8 minute read
Life in Plastic
By Gabrielle Gronewold, Culture Editor Photographed by Jessica Tenenbaum, Staff Photographer Modeled by Gabrielle Gronewold and Rachel Hale
The iconic image of Barbie began when Ruth Handler, co-founder of the toy company Mattel, witnessed her daughter feverishly playing with paper dolls. Handler was inspired to bring these playtimes to life by creating a 3-D doll. In 1959 the first-ever barbie doll, named after Handler’s daughter, Barbara, debuted at the New York Toy Fair.1
For Handler, Barbie was meant to be much more than a doll. “My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices.”2
Since 1959 Barbie has had 180 careers and a plethora of fantasy roles and fashion designs. Over the decades, Barbie became a registered nurse in 1962, a pilot in 1999 and a game developer in 2016.3
By inspiring these careers, Barbie shifted female autonomy and independence. Prior to the Barbie doll, baby dolls that influenced Baby Boomers were limited to fulfilling maternal roles and other traditional gender norms.4 Barbie revolutionized girls into believing they could be independent and free, allowing them to imagine a future for themselves on their own terms.
In many ways, Barbie became an icon. She was fashionable and ahead of her time. Sporting looks from Christian Dior and the like as a high fashion image. Her figure was feminine and marked a change in female body trends in the 1960s.5 Barbie was much more than just a doll when it came to her cultural influence and implication.
In the post-war era, Barbie was critical in shaping and influencing teenager’s consumerism. The
1 Mattel, “The History of Barbie,” Barbie Mattel. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 Forman-Brunell, Miriam, “What Barbie has to say about Postwar American Culture,” Smithsonian Education. 5 Ibid. entirety of America had shifted away from the frugal habits of the depression and war-time and into mass consumption. Teenagers were inspired to buy all things Barbie, whether that be the Barbie dream house, Barbie clothes or even striving after records and books that Barbie owned herself.6
In 1959, Barbie’s personal autonomy was extremely influential and impacted both the second wave of feminism and the post-war economy. But from today’s perspective, Barbie’s cultural implications have been less than picture-perfect.
The current standard Barbie doll is 11.5 inches tall, giving a real-life height of 5 feet 9 inches and she is estimated to have a 36-inch chest, 18-inch waist and 33-inch hips.7 In Margo Maine’s book “Body Wars,” it’s claimed that if Barbie were a real person she’d likely have to walk on all fours due to her proportions and would likely not menstruate.8 Not to mention her feet are perpetually stuck on her tiptoes, ready for any pair of pumps for the rest of eternity. Barbie may be iconic and her body recognizable, but her figure is unnatural and problematic.
Although Mattel claims her figure was chosen for the ease of production, the shape and size of Barbie has had negative impacts on the children who play with her.9 A study found that young girls who were shown a Barbie doll photo had heightened body dissatisfaction after exposure, compared to no reaction after viewing a neutral control image of a doll.10 →
6 Ibid. 7 Hart, Anna, “Introducing the new, realistic Barbie: ‘The thing gap has officially gone,” The Telegraph, January 26, 2018. 8 Maine, Maine, Body Wars: Making Peace with Womens Bodies,” 2000. 9 Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell, Emma, “Does Barbie Make Girls Want to Be Thin? The Effect of Experimental Exposure to Images of Dolls on the Body Image of 5- to 8-Year-Old Girls,” Research Gate, April 2006. 10 Ibid.
Even if Barbie may have the goals and aspirations to be anything she wants to be, she still has had negative impacts on the attitudes and outlooks of girls’ body images for too long. Additionally, the doneup image of independence and consumerism may have served its purpose in the 20th century, but pushes for gender equality and societal change look much different now.
Modern feminism is largely focused on intersectionality and the need for equality between all women of all identities. The quintessential Barbie is white, thin, blonde, cis-female. In fact, there wasn’t an official Black or Latina Barbie until 1980 and prior to that, there was only one Black Barbie named Christie from 1968, who was merely a side character as Barbie’s friend.11
Mattel has attempted to change this image by implementing and prioritizing diversity within the Barbie brand. The 2018 Hulu Documentary, “Tiny Shoulder: Rethinking Barbie” highlighted Mattel’s process in revamping the Barbie doll to include petite, curvy and tall sized barbie dolls under a plethora of careers, identities and talents.12
Today, there are more than 170 Barbie dolls with different skin colors and hairstyles to include all children. Some of these dolls include a Barbie with vitiligo, a hairless doll, a doll with a hijab and an entire line of genderneutral dolls. Mattel has made way for Barbie to be a universal and inclusive image.13
11 Holland, Brynn, “Barbie Through the Ages,” History, January 26, 2016. 12 Hulu. “Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie,” Hulu, 2016. 13 Beachum, Lateshia. “Barbie just got The ability for Barbie to change with the times is a part of the reason why the doll has stood the test of time. Barbie is one of the only toys on the market that has stayed prevalent over the last 60 years.14 And it really comes down to her ability to fluctuate with trends — and adjust to the societal needs of consumers.
