Beauty ideals have changed. Can the blond icon catch up?
According to author and Barbie expert Susan Shapiro, Barbie has always been a feminist who encouraged self-acceptance and reinvention.
It's a controversial topic that has been going on for years. No matter how many times it dies, someone brings the argument back up sooner or later in different ways. We've seen it with the artist who drew Barbie proportions on a human woman.
There has been a great deal of debate over the influence of Barbie dolls on girls' developing self-concept and body image. Two qualitative studies were conducted to gather information about early adolescents' experiences with, and perspectives on, the controversial toy.
Greenpeace has accused Mattel, the US maker of Barbie dolls, of contributing to the wanton destruction of carbon-rich Indonesian forests and habitats of endangered species like Sumatran tigers.
Mattel helped define gender norms for decades with Barbie and Ken. Now it’s defying them.
Launched in 1959, named after the inventor’s daughter Barbara, and owned by 99% of 3-10 year old girls in the USA, Barbie has been a popular request on young girls’ Christmas wish lists for 55 years.
Eating disorders affect several million people at any given time. While most women with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 35, the youngest age of girls who are dissatisfied with or have low body esteem has decreased over the years.
"Reinventing Barbie" was a workshop for middle-school girls to discuss, critique, and reflect on the construction of female bodies and feminine identities in popular culture by remaking Barbie dolls.
Iran's government has officially banned Barbie and Barbie products in an attempt to protect the public from Western influences, which they see as responsible for eroding Islamic values.
Despite the huge popularity of this iconic toy, Barbie has sparked her share of debate since she first hit the market 60 years ago. Here are some of the biggies.
In an experiment, girls who played with Mrs. Potato Head thought they could achieve more careers than girls who played with Barbie. Yes, even Doctor Barbie.
Fans of the doll will eventually pick from 23 Barbies with different eye colors, hair colors, skin tones, face shapes and hair styles, according to Mattel.
