Barbie: 6 Things To Know About This Iconic Character
Created in 1959, the most famous fashion doll hasn't aged a bit. On the occasion of Barbie's 60th anniversary in 2019, Mattel reissued six models to highlight six professions where women are still underrepresented. Here are 6 things to know about this iconic character who is making headlines with the release of Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie on July 19, 2023.
She was created in 1959.
It was in 1959, over 60 years ago, that Ruth Handler came up with the idea for the first "fashion doll" and named her "Barbie" as a tribute to her daughter Barbara. The Barbie doll officially made its debut on March 9, 1959, at the New York Toy Fair.
The prototype created by engineer Jack Ryan for the Mattel company measured 29 cm and already had the characteristic silhouette of the "fashion doll", designed to make dressing easier. A real revolution for the time!
But with her generous chest, endless legs, and wasp waist, this doll was a flop among toy professionals, who were bothered by her breasts! It wasn't until the doll was offered in stores that it became a big success among little girls.
The patent was officially granted in the United States on November 21, 1961. In France, this toy made its appearance in 1963 at the Lyon fair.
3- She has worked in over 200 different professions.
With this new kind of doll, little girls are no longer content with "playing mommy". They can also project themselves into adulthood and imagine who they will be tomorrow. It is with this in mind that Barbie began to take on different professions, including those that were previously reserved for men.
At the beginning, the doll represented professions such as teacher, babysitter, flight attendant, or aerobics instructor. But she quickly expanded her resume by becoming a businesswoman, surgeon, race car driver, or police officer!
With the astronaut doll released in 1965, four years before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, Mattel somewhat rewrote history. So it is not wrong to say that "the first woman on the moon is Barbie!"
In sixty years of existence, the doll has had over 200 professions, from the most common to the most unusual, which inspired Mattel to launch a communication campaign centered around the professions embodied by this doll and the "inspiring women".
6- She embarks on a career in cinema.
For several months now, an intense marketing campaign accompanied by a wave of pink color has been announcing the release of Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie.
This feature film, to be discovered in the dark theaters of France on July 19, 2023, benefits from a top-notch cast with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the lead roles.
We will find the heroine Barbie and her friend Ken in their pop, magical, and colorful universe, at least in the first part of the film, before the famous doll decides to explore the real world... which is far less pink! An adventure that promises to show a whimsical and feminist version of the Mattel doll.
By entrusting this blockbuster to an independent filmmaker with a quirky tone, Warner and Mattel have taken a risk that could pay off.
With this film, which has a budget of 100 million dollars, the iconic doll of our childhood could become a franchise and flood the world with new merchandise. Whether you are a longtime fan or not, resign yourself... Barbie is far from finished showing us life in candy pink.
