Barbie, the most famous doll in the world
Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has taken her place as one of the most popular and collectible dolls of all time.
Not everyone knows that Barbie has a first and last name, parents, and a way to consult her horoscope. Barbie Millicent Roberts is her full name, and her sign is Leo. Barbie is the daughter of Robert and Margareth Roberts.
The Barbie doll has been subjected to media criticism, feminist and intellectual fault-finding, and the accusations of pedagogues.
Times have changed and Barbie, in a manner quite different from other toys, has adapted quickly to an ever-evolving market in order to stay competitive and continue building her widespread commercial success.
The figure of Barbie, for all its positive and negative interpretations, is larger than the sum of its parts. Barbie´s enormous popularity among children is the foundation of her success, casting her as a sort of colossus in miniature, resistant to outside aggression.
The origins of Barbie are rooted in the creative process –the continual quest for new designs for body features and mechanisms, and the endless planning and production of her massive wardrobe in its precise replication of the “real world” –which partially explains and helps the consumer to fathom the Barbie phenomenon.
As Barbie´s growing popularity and success has skyrocketed in the last few years, so has the heavy criticism surrounding her image, the sources of which are endless.
Barbie debuted on the American market in March 1959 at New York City´s American Toy Fair. Unaware of the future that awaited her, Barbie was buttressed by the commercial aptitude and insights of Ruth Handler, a shrewd believer in her innovatory potential.
Presented as a teen-age fashion model, Barbie was widely touted in the Mattel catalogs as a new kind of doll from real life, with the serial number 850, measuring 11 ½ inches tall, and available in blond or brunette.
Boxed in a pretty white carton illustrated on the outside with dress designs from the collection, she wore a black and white striped jersey bathing suit and was accessorized with her celebrated white sunglasses with blue lenses, high-heeled black shoes, gold-hoop earrings, a pedestal on which to support her, and the ubiquitous little catalog illustrating a variety of models that could be purchased at prices ranging from one to five dollars per package.
During 1959, more than 351,000 Barbie dolls were sold at the price of three dollars apiece.
In the years to come, Barbie was continually altered to tailor her more carefully to market expectations and to improve her competitive edge.
Barbie Number Two appeared at the end of 1959 and differed from Number One only in that she no longer had holes in her feet to attach her to her pedestal.
Barbie Number Three appeared in 1960 with some changes in her facial makeup: her eyes were blue, eyebrows more horizontal, and her eye shadow became a mix of blue and brown.
A special innovation appeared in 1961 when Barbie got a new hairdo. That year also marked the production of the first Barbie dolls with red hair.
Barbie´s boyfriend Ken, named after the Handlers´son Kenneth Robert, made his debut in 1961, taking his place in the limelight beside his already famous partner. He was furnished with a smart, masculine wardrobe that was richly tailored and perfectly appointed for escorting Barbie through the numerous sophisticated and/or sportive engagements of their life.
Barbie´s best friend Midge was added to the growing family in 1963. The prototype for her body was the same one used for Barbie so Midge could wear the same clothes as her friend.
In 1967, Barbie´s facial features and makeup changed completely. Synthetic eyelashes were applied onto larger painted eyes, and her hair became longer, flowing loosly over her shoulders and gathered up by a little ribbon on the top of her head. With a patented torso that could swivel and rotate, this new Barbie doll was dubbed “Twist ´N Turn.”
In 1968, Barbie dolls were able to speak. That same year, Barbie´s first African-American friend, Christie, was added to the lineup pf friends and relatives already on the market.
Barbie dolls have been sold in more than 140 countries. Since 1959, nearly one billion outfits have been produces, including more than one billion pairs of shoes.
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