[106][107], Mattel Inc. and MGA Entertainment Inc. returned to court on January 18, 2011 to renew their battle over who owns Bratz, which this time includes accusations from both companies that the other side stole trade secrets. Your XM dock and play radio's audio and presets are out of sync. "Al Carbee's Art of Dolls and Yearning: "Oh, for a real, live Barbie! Although only about 1.5% of all the dolls sold said the phrase, it led to criticism from the American Association of University Women. [44] Mattel responded to these criticisms. ", "How does 'Curvy Barbie' compare with an average woman? The first African American doll in the Barbie range is usually regarded as Christie, who made her debut in 1968. Dittmar, Halliwell, and Ive gave picture books to girls age 5–8, one with photos of Barbie and the other with photos of Emme, a doll with more realistic physical features. It can be tough to remember the title and author of a book you read a long time ago—even if it was a book that was really important to you. The company then promptly responded to criticism on gender role stereotypes by redesigning a "Computer Engineer Barbie" who was a game programmer rather than designer. The exhibit featured 700 Barbie dolls over two floors as well as works by contemporary artists and documents (newspapers, photos, video) that contextualize Barbie. , ). Toxic Barbie? The celebrations included a runway show in New York for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The painting sold at auction at Christie's, London for $1.1 million. Barbie has frequently been the target of parody: In June 2001, MGA Entertainment launched the Bratz series of dolls, a move that gave Barbie her first serious competition in the fashion doll market. [76] In 2004, Mattel introduced the Color Tier system for its collector's edition Barbie dolls including pink, silver, gold, and platinum, depending on how many of the dolls are produced. [60], In November 2014, Mattel received criticism over the book I Can Be a Computer Engineer, which depicted Barbie as being inept at computers and requiring that her two male friends complete all of the necessary tasks to restore two laptops after she accidentally infects her and her sister's laptop with a malware-laced USB flash drive. , [103] On August 26, the jury found that Mattel would have to be paid $100 million in damages. [69] Dolls in this collection include Frida Kahlo, Patti Jenkins, Chloe Kim, Nicola Adams, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Bindi Irwin, Amelia Earhart, Misty Copeland, Helene Darroze, Katherine Johnson, Sara Gama, Martyna Wojciechowska, Gabby Douglas, Guan Xiaotong, Ava Duvernay, Yuan Yuan Tan, Iris Apfel, Ashley Graham and Leyla Piedayesh. One of the most common criticisms of Barbie is that she promotes an unrealistic idea of body image for a young woman, leading to a risk that girls who attempt to emulate her will become anorexic. "'Boys can be anything': Effect of Barbie play on girls’ career cognitions. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris at the Louvre held a Barbie exhibit in 2016. Barbie products include not only the range of dolls with their clothes and accessories, but also a large range of Barbie branded goods such as books, apparel, cosmetics, and video games. Greenpeace Exposes Barbie's Package", "Mattel breaks up with Asia Pulp and Paper after Greenpeace's Barbie-based campaign", "Saturday Night Live skit | Inside Barbie's Dream House", Battleground Barbie: When Copyrights Clash, "While Barbie Talks Tough, G. I. Joe Goes Shopping", "Jury rules for Mattel in Bratz doll case", "Court throws out Mattel win over Bratz doll", "Mattel, MGA renew fight over Bratz dolls in court", "Federal jury says MGA, not Mattel, owns Bratz copyright", "Mattel must pay MGA $310 million in Bratz case", "Identification and Management of Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents", "Valeria Lukyanova: Model Seeks to Be Real-Life Barbie Doll", "Valeria Lukyanova & Another Real Life Barbie Doll, Olga Oleynik, Come to America", "The Barbie Doll Syndrome: Why Girls Are Becoming Obsessed with Unrealistic Curvy Bodies | Women's", "Mom Of 6 Has 36 Surgeries To Look Like A Barbie Doll — Did It Work? Barbie is the figurehead of a brand of Mattel dolls and accessories, including other family members and collectible dolls. However, sales have declined sharply since 2014. Fashion doll brand manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. Knaak, Silke, "German Fashion Dolls of the 50&60". The Lilli doll was based on a popular character appearing in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Bild. After licensing Lilli, they claimed that Mattel had “infringed on Greiner & Hausser's patent for Bild-Lilli’s hip joint, and also claimed that Barbie was "a direct take-off and copy" of Bild-Lilli. "FBI memo raises Barbie child pornography fears", "FBI: New Barbie 'Video Girl' doll could be used for child porn", "This New Toy Records Your Children's Private Moments -- Buyer Beware", "Barbie | Role Models | Inspiring Women | You Can Be Anything", "Barbie unveils dolls based on Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, Katherine Johnson and Chloe Kim", "Barbie Has Created A Doll Of Madison De Rozario And It Is So Dang Powerful", "1959 Blonde Ponytail Barbie Brings Over $3,000! The Impact of Girls’ Age and Gender Role Orientation on Preferences for Barbie Versus Bratz.". [31] In 1963, the outfit "Barbie Baby-Sits" came with a book entitled How to Lose Weight which advised: "Don't eat!". The doll transmits data back to a service called ToyTalk, which according to Forbes, has a terms of service and privacy policy that allow it to “share audio recordings with third party vendors who assist us with speech recognition,” and states that “recordings and photos may also be used for research and development purposes, such as to improve speech recognition technology and artificial intelligence algorithms and create better entertainment experiences.”[68], In March 2018, in time for International Women's Day, Mattel unveiled the "Barbie Celebrates Role Models" campaign with a line of 17 dolls, informally known as "sheroes", from diverse backgrounds "to showcase examples of extraordinary women". ©2021, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WMUR-TV. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration. Ninety percent are women, at an average age of 40, purchasing more than twenty Barbie dolls each year. ! The girls were then asked about their ideal body size. [33] Mattel said that the waist of the Barbie doll was made small because the waistbands of her clothes, along with their seams, snaps, and zippers, added bulk to her figure. [45], "Colored Francie" made her debut in 1967, and she is sometimes described as the first African American Barbie doll. Politics. Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. Barbie's vital statistics have been estimated at 36 inches (chest), 18 inches (waist) and 33 inches (hips). The first Barbie doll wore a black-and-white zebra striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as either a blonde or brunette. Oreo Fun Barbie was marketed as someone with whom young girls could play after class and share "America's favorite cookie." ", "Midnight Red Barbie Doll sets auction record", "Welcome to the official Mattel site for Barbie Collector", BarbieCollector.com – Welcome to the official Mattel site for Barbie Collector, "Mattel releases second edition of 'Day of the Dead' Barbie", "Barbie-in-a-blender artist wins $1.8 million award", "After Frida Kahlo Barbie Debacle, Licensing Company Sues Artist's Relative", "Mattel Loses Trade Mark Battle with 'Barbie, "Ken Dumps Barbie "It's over!" It is most often associated with pre-teenage and adolescent females but is applicable to any age group or gender. [55], In 2002, Mattel introduced a line of pregnant Midge (and baby) dolls, but this Happy Family line was quickly pulled from the market due to complaints that she promoted teen pregnancy, though by that time, Barbie's friend Midge was supposed to be a married adult. [100] In 2005, figures showed that sales of Barbie dolls had fallen by 30% in the United States, and by 18% worldwide, with much of the drop being attributed to the popularity of Bratz dolls. [3], During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli. [40] Despite the curvy doll's body shape being equivalent to a US size 4 in clothing,[37] many children regard her as 'fat'. For other uses, see, "Black Barbies" redirects here.