Part 1: Annotated Bibliography
“Barbie through the Ages.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/news/barbie-through-the-ages. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
In this article, the author, Brynn Holland, takes the readers through the cultural revolution of Mattel’s Barbie doll. The article was originally published on January 29, 2016, but was updated on July 14, 2023, which could be attributed to the impending release of the blockbuster Mattel film Barbie, which premiered on July 21, 2023. The author provides historical background on the doll and explains how the doll was released in March of 1959 and how Babrie is short for the doll's full name: Barbara Millicent Roberts. The doll was the first mass-produced doll in the United States to have adult-like features. The toy company Mattel, Inc. was co-founded by Ruth Handler and her husband, Elliot Handler. Ruth invented the Barbie doll after inspiration struck from watching her daughter play with a paper doll. This birthed the idea for Barbie, which, interestingly enough, as explained by Holland, a German comic-strip character, Bild Lilli, was the inspiration for the appearance of Barbie: Mattel later bought the rights for Bild Lilli and created their version, the doll we all know today as Barbie. This article is useful in providing the evolution of the Barbie doll.
Digital Health Global. “The Complex Relationship between Barbie and Body Image: A Scholar’s Insight.” Digital Health Global, 21 Aug. 2023, www.digitalhealthglobal.com/the-complex-relationship-between-barbie-and-body-image-a-scholars-insight/.
Dittmar. “Does Barbie Make Girls Want to Be Thin? The Effect of Experimental Exposure to Images of Dolls on the Body Image of 5- to 8-Year-Old Girls.” Developmental Psychology., vol. 42, no. 2, 2006, pp. 283–92, https://doi.org/info:doi/.
This article from Developmental Psychology outlines a study conducted to try and determine the cause of young girl’s dissatisfaction with their bodies. The study comprised 162 girls total ranging from 5 to 8 years old. The independent variables in the study were exposure to either a Barbie doll, Emme Doll, or no doll. The girls would be assessed on their body image to determine how much the exposure influenced their perception of themselves. The study findings were that the younger the girls were exposed to a Barbie doll, the greater its impact on their self-esteem; the oldest girls did not have the same negative impact from exposure to Barbie dolls. The most important takeaway from the article is that “early exposure to dolls epitomizing an unrealistically thin body ideal may damage girls' body image, which would contribute to an increased risk of disordered eating and weight cycling.” This source is beneficial because it provides data from research to support the idea that early exposure to Barbie negatively affects a child’s body image.
Dockterman, Eliana, and Cady Lang. “How Barbie Took over the World.” Time, Time, 25 July 2023, time.com/6294121/barbie-movie-popularity-impact/.
The article was written by Eliana Dockterman and Cady Lang and published in Time Magazine on July 25, 2023. The piece was written before the movie's premiere, Barbie. The article outlines the “Barbie craze” in the summer of 2023 before the film's release. The authors discuss the contributing factors to the build-up of the film, including Barbie merchandise and marketing, the director Greta Gerwig, the film's fashion and soundtrack, and the star power of the film’s stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. The timing of the premiere was also an important factor in the craze, given it was released the same day as another blockbuster, Oppenheimer, which helped coin the term “Barbienheimer,” which only helped feed into the film’s eventual success. This source is useful because it provides insight into the powerhouse behind the Barbie film and demonstrates the societal impact that Mattel’s doll, Barbie, has on culture.
Dockterman, Eliana. “What to Know about Ruth Handler, the Creator of Barbie.” Time, 21 July 2023, time.com/6293762/barbie-movie-ruth-handler/.
This article by Eliana Dockterman was published in Time Magazine on July 21, 2023. The author outlines the history behind Barbie’s inventor, Ruth Handler. In the early 1950s, the most popular toy amongst young girls was baby dolls, which conditioned them to be mothers. Ruth was inspired by her daughter and saw the opportunity to create a doll that helped young girls imagine themselves in the future, which is why the Barbie doll is modeled after a grown-up woman. Despite Ruth having already co-founded Mattel, a toy company, in 1945, she was met with backlash from the company’s executives when pitching the idea for the Barbie doll since the doll had women-like features. It was not until Ruth went on a European vacation in 1956 that and saw a similar doll being sold on the market, a German doll called Bild Lilli. This doll was based on a comic strip. It was known for having “a voluptuous figure and was designed as a sexy trinket for soldiers during World War II,” according to Dockterman. This article was a valuable source in providing the events that led to the eventual production and selling of the Barbie doll and information about the doll’s inventor, Ruth Handler.
