In a Barbie world: Barbie has allowed young girls the freedom to dream, hope and believe. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Many girls grew up playing with a Barbie. I had a Barbie when I was younger and, man, was I obsessed. With the Barbie live-action movie now out, my obsession has been reignited. But what intrigues me more is the influence she has had over the past 64 years.
To understand Barbie we must understand where it all started. She was introduced to the world on 9 March 1959 at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. The public wasn’t sure if she would be successful because popular toys for girls at the time were baby and toddler dolls. Despite this, her creator, Ruth Handler, believed in Barbie and the vision she had for her. At the time of her release, Barbie sold for $3. Today a mint condition #1 Barbie can go for more than $25 000. Handler clearly wasn’t delusional about Barbie’s trajectory.
In the years that followed, Barbie has had more than 250 careers — from computer engineer to rock star. She broke many glass ceilings before it was conceivable for a woman to open a bank account without a man present to co-sign.
She has always courted controversy. One of the repeat criticisms centres on her physical image and the sexualisation of her body. Traditionally Barbie dolls have large breasts, extremely thin waists, and larger hips, giving her the “perfect” hourglass figure. This portrayal of the human body is unrealistic and dangerous. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between the bodies of the dolls that young girls play with and their perception of what the ideal body type is.
Despite the doll’s shortcomings, we should not negate how Barbies have inspired girls to believe in themselves. Aside from buying her first Dreamhouse, Barbie also went to space four years before the all-male Apollo 11 crew landed on the moon. She ran for president (for the first time) in 1992, a year dominated by male candidates. Barbie made it possible for girls to believe in themselves and their capabilities. The Barbie movie highlights.
The film pays homage to Handler’s vision for Barbie and how she wanted Barbie to broaden the horizon for young girls.
Barbie has allowed young girls the freedom to dream, hope and believe. Before 1959, girls could only imagine themselves as mothers or caregivers, now the horizon is limitless. We have women in space, Kamala Haris is the United States’ first African-American female vice-president, and Katherine Johnson’s equations were an integral part of the Apollo 11 mission happening. Not all women’s accomplishments are because of Barbie, but she gave girls the opportunity to see themselves in places they weren’t accepted. She opened our imaginations up to what could be possible — and all without the help of Ken. For that, I say thank you, Ruth Handler and Barbara “Barbie” Millicent Roberts.
Ipeleng Derby-Molefe is a writer who studied at AFDA, Cape Town