Barbie Drawing :The Iconic Doll and Her Controversies

Barbie: The Iconic Doll and Her Controversies

Barbie is one of the most popular and influential toys in the world. She is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by Mattel, and launched in 1959. Since then, she has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for over six decades, selling over a billion dolls worldwide. 

Barbie is more than just a doll. She is a cultural icon that represents beauty, style, empowerment, and diversity. She has inspired generations of girls and women to pursue their dreams and express their individuality. She has also been featured in various media, such as books, comics, movies, video games, and music. She has a loyal fan base that collects and admires her products and accessories.

However, Barbie is not without controversies. Throughout her history, she has faced criticism and backlash from different groups and perspectives. Some of the issues that have surrounded Barbie are:

- Her unrealistic body proportions and their impact on girls' body image and self-esteem

- Her excessive materialism and consumerism that promote a superficial lifestyle

- Her stereotypical portrayal of gender roles and occupations

- Her lack of diversity and representation of different races, ethnicities, cultures, and abilities

- Her inappropriate or offensive outfits and themes that spark controversy

In this article, we will explore some of the controversies that have affected Barbie's image and reputation over the years. We will also examine how Mattel has responded to these challenges and how Barbie has evolved to adapt to changing times and expectations.

Barbie's Body Image Controversy

One of the most common criticisms of Barbie is her unrealistic body proportions. When she was first introduced in 1959, she had a slim waist, large breasts, long legs, and a slender neck. Her measurements were estimated to be 36-18-33 inches (91-46-84 cm), which would be impossible for a real woman to achieve.

Many critics argued that Barbie's body shape set an unhealthy and unattainable standard of beauty for young girls who played with her. They claimed that Barbie could cause body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and other psychological problems among girls who compared themselves to her.

Some studies have supported this claim by showing that exposure to Barbie dolls can negatively affect girls' body image and self-perception. For example, a 2006 study by Helga Dittmar and colleagues found that girls aged 5 to 8 who played with Barbie dolls reported lower body esteem and greater desire for a thinner body shape than those who played with other dolls or no dolls at all.

In response to these criticisms, Mattel has made several changes to Barbie's body over the years. In 1971, Barbie's eyes were made to look forward instead of sideways, giving her a more confident expression. In 1992, Barbie's waist was widened slightly to make her more realistic. In 1997, Barbie's body was redesigned again to give her a more athletic look and a smaller bust size. In 1998, Barbie's face was updated to reflect more diversity and ethnicity. 

In 2016, Mattel introduced the most radical change to Barbie's body ever: the Fashionistas line. This line featured Barbie dolls with four different body types (original, tall, petite, and curvy), seven skin tones, 22 eye colors, 24 hairstyles, and various fashion styles. The curvy Barbie doll was especially notable for having a fuller figure, wider hips, thicker thighs, and a rounder belly. Mattel said that this line was meant to reflect "a broader view of beauty" and "offer girls choices that are more reflective of the world they see today". 

The Fashionistas line was praised by many as a positive step towards diversity and inclusion. However, some critics still found flaws with the new dolls. Some argued that the curvy Barbie was still too thin and did not represent the average size of American women. Others pointed out that the dolls still had unrealistic features such as flawless skin, perfect hair, and glamorous outfits. Some also questioned whether the new dolls would sell well or be accepted by consumers who were used to the traditional Barbie image. 

Barbie’s Materialism Controversy

Another criticism of Barbie is her excessive materialism and consumerism. Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has been marketed as a “Teen-age Fashion Model” who loves to dress up in fashionable clothes and accessories. Over the years, Mattel has produced thousands of products related to Barbie, such as cars, houses, furniture, pets, friends, family members, careers, hobbies, and more.