Barbie even picked up vlogging a few years ago, boasting 10.3 million Youtube subscribers where she chooses to discuss topics such as racism and white privilege, as well as topics such as depression. Barbie having a platform where she chooses to positively influence viewers on important topics is impactful, but it’s important to remember the moments in which Barbie’s image has not fostered societal change.
The Barbie doll emerged during the civil rights movement and was maintained as a cis-white, wealthy figure for far too long. Barbie, who had a dream house, a sports car and everything in-between, wasn’t worried about racism and diversity at a crucial and important time. Just because Mattel can be celebrated for its moves toward inclusion, diversity and activism today, doesn’t mean the lasting cultural image of Barbie isn’t problematic. Holding Mattel accountable for these faults as they continue to grow the Barbie brand is essential to ensuring the individual, revolutionized version of Barbie lives on. ■
even more diverse, as Mattel adds dolls with vitiligo and no hair,” Washington Post, January 29, 2020.
14 Witcom, Gemma. “Is Barbie Relevant?” Fast Company. March 16, 2019.
Is Your Boyfriend Actually A Feminist? QUIZ!
By Kate Lawless, Deputy Editor
Casual misogyny is rampant in today's society, even amongst the wokest of indie boys. So even if he publicly supports feminism via Instagram infographics and voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, he still may be unlearning misogynistic tendencies. So here’s Moda’s checklist for seeing if your boyfriend, or friend who is a boy, is actually a feminist. If he checks any of these boxes, it’s time to have a conversation about his latent misogyny and how it may be affecting your relationship.
Does he not want you to masturabate or use toys during sex because it makes him feel like he isn’t enough for you?
Does he think you should be responsible for birth control (i.e. getting an IUD or implant, taking the pill, etc.) but refuses to wear a condom because “It doesn’t feel as good?”
If you checked these blue boxes, there may be a sexist double standard or two in your sex life. Sexual safety is the responsibility of all involved parties, not just women who are trying to avoid pregnancy. And beyond that, sex is supposed to feel good, and he should support you exploring your sexuality in other ways than only having penetrative sex with him.
Does he feel threatened by your female friendships and say things like, “You spend too much time with them,” or “You always listen to them instead of me.”
Does he compliment you by putting down other women?
If you checked these light pink boxes, you might want to chat about the importance of female relationships. Female friendships and role models are positive impacts in both of your lives. Don’t let stereotypes about women prevent you both from building empathy for other girls or miss out on great relationships! Does he think that female artists writing about sex or relationships is “overdone” or “inappropriate (See Cardi B and Taylor Swift) but thinks it’s okay when male artists write about the exact same things?
Does he think women just naturally aren’t as funny as men?
Does he just not seem to be interested in music, movies or books with women in leading roles?
Does he hold racist or sexist appearance or behavior standards for women but defends it is a “preference?”
If you checked these hot pink boxes, your boyfriend might be inadvertently listening to stereotypes about women and therefore only like those of whom fit the stereotypes he is most familiar with. While he might mask his preferences for women’s behavior as just that, those ideas may be rooted in historical misrepresentations of women that still limit their opportunities and happiness today. Women are just as complex, funny, sexual, smart and diverse as men.
Does he undercut discussions about systemic women’s issues by saying things like “Not All Men” or “but that happens to men too?”
Does he dismiss his friends’ creepy behavior towards women because “it was just a joke?” or “it’s not that big of a deal?”
If you checked any of these yellow boxes, you should talk about how we as a society need to listen to women. Undercutting or dismissing women when they are uncomfortable or unsafe is deeply unhelpful and just reinforces the patriarchal system in which male voices are louder than women’s. To be a better ally (and a better boyfriend), you have to be a better listener. ■
