Barbie Doll's Influence On American Culture

Over the past 50 years the Barbie doll has been positively mass produced to the world. Barbie since the beginning has had a major effect across the world/America. The doll has made such an impact on American culture she is on the 101 Influential People Who Never Lived placed at #43, before Luke Skywalker (85th) and after Micky Mouse (18th). The impact is not entirely positive, however. There are a few things about Barbie that are negative. From the influence, America has gotten stereotypes and cliches such as the “Dumb-Blonde” and has even influenced models and mannequins of the fashion world to be seemingly skinnier the skinny. Another effect of Barbie and her legacy is Barbie Doll Syndrome, a confirmed term by diagnosis with so much damage that it won’t go away with a new doll line with different body types. The Barbie doll has made a negative mark by portraying unrealistic body standards and false expectations for life throughout American History. (more neg. 10% pos. flow) Barbie was created by Ruth Handler, who was

Barbara and Ken went inside and while Ruth and Izzy waited outside she noticed the display window carrying a blonde doll. She noticed the doll was identical to the doll that Ruth had pitched to her design team at Mattel. The doll was named Bild Lilli who was “based on a German comic strip prostitute who serviced German businessmen”(Toomey). Lilli was mostly sold to older men in bars and tobacco shops. Ruth (without knowing the origin of the dolls success and “work”) took her back to America. After having the body of the doll tweaked and the nipples erased she placed the doll into a black and white bathing suite. The doll was renamed Barbara “Barbie” Millicent Roberts after Handler's daughter. That next New York Toy Toy Fair in 1959 the new doll made its big debut. Today Barbie is fifty-six years old, but will always have the youth of a twenty year