Happy 50th birthday, Barbara Millicent Roberts

[thatcrazycajun]

...better known to her millions of fans simply as Barbie®. The original Renaissance woman, she's held down no less than 108 different jobs, from veterinarian to astronaut to presidential candidate. She's paraded around in everything from Jackie O's pillbox hat and suit to a Star Trek Starfleet uniform (the latter twice, as the upcoming 11th movie has occasioned a cross-promotion). She's been the bane of feminists, the darling of adult collectors (including my sister-in-law) and the envy of young girls everywhere since she first made her debut in a zebra-striped one-piece swimsuit on this very day in 1959 at New York's annual Toy Fair. And damn her perfectly-made-up eyes, she still doesn't look a day over 25!

The plastic doll that helped generations of girls...um, flesh out their fantasies of being grown-up women has just been released in a commemorative 50th-anniversary edition by her makers, Mattel Inc., as CNN reports here. You'd think her physically impossible proportions (somewhat toned down in recent years due to parental demand), high-heel-deformed feet and profligate shopping habits would by now have become as hopelessly dated and politically incorrect as Aunt Jemima...and you'd be entirely wrong. Despite the changing fortunes of time, the silicon siren remains Mattel's flagship product and cash cow, having spawned a doll-sized empire of cosmetics, DVDs, accessories and toys that is now even being sold at retail stores as far away as China. (Kind of a homecoming, since her parts are made there.)

Did you have any Barbie dolls and stuff as a child? Or know someone who did? What's your favorite Barbie joke? (Mine is "Barbie doesn't come with Ken; she comes with G.I. Joe and fakes it with Ken.")

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on the Barbie joke. Didn't have much use for Barbie herself (what kinda self-respecting geek wants to hook up with a girl who thinks "Math's *hard*"??), but I'm with you on the joke. :)

[otherdeb.livejournal.com]

I learned a lot of my knitting skills making clothes for my Barbie Dolls, my best being a crocheted Chanel suit. I later expanded that to making custom clothes for Cabbage Patch Dolls, thereby earning a few extra bucks.

[mshollie.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was one of the millions of young girls who played with Barbie while growing up. My favorite outfits were her stewardess (they didn't call 'em 'flight attendants' back then) uniform with the cute little hat and an "I Dream of Jeannie"-like Arabian Nights costume. I also liked her "Sorority Meeting" ensemble with the cute little brown pillbox hat.

[barondave.livejournal.com]

For the Presidential Election in 2000, Shockwave Radio endorsed the candidate who had extensive job experience, was old enough to be qualify (starting in '96) and who had been seen naked by most women so any sex scandal would be rendered moot: Barbie.

We had joined the bandwagon. It was only the second time we endorsed someone who was actually running...

[netpositive.livejournal.com]

My Barbie... did things like: be a detective, go parachute jumping off the balcony, etc. Why yes, my gender identity is a little more malleable than my sexual orientation.

[barbarakitten-t.livejournal.com]

I'm 54...so I am barely older than Barbie. My sister and I both had them (with the classic pony tail and black and white striped swim suit.) I actually liked my Skipper better, because I always wanted to be a redhead.

No one has ever been permitted to call me Barbie but my grandfather.