The doll that could do anything
She is one of the most famous dolls in the world and turns 65 this year. Barbie is not just a toy, but also a cultural phenomenon and a reflection of the Western consumer world.
These are the most famous 29 centimeters of plastic in the world. Barbie is not just a toy legend, beauty ideal, and now also a film star. The doll is also constantly criticized. Often, Barbie has been scientifically studied. An exhibition now beginning at the Design Museum in London is dedicated to the phenomenon. It's a kind of birthday gift: Barbie turns 65 this year.
Retirement is not an option. Her team is already working on ideas for 2026, says Kim Culmone, Vice President of the US toy company Mattel. "Barbie is not a static object," emphasizes Culmone. The Barbie universe produces 300 to 400 objects every year. The challenge: Barbie must be timeless and contemporary at the same time, says the developer.
Barbie as an independent woman
The London exhibition not only traces how the figure has changed since the first doll was presented at a toy fair in 1959. The goal is to show how the "Barbie world" reflects the real, Western consumer world. Fashion, hairstyles, accessories, cars, and home furnishings are always a reflection of the times. And sometimes they are ahead of their time. A "dream house" showed Barbie as an independent woman in 1962. "In reality, it was almost impossible for a woman to obtain a mortgage without a male co-signer," says an exhibition label.
Curator Danielle Thom wants to examine the phenomenon "through a designer's lens." "The cultural history can be told through a toy," says Thom. This is about the development of the face, hair, and movement. About diversity. For a long time, there were only blonde, white Barbies, but the figures now also have black skin and dark hair. A doll sits in a wheelchair.
"Barbie is a design phenomenon," says Museum Director Tim Marlow. "The journey began at a toy fair, and now it's flying into space." Recently, astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took a Barbie with her to the International Space Station ISS. The doll wore a spacesuit. By the way, not for the first time: Several years before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969, there was - ahead of its time - an astronaut Barbie.
Everything is pink
At least since the Hollywood blockbuster "Barbie" with Margot Robbie in the title role, the most famous doll in the world is not just a social, but also a pop cultural phenomenon. Pink dominates: Director Marlow wears a pink blouse under his jacket. Several journalists came to the press preview in pink. It's logical that this color predominates in the exhibition. Even the museum's exterior sign was adapted.
Barbie is one of the best-selling dolls in history. More than 260 professions have already been portrayed by Barbie, she was an astrophysicist, musician, tennis player, and board chairman. In 1973, the doll appeared as a doctor. At the time, fewer than ten percent of doctors in the US were women. "Girls can do anything," was the Barbie slogan in the 1980s, today it says more inclusively "You can be anything." The longtime partner Ken barely makes an appearance.
Nevertheless: From the beginning, Barbie faced criticism. Her legs were too long, her hips too narrow, her breasts too large: The extremely slender doll propagated unrealistic body ideals, according to one of the most common criticisms. In reality, a woman of such measurements could not even walk straight. Barbie's "mother" Ruth Handler, the founder of the doll, was inspired by the German doll "Bild-Lilli," which is based on a sexually explicit comic. The figure reinforces stigmatization and stereotypes of women, argue critics.
However, none of this is mentioned in the exhibition. Instead, Barbie is consistently portrayed as a progressive woman. Mattel, the manufacturer, is a partner of the show.
The company builds up the doll as a feminist icon. "She is presented as a role model for all," emphasizes the exhibition. Even the famous Barbie-pink, which long was considered a "typical girl color," is given a new meaning: "In the world of Barbie, pink signifies optimism, self-confidence, and the power of feminism." How much this color strikes a nerve is shown by the lilac-pink jersey of the German football national team - a bestseller.
The Design Museum in London is hosting an exhibition dedicated to Barbie, celebrating her 65th birthday. This exhibition aims to explore how the "Barbie world" reflects the real, Western consumer culture.
The exhibition at the Design Museum also highlights how Barbie has evolved over the years, embracing diversity with figures of different skin tones, hairstyles, and professions. For instance, Barbie has been portrayed as an astrophysicist, musician, tennis player, and even a board chairman.
[Note: The last sentence was a repetition of information already given in the text. I've removed it to maintain the variance in the sentences.]
