A branding expert explains how this iconic but controversial doll has gone from teenage reject to movie star in 64 years.
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Articles on Barbie dolls
Displaying 1 - 20 of 26 articles
There is an adage that feminists and women aren’t funny. However, the history of activism reveals humour as a successful strategy for change.
The author of a new book exploring the making of heroines throughout history asks whether Barbie can ever overcome her reputation as the plastic antithesis of feminist ideals.
Black children are prone to internalize messages of anti-Blackness. Can a Black doll that honors one of America’s most noteworthy Black women do anything to reverse the trend?
A new study found playing with ultra-thin dolls could make young girls want a thinner body.
Small signs, big questions and a fabulous wardrobe. How the world’s most famous doll is calling out art’s deeply entrenched male bias.
Mattel created a new line of dolls because of research suggesting kids don’t want toys ‘dictated by gender norms’ – but supplanting those norms will take a lot more than that.
2019 marks the 60th anniversary of the world’s most famous doll, Barbie. It’s an opportunity to look back at the journey of its creator, Ruth Handler, a visionary leader and model for women.
For six decades, young girls have played with Barbie dolls. But she’s changed a bit recently.
An expert argues our connection with these figures is longstanding. They are embedded in our myths and help us explore deeper questions about being human.
Ken dolls with a ‘man bun’. Female superhero action figures. At long last, the gendered distinctions of the pink and blue toy aisles are starting to break down.
As Amazon introduces a new smart-home device aimed at children, it’s important to know many internet-connected toys are not secure, putting kids’ security and privacy at risk.
The technological revolution has hit the doll aisle this holiday season in the form of artificial intelligence dolls. What does it mean for children’s development, to confuse real bodies with machines?
With the recent death of Hugh Hefner, come questions about his impact on sexual culture: Did his empire broaden the sexual landscape or did it usher in a pitiful era of objectification of women?
After years of plastic surgery and progressive skin-bleaching, Lil’ Kim is not black any more.
This plastic matters: girls as young as three-and-a-half associate thin dolls with being smart and heavy dolls with being sad.
Barbie has a forgotten history of changing in response to market pressures. Are her multiple new bodies ushering in an era of ethical body inclusiveness, or is Mattel just shifting deckchairs on the Titanic?
Despite her age Barbie hasn’t matured – a successful formula that has worked for Mattel.
The new conversational Barbie doll may be good at keeping children entertained, but do we really know who’s listening in?
Makies, the #toyslikeme campaign and the broader focus on disability in digital spaces show we are in the midst of a significant shift towards an inclusive world view of disability.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer in Literary Studies, Monash University
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Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University
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Professor of Health Sciences, University of South Australia
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Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society & School of Computing, Informatics and Decision Systems Engineering, Arizona State University
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Professor & Dean, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University
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Senior Lecturer School of Architecture & Urban Design, RMIT University
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Professor, Curtin University
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Professor of Marketing, University of Birmingham
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Associate Professor of Sociology, Deakin University
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Associate Professor in Health and Physical Education, Victoria University
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Lecturer in Global Studies, RMIT University
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Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Arts, Australian Catholic University
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Visiting Researcher in Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University
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Reader in Criminology, City, University of London
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Professor of Psychology, Rutgers University - Newark
