Did you know that if Barbie were a real person, she would have to crawl on all fours? On March 9th, 1959, in New York, the one and only Barbie was made. She’s in multiple movies and shows, and there are multiple Barbies dedicated to all her jobs.
National Barbie Day was first recognized on March 9th, 1959, to honor Barbie’s existence. Barbie was created to allow girls to imagine what their lives could be like in the future. She’s had a slew of careers, from a registered nurse to an astronaut. And she’s done it all with a companion. According to Britannica, “Mothers in a 1958 Mattel-sponsored market study before the doll’s release criticized Barbie for having too much of a figure. Mattel circumvented this problem, however, by advertising Barbie directly to children via television.” There are over 1000 different Barbies, with different colors, ethnicities, and even some with disabilities.
The first Barbie wore a black-and-white zebra-striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail and was available as either a blonde or brunette. The doll was marketed as a “Teen-age Fashion Model,” with her clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson. Analysts expected the doll to perform poorly due to her adult appearance and widespread assumptions about consumer preferences at the time. According to Wikipedia, “Ruth Handler believed it was important for Barbie to have an adult appearance.” But early market research showed that some parents were unhappy about the doll’s appearance. Barbie sold about 350,000 units in her first year, beating market expectations and generating upside risk for investors. Sales of Barbie exceeded Mattel’s ability to produce her for the first three years of her run. The market leveled for the next decade while volume increased by exporting refurbished dolls to Japan.
Barbie has made cultural improvements. When Barbie was first created, she was white, and over the years, there have been multiple different Barbies with different ethnicities and very different looks. This improves the Barbie community because children of various origins felt unseen because there were no Barbies of their color. In 1980, the first Black doll was created, which was 21 years after the original white Barbie doll was created. Louvenia Black Perkins was the one who invented the first Black Barbie.
Ninety-nine percent of people play with Barbies worldwide. Barbies do not have an age range that tells children not to play with Barbies at a certain age. Many people still play with Barbies. We interviewed a 7th grader, Trinity Jones. She stated, “Yes, I play with my friends, and I play with my sister, but I don’t like playing with her.” Trinity Jones played with Barbies as a kid, and she still plays with Barbies to this day. Barbies are great entertainment for children of any age. It is completely normal for children to grow up and play with Barbies and not want to let go of what they are used to doing. Some kids grow out of playing with Barbies and might think it is not appropriate for their age, but other people believe it is a fun way to be creative.
In conclusion, Barbies have been an important part of many kids’ lives for decades. They have provided endless hours of entertainment, fun, and creativity, allowing children to imagine different careers, adventures, and stories.
