The Evolution of Pink
When you hear the word pink, what do you think of? Do you think of Barbie? How about her impact on your life today? Many people aren’t aware of how much a little doll has influenced society today, positively and negatively. From her specific figure to her barrier breaking careers, Barbie has influenced society tremendously in the past 55 years.
Barbie was created through selective breeding: what the customer wants, what’s going on in pop culture, what the parents are willing to buy for their children. etc. (Teresa) In 1959, that’s exactly what Ruth Handler thought. Traveling to Switzerland for business, she discovered a life changing toy: The Bild Lilly doll. In America during the early 1900’s, the only dolls that were made for young girls were baby dolls. Ruth wanted to take a more mature approach to the toy industry and that’s how Barbie was born.
Barbie was named after Ruth’s daughter, Barbara. She wanted a doll that young girls could relate to. So she created a “Teenage Fashion Model.” With an impossibly hourglass figure, her wasp-waist, pointy breasts (which were in fashion in the 50’s), slim hips and never-ending legs, Barbie was an idol for most young girls. Although, the parents of these young girls disagreed with the appearance of the doll. Many parents said she looked more like a sex pot than a toy for young girls. (Teresa) Her black lined sultry eyes, pointy brows, and red lips were very adult like characteristics. Although her appearance worried parents, Barbie was a hit in the industry. Within the first year, over 300,000 Barbies were sold for $1-$3 a doll. With over 150 careers, Barbie has been an idol to many girls all over the world.
Julianne M., mom to one daughter, explained, "A doll with ...
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...ith accessories such as hats and a few different wigs. (Daily Mail Reporter.)
As you can see, Barbie isn’t a vulgar doll. She may have her negative perks but overall, she is a wonderful influence. Being one of the most controversial dolls in history, Barbie has broken barriers for women all over the world. Many parents don’t understand the benefits that Barbie provides for young girls. They only look to the negative side of her. Confidence is one of the biggest pros for Barbie. Young girls want to express themselves through fashion and makeup and Barbie is the biggest idol for that specific thing. Mattel has made over $88 billion dollars with the production of the Barbie doll. Barbie is an important impact on society because she has influenced women around the world to follow their dreams and helped women gain their rights. It’s amazing what a little pink can do.
This website article provides the history of Barbie and her newly inspiring images for young women. Barbie was the new popular doll during World War 2 because she provided something inspiring for young girls and something that mothers felt strong about, independence. Barbie helped with what was being told to women, that they didn’t have to settle for being just a housewife or a stay at home mother. Women around the country could have a variety, a choice to work and have a career. “Barbie’s early professions were limited
For starters the title, “Barbie Doll” holds a meaning. It symbolizes the ideal figure of a female body. Society creates this ideal that is embed into every century. It is never ending. It is intended that she must have the twig like arms and legs, the minuscule waist and nose,
In the essay 'Our Barbies, Ourselves,' Emily Prager explores the history of the Barbie doll and talks about the Barbie doll itself. Prager seems convinced that the Barbie doll was an object created by a man and that Barbie reeks of sexuality, sexual innuendo and serves as the anti-feminist embodiment of every man's fantasy. In her own expressive and persuasive modes to fashion an essay designed to persuade the reader that the Barbie doll is a twisted and corrupt tool designed by men to combat the feminist revolution. Though her attempts at persuasion are commendable, I was not swayed in my opinions on Barbie. If anything, I just found fault with this writer's point of view, and I found her accusations to be outrageous and her 'facts' to be completely wrong.
To conclude, I think that Barbie was and is a historic piece in our society. From her dramatic reveal to the controversy that plagues her image, Barbie held her head high, trying her best to be adorned and recognized by girls throughout the world.
“If Barbie was designed by a man, suddenly a lot of things made sense to me,” says Emily Prager in her essay “Our Barbies, Ourselves” (Prager 354). Prager’s purpose for writing this essay is to explain the history of Barbie and how the doll itself has influenced and continue to influence our society today. Prager is appealing to the average girl, to those who can relate to the way she felt growing up with Barbie seen as the ideal woman. Emily Prager uses a constant shift between a formal and informal tone to effectively communicate her ideas that we view women today based upon the unrealistic expectations set forth by Barbie. By adopting this strategy she avoids making readers feel attacked and therefore
The talking Barbie was made in 1968. The customers and the Mattel Inc. were there. It happened because the Mattel Company thought it would be cool to add sound to the very popular Barbie doll. Also, the Talking Barbie was originally created in Mexico but later versions were made in Hong Kong. How the talking Barbie worked is it talked when you pulled a string in the back of her neck.
