Kayley Loo
In conjunction with the trailer for Oscar-Nominated Director Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, let us track the evolution of Barbie through the progression of mass media.
For as long as she’s been in pop culture, Barbie has been keeping in style and letting us know it. Her signature hot pink fashionista fits, golden locks, and her ever-expanding career in over 200 roles including astronaut, pilot, firefighter, journalist, entrepreneur, and so on. But her most significant achievement is primarily how she has been able to stay in the public eye all through these years.
Barbie showed young girls that there was life beyond those antiquated roles of motherhood and domesticity
This is because the Mattel team knows that when times change, their methods of selling her to young girls will have to adapt as well. In anticipation of the new movie, let’s take a look at Barbie’s dynamic on-screen journey on the road to her live-action debut.
1959: Her Debut on TV Through Advertisement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8-avPUxyno
The advert was reported to have aired on ABC via ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ in 1959. The introduction of Barbie was groundbreaking at the time; before this, “girl” toys were blatant in their restriction of gender roles, exclusive to preparing them for motherhood and domesticity through baby dolls and plastic kitchen sets. Barbie showed young girls that there was life beyond those antiquated roles.
1987: TV Specials
In an effort to appeal to a wider market through narrative storytelling, the release of Barbie and the Rockers: Out of This World via broadcast marks the earliest appearance of Barbie as a media character. The show is based on the “Barbie and the Rockers” line of dolls, which featured Barbie as the leader of a rock band. Barbie reprised this role in Barbie and the Sensations: Rockin’ Back to Earth, released in the same year.
1999: Barbie’s Cameo in Toy Story 2
Before the turn of the millennia, we were delighted by the presence of Tour Guide Barbie in Pixar’s Toy Story 2, where she drives the toy ensemble down the toy aisle at Al’s Toy Barn in aid of their quest. She did not appear in the first Toy Story as Mattel did not authorise her use before this, in part due to fear that the franchise would not be successful.
She reprises her role in Toy Story 3 (2010), where she is given a more complex role; we follow her journey of grief when she is abandoned and thrown out by Molly, Andy’s sister. She then meets Ken at the Sunnyside daycare where their attraction is at first sight.
Barbie was voiced by Jodi Benson during her appearances in the Toy Story film franchise.
2001: Direct-To-Video Films
The launch of Mattel Entertainment in 2001 allowed the toy company to have their own hand in crafting her true personality and story. This was a completely different approach; before these films, it was important to Mattel that the children who buy the toys would imagine and act out what Barbie is like themselves, thus making the toy unique to each child.
Animated Barbie films […] have since established themselves as cult classics
However, the change in direction was, in large part, a marketing strategy for movie-tie-in doll sales to allow for “a richer level of story that leads to a richer level of play.” The CGI-animated films initially depicted classic fairy tales, ballet, and literature with Barbie at the centre, before pivoting to more contemporary settings like school and adventures in the big city.
Animated films such as Barbie as The Princess and The Pauper and Barbie in The 12 Dancing Princesses have since established themselves as cult classics to those who grew up with them. To date, there are 41 films available and more to come.
2015: Barbie becomes a blogger
Come 2015, Barbie has another role to add to her never-ending resume: YouTuber. The first vlog was uploaded in June 2015, in which she shared 10 things about herself. She kept up with the upload trends of that era with videos such as ‘Draw My Life’ and the ‘Whisper Challenge‘ videos.
Barbie’s not afraid to discuss difficult topics, such as things you can do when you’re “feeling blue”, and the “sorry reflex“. She discusses current affairs and breaks them down to her younger audience – she even garnered attention from CNN when she talked about racism during the Black Lives Matter movement in her vlog.
Her platform also showcases diverse voices by allowing friends of colour to join her channel. Her friend Renee was brought on to teach viewers about Lunar New Year, and her friend Brooklyn was brought on to celebrate Black History Month.
2023: Live-action Barbie
The movie had been in development plans and discussions for over a decade before finally landing with director Greta Gerwig to helm the project and Margot Robbie playing the iconic Barbie.
Barbie has always encouraged young kids to pursue their dreams
During the filming, outlets spotted Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie gushing at one another in their bright roller gear, sparking an obsession from social media and thus allowing #barbiecore to take over social media in the summer of 2022.
Yet, on the flip side of the glitz and glam of Barbie comes the criticism that her lifestyle promotes a sense of materialistic greed and unrealistic body expectations. But at her core, Barbie has always encouraged young kids to pursue their dreams and made it her mission to empower children everywhere.
Barbie (2023) comes out on 21 July 2023 in cinemas.
Featured image courtesy of Alexas Fotos on Pixabay. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
Kayley Loo
Kayley loves explaining odd, niche things you might've not known about or heard of before. She is also a host on RemoteWatch podcast, where she talks about all things TV and FIlm. She is currently based in London.