Every year more Barbies are being sold than babies are born. Have you ever wondered who created the dolls that have their own shows, movies, and is a little child’s favorite toy? Ruth Handler did many impressive things throughout her lifetime. Ruth created Barbie, became the co-owner of her husband’s company “Mattel”, all while taking down breast cancer, which resulted in the creation of “Nearly Me.” One of Ruth Handlers biggest accomplishments was creating Barbie.
To start this off, have you ever wondered who invented the Barbie doll? Ruth Handler, inventor of Barbie dolls, started making dolls in 1945. Ruth wanted to create a more realistic toy that represented what the girls “wanted to be” because she saw her daughter playing with paper dolls. Handler has changed the world in so many ways, there are so many girls that look up to her now. Ruth Handler has changed the world for so many girls.
The Businesswoman and the Inventor Ruth Handler once said “They were using the dolls to project their dreams of their own futures as adult women” (Handler). Ruth Handler was a businesswoman and an inventor of the Barbie doll and the Ken doll. Handler and her husband, Elliot Handler, partnered with Harold “Matt” Matson and started a furniture business for toy dollhouses, their company was called Mattel. Ruth Handler got the idea of creating the Barbie doll by watching her daughter Barbara Handler play with a paper doll and pretending they were adults. Later on in the years, she created the Ken doll for Barbie and named it after their son Kenneth Handler.
The freedom of being able to change Barbie’s clothes into her various wardrobes sold gives the young children playing with her the sense of individuality. Although Barbie has brought a lot of controversy to the table within the years it has been on the shelf, her portrayal has not changed because after all she is just a doll,
In our American culture, the public encourages women on how to dress, act, think and be in the chance to stay accepted. From a young age, little girls are projected to convert into seamless feminine trophies, learning how to cook, clean, and iron for their prospective spouses.” Barbie Doll” hones in on the social characters in contrast to a doll. The author keenly shows a glimpse of foreshadowing and theme even before the poem begins with the title “Barbie Doll” which is the most iconic and idolized toy
The fashion doll, Barbie was created by the American toy company, Mattel, Inc. Ruth Handler always used to watch her daughter, Barbara play with paper dolls and give them adult roles. She imagined what new type of dolls could look like what Barbara was imagining them as. Their family went on a trip to Europe in 1956 and Ruth saw the Bild Lilli doll on display
With the constant fear of ridicule and discrimination, we still try and define ourselves, though we are always under the society’s scope. Marge Piercy, in her poem “Barbie Doll”, gives us a look at the influence of our surroundings and how something as innocent as a doll can trigger these insecurities. Our strive for acceptance and “perfection” can cause major emotional damage on anyone who identifies as a woman. Young girls look at these depictions of “perfect” bodies, such as a barbie doll for example, and compare themselves. In the poem “Barbie Doll”, Piercy talks about a young girl who she described as “...healthy, tested and intelligent...” (247) but, she was picked on by peers who said she had “a great big nose and fat legs.”
The poem Barbie doll by Marge Piercy is about a little girl who grows up only to kill herself for not living up to society’s standards. The speaker shows how she had a normal childhood and was happy playing with here baby dolls and toy stove. However, during puberty, her body changed and everyone noticed. She was criticized for her “fat nose and thick legs”. She tried to change by dieting and exercising, but soon tired of doing so.
Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” takes a sarcastic approach to backlash at society and send the reader a message about what beauty really is. In “Barbie Doll”, A Barbie doll is used to show and symbolize what society views as what a female should aspire to become “perfect”. “Barbie's unrealistic body type…busty with a tiny waist, thin thighs and long legs…is reflective of our culture's feminine ideal. Yet less than two percent of American women can ever hope to achieve such dreamy measurements.”
Barbie is a doll that was introduced in 1959, she took the world by storm with her fashion and changing careers. She greatly influenced pop culture and the thoughts and beliefs of people. Barbie has been involved in many controversies over the years due to her body image and the high body expectations that she sets for young girls. She has had a significant impact on social values by conveying characteristics of female independence. Barbie has had positive and negative influences on fashion, interests and beliefs of a certain year, which continually changed throughout the decades.
In Marge Piercy’s poem “Barbie Doll,” the girl-child was perceived on the effect that society has expected in women. There stood a hazardous trend that raged in her society causing self-destruction. This comes to comparing the normal to unreal to satisfy on what society begs the girl child to be. This may occur within both genders. However, in the poem “Barbie Doll” it was more likely to occur within a girl gender.
Barbie is an iconic female doll produced by Mattel Inc. in 1959 now making her 57 years ago. The doll changes over time to reflect society. Barbie’s fashion, physique and job interests change as standards for women change. Barbies fashion and hairstyle changes to reflect how women currently dress. As more body shapes are accepted by society barbie changes to give different options of body types.as women’s interest and job interests change and expands barbie dolls a released according to the jobs of women at the current time.
There's no doubt that Friday is the most anticipated day of the week. The promise of a fun weekend, the chance to catch up on some sleep, or do absolutely nothing are just many of the freedoms the weekend offers. However, this freedom is only brief as we return to our monotonous jobs, but what if we did not have to return? How would humans as a civilization function with this new found freedom if we had autonomous robots and artificial intelligence(AI) doing the “less desired ” jobs and task instead of us? With the advancements in autonomous technology we may soon find out.
Barbie is not an Appropriate Role Model What comes to mind when you think of Barbie? The thoughts perfect, thin, and has everything come to mind. This is what Barbie encourages girls to be. At a young age most girls have Barbies; they play with the dolls look up to them. But, what role does Barbie play in young girls lives?
But where did it all start and how did you get to this position? You’re five years old when you receive your first Barbie doll. Your innocent mind looks at the plastic figure as just a symbol of inspiration or a relatable toy used on the playground
