[If You Know] 'Like Barbie...' Doctor Who Underwent Plastic Surgery More Than Twenty Times (Part 2)

'Dream House' Released in 1963... Restrained Modernism
In Barbie's Country, There Are No Parents or Elderly
Why Barbie's Hair Isn't Cut Following Mattel's Trend

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*Following <'Barbie's prototype was a German tobacco shop obscene doll (Part 1)>

*According to a 1988 study comparing the doll’s body measurements with the average female soldier’s, Barbie is 20 cm taller and slimmer than the average height of women in the army.

*The fact that Ken’s genitalia was not depicted became as controversial as if it had been shown.

*The first person to design Barbie’s clothes (twenty-one outfits) was Charlotte Johnson. She was influenced by haute couture fashion shows she frequently attended.

*Barbie’s “Dream House” was released starting in 1963, at a time when North Americans had a strong yearning for suburban homes. Opening the portable case revealed a living room with a television, record player, wardrobe, and furniture. A framed photo of Ken, looking like a living person, was also displayed. It was generally praised for showing restrained modernism. In the 1970s, it was developed with a rural style, and camping trailers with country-style cabins, sliding doors, shelves for luggage, camp chairs, and platforms for bedding were sold.

*Basically, Barbie represents the values of the American middle class.

*The Barbie Liberation Organization (BLO) intentionally parodied the Palestine Liberation Organization.

*There are no elderly people in Barbie’s world. There are no parents, grandparents, uncles, or aunts older than Barbie. Barbie’s age has varied from a teenage student to a smart, young professional woman. The original catalog described her as a “cool teenage fashion model.” In the early novel about Barbie, “Barbie, Summer in New York,” she was set as a sixteen-year-old who was sad about soon turning seventeen. Nowadays, she can be a teenager or an adult. “Barbie’s Doom Room” and “University Barbie” imply she is in her late teens or at least in her early twenties. However, Barbie with a job is clearly an adult. Some assume these dolls embody an imagination showing future possibilities.

*Mattel blurred the boundary between adolescence and adulthood, making the distinction between the two stages inappropriate. Whether teenager or adult, Barbie is self-sufficient and independent. As children grow up faster and faster, we are effectively losing childhood. Barbie’s changing age symbolizes this disappearance.

*Mattel acknowledged that Barbie has parents but has never produced dolls of them or revealed related information. Strange family relationships are glimpsed in related books. “A Girl’s Best Friend” is a representative example. Barbie lives with her three younger sisters, Skipper, Stacy, and Kelly. Kelly is a young child. The presence or absence of parents is irrelevant because Barbie takes on the parental role and cares for them. She is competent in many ways and manages her responsibilities without the support, help, or advice of elders. Some interpret Barbie’s abilities, arising from the absence of elders, as implying a self-sufficient culture among young people who lead their lives without problems.

*Over time, Barbie has become politically correct. She no longer appears irritable. Her once sensual expression has changed to a wholesome and clear one. She is portrayed seriously with various professions. This change is also seen in Mattel’s “Really Rad Barbie.” Her bust and hips are smaller, and her waist is thicker, closer to the real female body.

*When Mattel newly produced and sold the black Barbie doll Shani series, they consulted black parents, early childhood development experts, and others. A notable consultant was clinical psychologist Phyllis Hobson. In 1990, Mattel’s product manager Deborah Mitchell and designer Kitty Black Perkins asked her to participate in developing a new black fashion doll with realistic features. Hobson became famous for publishing the research book “Difference and Wonder: Raising Black Children in a Race-Conscious Society (1990)” with her husband Derek Hobson. The Hobsons repeated a pioneering study conducted by black psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark as part of their research and clinical experiments. The Clarks used dolls to demonstrate the negative effects of racial discrimination on black children. When black children were asked to choose between white and black dolls, nearly 70% chose the white doll. This was a key factor in the 1954 “Brown v. Board of Education” case. The Clarks believed black children who chose white dolls thought negatively of themselves. The Hobsons repeated this experiment in 1985. Among black children, 65% chose white dolls. In interviews, 76% of children said black dolls looked “bad.” The Hobsons concluded that many black children identified with white dolls even when they could play with black dolls. This shocked American society. Based on this, the Hobsons wrote the guide “Difference and Wonder,” proposing ways to counter negative racial images. Their strategy included “playing with dolls,” with Barbie playing an important role. The Hobsons advised parents to give their children ethnically characteristic dolls and to participate in play together. “Dress them up, comb their hair, and praise both the doll and the child.” Mattel took their advice and introduced Shani and her friends Asha and Nichelle the following year.

*Mattel wrote the following on the packaging of Shani, Asha, and Nichelle dolls: “‘Shani’ means ‘wonderful’ in Swahili. (…) How wonderful Shani is! Along with her friends Asha and Nichelle, she vividly conveys the unique style and beauty of African American women. Each doll boasts her own beautiful skin tone and unique features, showcasing her own beauty. Each has different hair colors and textures, and can have braided, twisted, or any hairstyle! Their outfits also reflect bright colors and ethnic characteristics that introduce exotic looks and fashion senses.”

*Mattel held a party in February 1991 at the World Toy Fair to celebrate the launch of Shani. Asha and Nichelle also debuted, attracting attention with their distinctive skin tones. The series’ main doll Shani had brown-toned skin. Asha’s skin was molasses-colored, and Nichelle’s was dark mahogany (a tree species mainly found in South America). The series was completed in 1992 with the addition of their boyfriend Jamal.

*Mattel changed the dolls’ hair length and styles several times. Christy, a black doll who appeared in 1968 replacing Colored Francie, had a short afro hairstyle, matching the main hairstyle of black women in the 1960s. In the early 1960s, Barbie sported a bubble cut like Jacqueline Kennedy. However, today Mattel does not cut Barbie’s hair to follow trends. Donna Gibbs, former head of public relations, explained, “Long hair is based on research into play patterns. Combing, cutting, and styling hair is a basic play pattern for girls of any ethnicity.”

*As Barbie’s status rose as a cultural icon, she became a postmodern muse inspiring the imaginations of artists, novelists, and poets. Poets Jean-Marie Beaumont and David Trenidade are also collectors of vintage Barbie dolls.

*When Ruth Handler first released Barbie, she said about its purpose: “Barbie was designed with a blank expression so children could dream about their own futures. It was not to promote Barbie’s glamorous life. We wanted children to create the doll’s personality.”

*A chilling example of a life imitating Barbie is Cindy Jackson, a director of a plastic surgery company who underwent more than twenty surgeries to become like Barbie.

References: “The Barbie Story (2003)” by Yona Zeldis McDonough, Steven C. Dubin, Ann Dusil, Dennis Duhamel, translated by Kim Sook, published by Saeum; “My Childhood Barbie (2007)” by Steven C. Dubin, translated by Kim Sook, published by Maurice, etc.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.