Emily Burgess Trinity Bland. “Barbie Creates ‘Inspiring Women’ Doll Line to Celebrate Women’s History Month.” University Wire, Uloop, Inc, 2021.
Harriger, Jennifer A., et al. “You Can Buy a Child a Curvy Barbie Doll, but You Can’t Make Her Like It: Young Girls’ Beliefs about Barbie Dolls with Diverse Shapes and Sizes.” Body Image, vol. 30, 2019, pp. 107–13, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.06.005.
This article, by Jennifer Harriger, Lauren Schaefer, J. Kevin Thompson, and Li Cao, outlines a study on Mattel’s new line of Fashionista Barbie dolls. The study aimed to determine how a sample of young girls viewed the body shape and size of the new dolls. The study comprised 84 girls ranging from 3–10 years old. The results showed that participants when asked to assign positive or negative attributes to the Barbie dolls ranging in a variety of body shapes and sizes, were met with the fact that “results generally demonstrated greater negative attitudes towards the curvy Barbie doll and more positive attitudes towards dolls with a thinner body size/shape.” This information is useful in understanding the societal impact of Barbie dolls and body image. Interestingly enough, as stated in the article, despite the exposure and availability of dolls of varying sizes and body types, it may not be enough to intervene with the harmful weight attitudes. This article also highlights the need for continual exposure and acceptance amongst young children of diverse body shapes and sizes.
Harriger, Jennifer A., et al. “You Can Buy a Child a Curvy Barbie Doll, but You Can’t Make Her Like It: Young Girls’ Beliefs about Barbie Dolls with Diverse Shapes and Sizes.” Body Image, vol. 30, 2019, pp. 107–13, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.06.005.
Jennifer Craik. “Barbie at the Barricades. -History of the Barbie Doll and the Secret of Its Success.” Australian Left Review, no. 108, 1988, pp. 35–37.
Lord, M.G.. "Barbie". Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Feb. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Barbie. Accessed 24 February 2024.
Markey, Charlotte. “Body Image and Barbie Mania.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smart-people-dont-diet/202307/barbie-mania. Accessed 25 Feb. 2024.
Marris, Emma. “Barbie and Body Image: A Scholar’s Take on the Research — and the Blockbuster Film.” Nature (London), vol. 620, no. 7973, 2023, pp. 254–55, https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02433-8.
The author, Emma Marris, spoke with a clinical health psychologist, Jennifer Webb, to understand the impact of Mattel’s famous toy, Barbie, and the doll's effect on body image. Jennifer Webb published a study on Barbie and body image earlier this year; her study focused on the Made to Move Barbie Line, which focused on adding joints to the doll to inspire physically active play. Marris interviewed Webb to gain more insight into this complex topic. When asked whether or not Barbie has had a negative or positive impact, Webb claimed that in all the research done in the past 20 years, it was a toss-up. Still, most data found that exposure to Barbie, a thin doll, negatively impacts children’s self-esteem and body image and increases the likelihood of thin idealization. Webb backed up this idea, citing, “For example, an interesting study found a significant correlation between younger exposure to playing with Barbie and a greater drive for thinness as a young adult.” The article had a casual interview style that helped understand Barbie’s impact on women’s body image after exposure to the doll.
Nesbitt, Amy, et al. “Barbie’s New Look: Exploring Cognitive Body Representation among Female Children and Adolescents.” PLOS ONE, vol. 14, no. 6, 25 June 2019, p. e0218315, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6592527/, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218315.
