The familiar white B on a hot pink background, the multitude of careers young girls were inspired to go after and the absolute killer outfits are just some of the things Barbie brings to mind. This beloved franchise, created March 9, 1959 by Ruth Handler, was intended to give little girls a vision of their future, according to History. After seeing her daughter play with cutout paper dolls of adult women, she realized the only option available to little girls was a baby doll. Handler wanted to change the way little girls saw their future, and it’s safe to say that she succeeded.
In her 66 year career, Barbara Millicent Roberts, better known as Barbie, has had over 250 occupations, over 1000 different looks, and over 1 billion sales, according to Katie Couric Media. She has impacted millions of girls all over the world, including Heritage’s own English teacher, Jessica Reeves. “Barbie made me realize that I could be more than my mother, who was just a housewife. I could be a crime scene investigator, or a scuba instructor, or a teacher, and I could still look fashionable while doing it,” Reeves said.
Across the world, Barbie has inspired little girls everywhere and has evolved from being a fashionable doll to a symbol of feminism and strength. With 22 ethnicities, 35 skintones, 97 hairstyles and 9 body types, according to Katie Couric, Mattel strives to represent the modern woman in a fabulous doll. These new Barbie dolls are an effort to encompass the wide range of beautiful skin tones, body shapes and cultures that are shared by women across the world.
While some may argue that Barbie set completely unrealistic standards for girls to achieve, and that if she was real, she couldn’t stand up on her own due to her disproportionate body type, I slightly disagree. While it is true that Barbie did follow a certain body type when I was growing up, I didn’t understand that when I was little. I was a five year old girl, playing with a doll who encouraged my imagination and showed me all the career paths I could have. I had thousands of influences on my body image, and while Barbie was one of them, I believe that she also taught me not to care about what my body looked like. If I was a high powered CEO, or a pilot, or a mermaid, who cared if I wasn’t a size double zero? I was a freaking mermaid, come on.
All in all, Barbie did give some girls disproportionate ideas about what their bodies should look like, and we can’t deny that. However, she also gave them the power to think, and the power to dream big with them. Mattel is trying to reverse the impact her body shape may have made on young girls, introducing more Barbies in different shapes and sizes. As a fifteen year old Indian girl, seeing the latest Diwali Barbie being released made my inner child so happy. Seeing a doll who looked like me selling out within the first day showed how Mattel realizes the importance of representing diversity in today’s world.
So, how can we celebrate this icon’s birthday? Dress up in all pink, Barbie’s signature color. Sit down, rewatch the Barbie movie, and think back to how Barbie has impacted your life. Whether you’re six, 16 or 60, Barbie has been a major cultural touchstone, and served as a beacon of inspiration for young girls across the world. Thank you, Barbie, for telling me that I can do anything.
Ms. Reeves poses in one of her stylish outfits. “Barbie taught me I could be anything I wanted, and I could look beautiful while doing it,” Reeves said. Having a killer style and an amazing job was one of the ideals Barbie gave girls, and contributed to the new wave of feminism, according to TIME. (Photo/Uma Hedge)