Some critics have argued that Barbie’s lifestyle promotes a superficial and unrealistic view of success and happiness for young girls. They have claimed that Barbie encourages girls to value appearance, wealth, and consumption over more meaningful aspects of life, such as education, relationships, and social responsibility. They have also suggested that Barbie reinforces gender stereotypes by emphasizing feminine traits and activities, such as beauty, fashion, romance, and domesticity.

Some examples of Barbie products that have sparked controversy for their materialistic or stereotypical messages are:

The Slumber Party Barbie (1965), which came with a book titled “How to Lose Weight” and a scale permanently set at 110 pounds (50 kg). This product was criticized for promoting an unhealthy body image and dieting culture among young girls9

The Growing Up Skipper (1975), which was a doll that could transform from a child to a teenager by rotating her arm. When her arm was turned, her breasts would grow and her waist would slim down. This product was criticized for sexualizing a child and implying that physical maturity was the only sign of growing up.

The Teen Talk Barbie (1992), which was a doll that could speak one of four phrases at random when a button on her back was pressed. One of the phrases was “Math class is tough”. This product was criticized for perpetuating the stereotype that girls are bad at math and science. Mattel later apologized and removed the phrase from the doll.

The Oreo Fun Barbie (1997), which was a doll that came with a package of Oreo cookies and a matching outfit. This product was criticized for being racially insensitive, as the term “Oreo” is sometimes used as a derogatory slang for a black person who acts white. Mattel recalled the product after receiving complaints from consumers and activists.

The Barbie Loves MAC (2007), which was a collaboration between Mattel and MAC Cosmetics to create a line of makeup products inspired by Barbie. This product was criticized for encouraging young girls to wear makeup and emulate an adult look. Some parents also objected to the sexualized image of Barbie on the packaging and advertising of the product.

In response to these criticisms, Mattel has tried to balance Barbie’s materialism with more positive and empowering messages for girls. For example, Mattel has created Barbie dolls that represent various professions, such as astronaut, doctor, engineer, lawyer, and president. Mattel has also partnered with organizations such as National Geographic, NASA, and Girl Scouts to create educational and inspirational products and programs for girls. Mattel has also launched campaigns such as “You Can Be Anything” and “Dream Gap Project” to encourage girls to pursue their dreams and overcome gender barriers.

Barbie’s Diversity Controversy

A third criticism of Barbie is her lack of diversity and representation of different races, ethnicities, cultures, and abilities. When Barbie was first launched in 1959, she was only available as a white blonde doll with blue eyes. Although Mattel later introduced dolls with different hair colors and eye colors, they were still based on the same Caucasian mold.

It was not until 1968 that Mattel released the first black Barbie doll named Christie. However, Christie was not actually a Barbie doll, but a friend of Barbie. The first black doll to be named Barbie was released in 1980, 21 years after the original Barbie. The same year also saw the release of the first Hispanic Barbie doll. Since then, Mattel has created dolls with various skin tones, facial features, hair textures, and ethnic backgrounds to reflect the diversity of the world.

However, these efforts have not been enough to satisfy some critics who have argued that Barbie’s diversity is still limited and tokenistic. They have claimed that Mattel has not done enough to celebrate the cultural heritage and identity of different groups, but rather has assimilated them into a generic Western standard of beauty and fashion. They have also pointed out that some of the dolls have been inaccurate or offensive in their portrayal of certain cultures or regions.

Some examples of Barbie dolls that have sparked controversy for their lack of diversity or cultural sensitivity are:

The Colored Francie (1967), which was a doll that had the same facial features as the white Francie doll, but with darker skin and hair. This product was criticized for being an unrealistic representation of black people and for using the term “colored” which was considered derogatory at the time.

The Black Canary Barbie (2008), which was a doll based on the DC Comics superheroine who wore a leather jacket, fishnet stockings, boots, and gloves. This product was criticized for being inappropriate for children and for sexualizing a black female character. Some also argued that the doll did not resemble the original comic book character who had blonde hair and blue eyes.

The Mexico Barbie (2013), which was part of.