This source outlines a study performed to determine whether or not young girls’ body image was negatively impacted by the Barbie doll’s unrealistic body type. The following study was conducted to see if the young girls engaged in “self-other matching” when observing the new Mattel Barbie doll lines that featured dolls with diverse body types: curvy, petite, and tall. The study found that female children engaged in “self-other matching” when viewing a Barbie doll. The study also provided new evidence for the implications on young girls’ body image development when exposed to physique-salient toys. This article was useful because it provided further evidence of the implications of Barbie dolls on females’ body image.
Rice, Karlie, et al. “Exposure to Barbie: Effects on Thin-Ideal Internalisation, Body Esteem, and Body Dissatisfaction among Young Girls.” Body Image, vol. 19, 2016, pp. 142–49, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.09.005.
This article was written by Karlie Rice, Ivanka Prichard, Marika Tiggemann, and Amy Slater in December 2016. This source examined the impact of exposure to Barbie on young girls. One of the study's results was that young girls exposed to Barbie have internalized ideation of thinness. Another result was that despite not having an immediate impact on young girls' self-esteem, there is no telling the long-term effects on self-esteem or body image after exposure to Barbie. This source was useful to examine the psychological implications of exposure to Barbie in young girls and how it promotes an increased preference for a thin body.
Tamkin, Emily. “A Cultural History of Barbie.” Smithsonian.Com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 June 2023, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/cultural-history-barbie-180982115/.
This article was written by Emily Tamkin in 2023 and chronicled the history of the Barbie doll. This source is useful because it gives historical context to Barbie and the controversy surrounding the doll. Tamkin explains how Barbie dolls started to join the political conversation and took a progressive stance. Mattel would release dolls at times in history when they wanted to take a stance and show support. In 1968, after the Fair Housing Act 1968 was passed, Mattel released Christie, a Black doll with a mod swimsuit. The release of Christie caused controversy because she was not part of the Barbie universe, and it took 12 more years for Mattel to introduce the first Black Barbie in 1980. This source is useful because it sheds light on Barbie’s history and the backlash the brand has faced.
Chappet, Marie-Claire. “This Is the Real History of Barbie.” Harpers Bazaar. 13 July 2023, www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/entertainment/a44129282/barbie-real-history/. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
Marie-Claire Chappet wrote this article on July 13, 2023. This source is useful in understanding the history of the Barbie doll, particularly in understanding the topic of Barbie and Feminism. Barbie faced black lash over the years for being ‘anti-feminist’ as the doll was seen to be ‘too sexy.’ In 1970, at the 1970 Women’s Strike for Equality march in New York, protestors fought back and chanted, " I am not a Barbie doll.” Mattel tried to counteract this by creating Barbies in less stereotypical feminine roles. In 1973, a surgeon named Barbie was released, and in 1991, Barbie joined the military. This source provides real-life examples of times in American history when Barbie had a genuine impact on society, enough for a toy to be seen as a cultural symbol.
Tovar, Virgie. “There’s a Body Image-Sized Hole in the New Barbie Movie.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 2 Aug. 2023, www.forbes.com/sites/virgietovar/2023/07/28/theres-a-body-image-sized-hole-in-the-new-barbie-movie/?sh=366ac8d30850.
Virgie Tovar wrote this article on July 28, 2023. This source provides a critique of the blockbuster movie Barbie. The author points out how the film missed an opportunity to address the proper concern of the Barbie doll: its impact on young girls. In the article, this argument was made for how it is not toxic masculinity that should have been addressed in the film but rather the negative implications Barbie has had on the body image and self-esteem of girls. The source also highlights the many studies done to back up the adverse effects of Barbie exposure on young girls' desire for a thinner body and lower self-esteem.
Wanless. “Barbie’s Body Images.” Feminist Media Studies., vol. 1, no. 1, 2001, pp. 125–27, https://doi.org/info:doi/.
Webb, Jennifer B., et al. “Fashion versus Fitspo: The Effect of Viewing Images of Contemporary Barbie® Dolls in Passive versus Active Poses on College Women’s Body Image and Affect.” Body Image, vol. 45, 2023, pp. 201–09, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.03.004.
