When Ruth Handler noticed that the girls’ toy market was dominated by baby dolls, she was inspired to develop a 3D toy that “was about exploring the experience of being a grown woman”. Drawing on the appearance of Bild Lilli, a German comic strip character, Handler created the iconic Barbie doll we know today. Released originally as a fashion doll, Barbie has evolved over the years and is considered to be a feminist icon. However, her distinct physical appearance has definitely impacted modern beauty standards.
Today, March 9, is Barbie Day, and you can’t celebrate without acknowledging the dichotomy of the doll. When released by Mattel, Barbie was met with much skepticism by consumers. Many criticized the doll’s oversexualized and unrealistic appearance. Barbie also pushed the idea that women could succeed in any occupation, something not widely accepted at the time. The ideals of self-confidence and independence that are hardwired into the Barbie brand were too outside the social norm for many. In 1962, Barbie’s Dreamhouse was released, showing the potential for and normalizing the idea of women owning their own homes. Barbie dolls representing over 250 different careers have been released, with many in traditionally male-dominated fields. In fact, a female space cadet Barbie was released in 1965, 4 years before man even walked on the moon.
However, throughout the doll’s history, Barbie has been released with many questionable accessories. For example, “Slumber Party Barbie” was released with a bathroom scale that permanently read 110 lbs, and “Babysitter Barbie” can be seen carrying a book titled How to Lose Weight, with the words “Don’t Eat” written inside. In fact, according to clinical psychologist and founder of the National Eating Disorders Association, Margo Maine, in real life, “Barbie would be 5’9”, wear a size 3 shoe, and have 39”-18”-33” measurements… at her current weight and height, Barbie would have a body mass index of 16.2, making her severely underweight and likely anorexic”.
Now, Mattel has expanded the line of Barbies available with the release of different body types for their dolls. Versions are now marketed as “petite,” “athletic,” “curvy,” and “original”. While the original “Black” and “Hispanic” Barbies were released in 1980, Barbie dolls now come in a variety of skin tones, allowing young girls to choose a doll that best represents them. However, studies have shown that even when given the opportunity to play with these “more representative” Barbie dolls, young girls still reach for the “original” body-type dolls. Societal beauty expectations associated with the “original Barbie” are so deeply ingrained in our culture that even when given more realistic alternatives, children choose what is familiar.
Furthermore, while Barbie may have taught girls that they could become anything they could dream of, she may have also taught them that women need to meet “the baseline standard of beauty first”. A study out of Vanderbilt found that “overweight and obese women are less likely to get personal interaction occupations, and even when they do, they are paid 5 percent less than their thinner female counterparts”. We, as a society, already equate thinness with worth and thus success. Barbie has set unattainable standards that young girls are striving to attain, which, when they are unable to achieve, results in negatively impacted self-esteem and body image.
It is irresponsible and naive to place all the blame for young girls’ body image issues on a doll, but it is important to understand that, while Barbie represents all that women could be, the doll also limits what children (and even adults) accept in terms of socially acceptable appearances.
