BARBIE & GENDER EXPECTATIONS
Barbie was initially created as a doll for young girls because young girls wanted to imagine themselves as adults, and Barbie fostered imagination. Although the men at Mattel had their doubts that an adult doll would be popular among young girls, Barbie proved them wrong by selling hundreds of thousands of dolls in her first year of production. Originally, Barbie was introduced as a fashion model clad in a striped swimsuit. She was introduced during the 1950s, which was an era characterized by defined gender roles. Barbie helped to reinforce the ideal of beautiful women as proliferated by pop culture. She arrived during a time when both the beauty and cosmetic industries were expanding rapidly, so when Barbie was introduced she reinforced the struggle for feminine perfection. (“Barbie: Doll, icon or sexist symbol?”, 1987)
Barbie’s original careers were typical of women during the late 1950s and early 1960s with jobs dealing with fashion or homemaking. Shortly after Barbie’s creation, the second wave of feminism struck in the United States. In the 1960s, women fought for equal treatment in both the home and workplace. At this time, Mattel started to introduce working girl Barbie dolls that reinforced the equality goals of women. In this example, the media and Barbie reflected societal goals by marketing new Barbie dolls with feminist ideals. Barbie’s careers during the 1960s and 70s included executive “career girl,” astronaut, surgeon, and olympian. (Jones, 2009)
According to historian Stephanie Coontz, “the marketability of toys like Barbie…was a logical though ironic extension of 1950s gender roles, marital norms and consumerist values.” (McDonough, “Barbie”) Barbie represented what a woman could be if she worked toward her goals. Barbie was independent and didn’t rely on a man for success. She treated herself to nice accessories with her pay checks. Since her introduction in 1959, Barbie has had nearly 150 careers in seemingly endless fields and industries. Her dedication to work has made her a role model for young girls. Barbie taught her fans that hard work could make anything possible.
