Episode 48

How is Barbie Still Relevant?

In 1959, toy entrepreneur Ruth Handel changed her life forever. Her new product, a doll named after her Daughter Barbara, would become one of the biggest toy franchises in history. Despite the criticisms and its problems, a recent Oscar-winning movie adaptation has won over a whole new generation of fans that guarantees this toy is going nowhere. So in this episode, I want to know… how is Barbie still relevant?

Special Guests:

Jon Mitchell, an Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of East Anglia. He is interested in late 20th Century US culture, with a particular interest in the representation of gender and sexuality.
Vaughn Joy, a PhD candidate at UCL researching mid-century Hollywood, politics, and their cross-section through a case study on Christmas films. Welcome back to the podcast Vaughn..

Highlights from this episode:

(02:03) Did you ever own a Barbie doll?

(04:10) Right place, right time

(10:14) Entirely unrealistic proportions

(13:40) Are we just seeing really good advertising?

(18:58) People will always find a reason to criticise a woman's body, and Barbie is no different

(22:45) Ken discovers patriarchy

(27:36) The Barbie brand has been building to this

(32:11) Barbenheimer and the Oscars

(37:36) New perspectives on Barbie

(40:28) We superimpose our expectations of women on toys

Additional Resources: