Has Barbie always been a feminist icon who never got appreciated enough? 

Despite being surrounded by numerous controversies, Barbie has managed to be ahead of her time and inspire a generation of young girls. Let’s explore this by diving into an untold narrative of one of the most iconic dolls of history. 

We would have never expected people to be so hyped-up about a Barbie movie but it happened and not only it made us all excited for its quirky storyline but also made us feel a sense of community and empowerment which can sound ironic to some considering how these dolls have been associated with promotion unrealistic beauty and body standards for young girls for such a long time. Mattel has faced overhauling negative reactions from consumers a number of times and to counter it, they tried to make their products more inclusive and realistic but the recently released Greta Gerwig’s Barbie Movie has to be the most impactful way they sent their message. But did Barbie have to do all that to be considered a feminist icon? The company has sold over a billion dolls since its debut but Barbie dolls have always found themselves surrounded by controversies regarding their lack of diversity, promoting unrealistic beauty standards and reinforcing a sexist mindset. But it is unfair to discredit Barbie for everything she has done, especially when many couldn’t see how she brought the idea of empowerment to young girls. 

The controversial origin of Barbie dolls 

Ever since its launch, the dolls have been subjected to criticism. The fact that the physique of the doll was based on the German adult-themed Lilli Doll which is something that was typically gifted to men at bachelor parties came out as controversial. It was the first ever adult doll for children. Not to mention that the body of the doll has impossible proportions, high heels, and a tiny waist that felt unrealistic to many. Mattel has introduced a wide range of Barbie dolls and many were criticized for their concepts or inaccurate representation like the babysitter or the Oreo Barbie. But every coin has two sides. While we talk enough about how Barbie dolls negatively affected young girls leading them to have body image issues, we rarely talk about the greatness of this invention and how it came out as an icon of empowerment for young girls even when we didn’t see it. 

Since the Beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been dolls but the dolls have always been Baby dolls until …. 

Ruth Handler, who was the executive vice president of Mattel, is famously known for introducing the world to the Barbie dolls and got her inspiration from her daughter Barbara who was far more interested in playing with paper dolls than she saw in comic books. We saw in the trailer of the Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie which was inspired from 2001: A Space Odyssey’s “Dawn of Man” sequence where young girls were playing with dolls but at that time girl’s toys were only limited to Baby Dolls until Barbie entered the picture during the 1950’s. It was the same time when women were encouraged to be homemakers and directly or indirectly this idea was being infested in young girls through these toys. Baby dolls were supposed to make young girls learn about their nurturing side and make them realize that the peak of women hood is in being a mother. 

You can be anything! 

The astronaut Barbie released in 1965 has to be one of the most iconic toys of history. It might not sound really influential to some but if we look back in history and think about the gender-based discrimination women used to face at that time, we would be seeing Barbie as a revolutionary icon. Barbie was an astronaut in the 1960’s when women didn’t even have the same financial rights as men. The brand’s tagline says “You can be anything” and they sure stand by it. Since its release, Barbie has been seen doing multiple jobs (over 200). Barbie ran for the seat of President in the 90’s, went to space, owned her own house, could drive her own car, entered into male dominated fields and she did it all by herself and women of that time weren’t allowed to do all that. The accessories of Barbie have been consciously or unconsciously associated with feminine colors which might be trying to portray that all the things that the doll owns have been earned by her. The house, the car or even the clothes, Barbie has earned it all by herself. At the time where women were inspired to be homemakers, Barbie became everything else and aspired to teach young girls that they too can be anything. 

Barbie has never been a mother: 

The start might be a little rough and controversial for our favorite doll but she did not take long to enjoy her first phase of success and it’s when people started demanding Barbie to marry her boyfriend, Ken and have children which is something that was expected from a woman at that time. It was a common belief that women should aspire to get married and have children which was an ideology Ruth did not want to reinforce in young girls through Barbie dolls. Barbie has never been married and had no children.. Through this, Ruth wanted young girls to understand that going for something conventional like marriage or motherhood is not the only option they have. They can be much more than that and watching Barbie doing it all and making her space in the male dominated fields might inspire them to think beyond patriarchy. 

Because of how Barbie appears in her animated movies, people have seen her as a weak and dumb protagonist who loves fashion and likes to dress her up in pink outfits. Such statements disrespect women who love to be traditionally feminine and want to embrace that side of her personality. Being physically or manly aren’t the criteria for being a strong individual. Sometimes people cannot see beyond her experience which makes them to neglect her inner personality. She is kind, honest and stands by her opinion and that how she navigates her way through rough days in her movies. In most of her movies, the underlying message is to be kind, compassionate and brave which isn’t synonymous with being weak. 

While most of us might be noticing the feminist side of Barbie for the first time as Greta Gerwig presented her from a different angle, there are also many out there who have always associated Barbie with adventures, chivalry and feminism. 

Also Read: Looking forward to a blend of fantasy and reality after watching the new trailer of the Barbie movie

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