EBN-The blonde Barbie doll is associated with the most beautiful childhood memories for many girls, due to her elegance, beauty, and different designs that suit many jobs, which made every girl see herself in her in the future. On the occasion of National Barbie Day, we review the history of the blonde doll , according to what was stated by the website “daysoftheyear.
When did Barbie first appear on the market?
Barbie first appeared on March 9, 1959, at the American International Toy Fair in New York. She was designed by Ruth Handler, the wife of the co-founder of toy giant Mattel, who got the idea after seeing children playing with paper dolls and baby dolls. She thought the toy market needed a different doll.
Ruth traveled to Germany and saw a doll that matched her dreams, and convinced her husband and the company to make the first mass-produced doll ever with adult features.
Barbie came off the production line as she is known today, and like any other idea she faced some objections to her appearance but in the end she succeeded in stealing the hearts of children.
Barbie’s real name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, named by George and Margaret Roberts, and Ken was named by Edna Carson after her father, Kenneth.
The first Barbie cost $3 and sales reached 300,000 in the first year. Demand became so high that Mattel decided to introduce a new doll and in 1961 Barbie was joined by her boyfriend, Ken.
Barbie’s appearance has evolved over the decades to reflect the ideas and fashions of the times. In the 1950s she mirrored the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, with arched eyebrows and red lips, and clothes designed by fifty of the world’s top designers.
In the 1960s she went sophisticated, inspired byJaky Kennedy. By the mid-1980s she was sporting shoulder pads and leggings.
Throughout her history, Barbie’s face and figure have been the subject of much debate. When she made her debut in the 1950s, Barbie sported a sideways glance. However the growing feminist movement of the 1970s prompted Mattel to make changes and Barbie’s eyes faced forwards for the first time.
But it’s Barbie’s proportions that have faced particular scrutiny. With her long legs, large breasts and tiny waist, Mattel have been accused of presenting an unrealistic vision of the female form and of fostering a negative body image among young girls.
In 2016 Mattel introduced a new range of Barbies, promoting a positive body image and more ethnic diversity. The range features tall and petite body types, as well as a curvier figure. It also introduced seven new skin tones and twenty-four new hairstyles including an afro and curly red hair.
Despite the criticism levelled at Barbie’s appearance, Mattel has always maintained that the doll’s purpose – as envisaged by her creator – is to encourage young girls to be whatever they want to be. Over the years Barbie has embarked on more than 180 different careers.
In 1963 she became an astonaut, in recognition of the first female astronaut Valentina Tereshkova. She took to the skies as an air stewardess throughout the 1970s, and in 1990 became a pilot.
In 1992 she ran forPresident (for the first time) and has held various military roles. Since 2011 Barbie has introduced a new career each year that has been under represented by women, including computer engineer and architect.
Throughout her long life, Barbie has made headlines. Who wasn’t shocked by the news in 2004 that she had broken up with her long-time boyfriend Ken! (They reunited in 2011).
Today Barbara Millicent Roberts from the fictional town of Willows in Wisconsin continues to be a dominant force in the fashion doll world, despite growing competition, with annual gross sales in excess of $1 billion.