Martin, Melanie. “Negative Effects of Barbie on Girls.” eHow. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.
Her poem, “Barbie Doll,” tells the story of a young girl who was short-lived. She was beaten down by society's expectations of what she should be. The poem was a major eye-opener for many, especially considering the time period it was written in. It helped to put the inappropriate and materialistic standards that women continued to be held up to on full display. It broadcasts the effects of these insane standards with an uncensored, real and raw approach.
Not many arguments or tests are done on the positive effects of Barbie. Sure, she is a role model but what about when girls set goals for themselves and later in life do not meet these expectations? Unlike Barbie, most of these goals are unrealistic and cannot be met. Barbie provies alternatives to the female stereotype of a mother and wife, but marriage isn’t perfect like the way it is portrayed. She goes through absolutely no struggles.
Although Barbie was created as a toy for girls, the sexual nature of the doll suggests it was created for the pleasure of men and envy of women. Prager compares the figure of Barbie to the kind of women who would be seen in the Playboy mansion or be a frequent guest on explicit television shows. This is the image of a mans...
Barbie is the figurehead of a brand of Mattel dolls and accessories, including other family members and collectible dolls. Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for over fifty years, and has been the subject of numerous controversies and lawsuits, often involving parody of the doll and her lifestyle.
Stone, Tanya Lee. The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us. New York: Penguin Group, 2010. Print.
According to Lisa Belkin, Barbie is good for society because she’s fun to play with and she encourages little girls to use their imagination and dream big. Many young girls who play with Barbie dolls have realized that she is just a doll. Some of these little girls don’t have the desire to look like Barbie; they just think Barbie is just a doll that they play with and leave them everywhere. At a young age girls are given their first Barbie doll and thought what “perfect” should be. Barbie portrays the perfect image and life. Not only is Barbie tall, skinny, and beautiful, she has all the luxurious accessories to match her perfect life. To go along with her perfect life she is accompanied with the perfect boyfriend, family and dream house.At a young age girls are also being influenced by this doll, what they should look like, and what kind of life they sgould lead. Young girls strive to achieve this look which is life threatening to obtain. Regardless to the changes they made to Barbie, she is still far from real. Little girls that are mature enough don’t strive to look like Barbie because she’s just a plastic doll.(Debate.org, 9). According to “The Intentions behind the creation of Barbie”, Barbie dolls ...
When I was very young, I owned very many Barbie dolls. To me, they were just so beautiful, and flawless, and I loved them very much. But the Barbie that said the most to me was the President Barbie. This spoke to me. It said that anyone, anywhere, of any gender, socioeconomic status, background, sexuality, ethnicity, race, or belief system could be anything they ever wanted to be, as long as they worked hard enough to achieve it. And this is a very important message, and it is a message that Barbie sends to people every day, all over the world.
Barbie, a doll manufactured by Mattel, Inc., encourages an unrealistic body image, racial insensitivity, and contradictive goals, and it is having a negative influence on young girls everywhere. Launched in March 1959 by Ruth Handler, an American business woman and president of Mattel, Inc., Barbie quickly became popular and has gone on to sell three dolls every second, in over one hundred and fifty countries. However, Barbie’s rise to success has not been wholly positive – there have been numerous controversies, parodies, and lawsuits, all addressing a number of issues. One such issue is how Barbie promotes an unrealistic and unobtainable body image. For example, to scale, Barbie is five feet, nine inches tall, has a thirty six inch chest, eighteen inch waist, and thirty three inch hips. Had Barbie been a real person, she would not be able to walk, much less hold her head up. Secondly, Barbie is racially insensitive and perpetuates stereotypes. “Mexico Barbie,” from Barbie’s “ethnic” line, comes with a passport and a Chihuahua, as well as stereotypical red lace ribbons in her hair. Lastly, Barbie portrays goals that are both unobtainable and contradictive. Barbie has had a variety of careers, such as being a doctor, astronaut, and President of the United States, but also engages in stereotypical domestic activities, such as cleaning and baking. These characteristics are affecting young girls in a time when they are most developmentally susceptible, and teaching them a number of negative lessons.