to adult men in bars and tobacco shops, it eventually became popular with children, who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately. Leica GmbH (Ultravid, Duovid, Geovid: all are Roof).

The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955. it is easier and more comfortable to steadily hand-hold and move a pair of binoculars than a single tube—the two hands and the head form a steady 3-point platform. Lilli was a fashionable "society girl" who knew what she wanted and wasn't above using men to get it. it is more comfortable to use both eyes for viewing, without the need to close or obstruct one eye to avoid confusion. The Lilli doll was based on a popular character appearing in a newspaper comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for die Bild-Zeitung. it gives a 3-dimensional image with depth: the two distinct views presented from slightly different viewpoints to each of the viewer's eyes merge to produce a single perceived view with a sensation of depth, allowing distances to be estimated. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel.

The adult-figured Lilli doll was exactly what Handler had had in mind, so she purchased three of them. However, during a trip to Germany with her daughter, Handler discovered a German doll named Lilli in a shop window. Mattel's directors told her that it would be impossible to create such a doll. Realizing that there was a hole in the marketplace, Handler suggested the idea of a three-dimensional adult-bodied doll to her husband, Elliot Handler, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company, but the idea was scoffed at.

At that time, most three-dimensional dolls were made to look like babies or small children; however, Barbara preferred playing with paper dolls that looked like adults. In the 1950s Ruth Handler, "creator" of the Barbie doll, noticed that her daughter, Barbara, preferred to play with dolls that resembled adults rather than babies. . Barbie and her accessories are manufactured to approximately 1/6th scale.

Totally Hair Barbie featured extra-long hair, which reached from her head down to her toes. The highest-selling Barbie doll in Mattel's history, Totally Hair Barbie (known as "Ultra Hair Barbie" outside the US), was released in 1992. The doll is produced by Mattel, inc. Barbie, the world's most famous and best-selling doll, debuted at the American International Toy Fair on March 9, 1959.

The most popular Barbie joke is as follows: A man goes into a shop to buy a Barbie doll for his daughter, looks at the various models on display and asks the shop assistant in a puzzled way: "Why is Divorced Barbie so much more expensive than the other dolls?" "That's easy, sir" replies the shop assistant, "Divorced Barbie comes with Ken's car, Ken's house, Ken's furniture...". Barbie appears briefly in the 1999 movie Toy Story 2 as Tour Guide Barbie and Barbie on Backpack. [15]. In December 1999 a 46-year old man from Taiwan named Chang Hsi-hsum "married" a Barbie doll in a ceremony at his local Buddhist temple, in the belief that it housed the spirit of his former wife Tsai who had killed herself twenty years previously.

Barbie's measurements, if she were life size, are 39-23-33. Several years ago, it was estimated that if every Barbie ever sold were laid end to end, the dolls would circle the world seven times. Barbie doll has lots of famous friends; Mattel has produced many celebrity dolls throughout the years. 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.

Tourist at Walt Disney World and Disneyland