Barbie - Icon
Barbie - ICON
Barbie was first manufactured by Mattel in 1959, in an industry in which most products quickly come and go but Barbie’s longevity was unique. The “magical power” that this doll has is that she was made for kids and gave a balance between real, education, appearance, evolution and imagination. Barbie becomes a visual symbol for consumption of material goods, attention to physical appearance, voyeuristic sexuality, and a lifestyle focused on personal pleasure. The debates about Barbie’s characteristics and message that she sends from the first year of her “life” disappeared because the stereotype /icon/ symbol had evolved and had changed; from the pursuit of happiness through leisure and material goods , from teaching girls to be “sex objects and consumers “ and portraying women as well to a cultural value: Barbie has grown from Prom Queen to career woman .Barbie could now provide a career-oriented role model for girls like: airline pilot , doctor , astronaut , reporter ,business executive , etc. The problem with the racist message and ethnicity change when Mattel introduced a line of African American dolls and adding diverse skin tones, facial features and hair color to represent the diversity of American population. Most American women who are today in their twenties or thirties grew up with Barbie and view the doll as a factor (positive or negative) in their own psychological development. With each early Barbie doll came a small booklet picturing and describing each of Barbie’s outfits .Mattel provided an unending supply of variations on the basic Barbie and Ken , including Barbie’s entourage of friends and relatives , as well as a horse , a dog with puppies and a kitten . Over the years Barbie had created a personality, through the choices of clothing, accessory packages, appearances, Mattel has developed Barbie as a distinct character. He viewed her as a helpful, pleasant, cheerful and concerned about other people and the
Barbie was first manufactured by Mattel in 1959, in an industry in which most products quickly come and go but Barbie’s longevity was unique. The “magical power” that this doll has is that she was made for kids and gave a balance between real, education, appearance, evolution and imagination. Barbie becomes a visual symbol for consumption of material goods, attention to physical appearance, voyeuristic sexuality, and a lifestyle focused on personal pleasure. The debates about Barbie’s characteristics and message that she sends from the first year of her “life” disappeared because the stereotype /icon/ symbol had evolved and had changed; from the pursuit of happiness through leisure and material goods , from teaching girls to be “sex objects and consumers “ and portraying women as well to a cultural value: Barbie has grown from Prom Queen to career woman .Barbie could now provide a career-oriented role model for girls like: airline pilot , doctor , astronaut , reporter ,business executive , etc. The problem with the racist message and ethnicity change when Mattel introduced a line of African American dolls and adding diverse skin tones, facial features and hair color to represent the diversity of American population. Most American women who are today in their twenties or thirties grew up with Barbie and view the doll as a factor (positive or negative) in their own psychological development. With each early Barbie doll came a small booklet picturing and describing each of Barbie’s outfits .Mattel provided an unending supply of variations on the basic Barbie and Ken , including Barbie’s entourage of friends and relatives , as well as a horse , a dog with puppies and a kitten . Over the years Barbie had created a personality, through the choices of clothing, accessory packages, appearances, Mattel has developed Barbie as a distinct character. He viewed her as a helpful, pleasant, cheerful and concerned about other people and the