This source was written by Jennifer Webb, Nataya Ford, and Meagan Padro and released in June 2023. The source outlined a study conducted with a sample of 106 young adult college women to determine whether or not exposure to different lines of Barbie would impact body image. The experiment was conducted using still images of Barbie Fashionista (BF), Barbie Made to Move (M2M), and Lego Friends (LF) to test the impact of exposure. The study's results were that the participants exposed to the M2M images had lower body appreciation when compared to participants exposed to the LF images. The trend was similar for those exposed to pictures of BF. This source helped me understand the impact of Barbie images on college-aged people.
“Why Is ‘Barbie’ Such a Cultural Phenomenon?” WWD., pp. 12–13, https://doi.org/info:doi/.
Part 2: Reflection
This past summer, I was one of the many people who participated in the “Barbenhemier” opening weekend. After months of marketing for the Barbie and Oppenheimer film, I was excited to see if the films finally lived up to the hype. My childhood best friend and I sported our favorite pink attire and made our way to our local movie theater opening day to watch the premiere of Barbie. We sat in the movie theater for the entire two-hour duration of the film, enthralled by the storyline and mesmerized by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling's acting. We left the theater feeling empowered, happy, and wanting to wear lots and lots of pink. In the days following, my social media continued to be flooded with Barbie marketing, film reviews and commentary, and many Barbie TikTok trends. Barbie was all anyone could talk about, and it got me thinking. As someone who was raised playing with Barbie dolls, this version of Barbie felt more empowering than the one I and many girls were raised on. The Barbie craze made me want to learn more about the toy's history and societal impact.
As someone who grew up playing with Barbie dolls and imagining my future, to me, Barbie was nothing more than a doll. But, after the release of Mattel’s blockbuster film this past summer in July of 2023, the conversation surrounding Barbie has only gained more traction and spiked more interest in the conversation. Personally, this film release only made me want to learn more. After immersing myself in the discourse surrounding the Barbie doll and writing annotations, I discovered how much of an impact Barbie has made over the past 64 years. Despite being officially debuted on March 9, 1959, Barbie continues to have and make a societal impact.
Before writing annotations, my knowledge of Barbie’s history was limited. It was interesting to learn the origin of the famous toy. Ruth Handler was a mother inspired by her daughter's play and wanted to create a doll that allowed her daughter to imagine her future. Handler went on to create arguably the most famous doll in history and named it after her daughter.
Learning more about the creator of Barbie and her mission and intention in creating Barbie helped eliminate the earlier misconceptions I had about the Barbie doll. In my head, my only understanding was of the controversy over the Barbie doll and how the term “Barbie” had negative connotations. This also led me in my research to learn more about the impact of Barbie, particularly the implications of exposure to playing with Barbie dolls on young girls.
As I dived deeper into the research of the societal impact of the Barbie doll, there was an overwhelming amount of research articles and studies on the negative effects of Barbie on self-esteem, body image, and thin-ideal internalization among young girls. There has been a ton of research done to examine this topic, and the majority of the findings were that Barbie dolls set up an unrealistic body image in the minds of young girls.
Another interesting component of the Barbie brand is that Mattel, the toy company that invented and manufactured Barbie, has fought back against the controversies surrounding Barbie. Mattel has used the Barbie brand to engage in political conversation and take progressive stands during important times in American history. Mattel has also tried to mitigate the negative body image implications of the Barbie by introducing more Barbies with diverse body types. It is interesting to note that despite some of Mattel’s best efforts to change the stereotype of Barbie, as shown in research findings, young girls still prefer to play with the stereotypical Barbie and had negative responses to playing with the Barbies of more diverse body types.
It seems that the only true turning point in the Barbie brand came after the release of the Barbie film this past summer. In my opinion, this film shifted the perception of the stereotypical idea of Barbie in the eyes of people who grew up playing with Barbie, as well as the greater population of moviegoers. The film attracted people from all walks of life and positively impacted moviegoers with its purpose-driven storyline. The film was a great success worldwide and changed the conversation surrounding the Barbie brand.
In my opinion, Barbie has profoundly impacted society. Barbie and the brand’s impact on society is a topic I want to explore more in my further writing, as it appears, following my written annotations, to be a complex topic.