芭比娃娃 is a fashion doll manufactured 由 the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration.
芭比娃娃 is the figurehead of a brand of Mattel 玩偶 and accessories, including other family members and collectible dolls. 芭比娃娃 has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for over fifty years, and has been the subject of numerous controversies and lawsuits, often involving parody of the doll and her lifestyle.
Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy 玩偶 were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors.
During a trip to 欧洲 in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli.[1] The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel. The Lilli doll was based on a 流行的 character appearing in a comic strip drawn 由 Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. Lilli was a blonde bombshell, a working girl who knew what she wanted and was not above using men to get it. The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955, and although it was initially sold to adults, it became 流行的 with children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately.
Upon her return to the United States, Handler reworked the 设计 of the doll (with help from engineer Jack Ryan) and the doll was 给 a new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. This 日期 is also used as Barbie's official birthday.
Mattel acquired the rights to the Bild Lilli doll in 1964 and production of Lilli was stopped. The first 芭比娃娃 doll wore a black and white 斑马 striped 泳装, 游泳衣 and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as either a blonde 或者 brunette. The doll was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model," with her clothes created 由 Mattel fashion designer 夏洛特 Johnson. The first 芭比娃娃 玩偶 were manufactured in Japan, with their clothes hand-stitched 由 Japanese homeworkers. Around 350,000 芭比娃娃 玩偶 were sold during the first 年 of production.
Ruth Handler believed that it was important for 芭比娃娃 to have an adult appearance, and early market research showed that some parents were unhappy about the doll's chest, which had distinct breasts. Barbie's appearance has been changed many times, most notably in 1971 when the doll's eyes were adjusted to look forwards rather than having the demure sideways glance of the original model.
芭比娃娃 was one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based extensively on 电视 advertising, which has been copied widely 由 other toys. It is estimated that over a billion 芭比娃娃 玩偶 have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that three 芭比娃娃 玩偶 are sold every second.[2]
The standard range of 芭比娃娃 玩偶 and related accessories are manufactured to approximately 1/6 scale, which is also known as playscale.[3] The standard 玩偶 are approximately 11½ inches tall.
芭比娃娃 products include not only the range of 玩偶 with their clothes and accessories, but also a large range of 芭比娃娃 branded goods such as books, apparel, cosmetics and video games. 芭比娃娃 has appeared in a series of animated films and is a supporting character in Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3.
芭比娃娃 has become a cultural 图标 and has been 给 honors that are rare in the toy world. In 1974, a section of Times Square in New York City was renamed 芭比娃娃 Boulevard for a week. In 1985, the artist Andy Warhol created a painting of Barbie.[4][5]
In 2013, in Taiwan, the first Barbie-themed restaurant called "Barbie Café" opened under the Sinlaku group.[6]
50th anniversary
In 2009 芭比娃娃 celebrated her 50th birthday. The celebrations included a 跑道 显示 in New York for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.[7] The event showcased fashions contributed 由 fifty well-known haute couturiers including Diane von Fürstenberg, Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, Bob Mackie, and Christian Louboutin.[8][9]
Fictional biography
Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. In a series of novels published 由 随意 House in the 1960s, her parents' names are 给 as George and Margaret Roberts from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin.[10] In the 随意 House novels, 芭比娃娃 attended Willows High School, while in the Generation Girl books, published 由 Golden 图书 in 1999, she attended the fictional Manhattan International High School in New York City (based on the real-life Stuyvesant High School[11]).
She has an on-off romantic relationship with her boyfriend Ken (Ken Carson), who first appeared in 1961. A news release from Mattel in February 2004 announced that 芭比娃娃 and Ken had decided to 分裂, 拆分 up,[12] but in February 2006 they were hoping to rekindle their relationship after Ken had a makeover.[13] 芭比娃娃 has had over 40 pets including 猫 and dogs, horses, a panda, a lion cub, and a zebra. She has owned a wide range of vehicles, including 粉, 粉色 Corvette convertibles, trailers, and jeeps. She also holds a pilot's license, and operates commercial airliners in addition to serving as a flight attendant. Barbie's careers are designed to 显示 that women can take on a variety of roles in life, and the doll has been sold with a wide range of titles including Miss Astronaut 芭比娃娃 (1965), Doctor 芭比娃娃 (1988) and Nascar 芭比娃娃 (1998).
Mattel has created a range of companions for Barbie, including Hispanic Teresa, Midge, African American Christie, and Steven (Christie's boyfriend). Barbie's siblings and cousins were also created including Skipper, Todd and Stacie (twin brother and sister), Kelly, Krissy, and Francie. 芭比娃娃 was friendly with Blaine, an Australian surfer, during her 分裂, 拆分 with Ken in 2004.[14]
See 列表 of Barbie's 老友记 and family
Controversies
Criticisms of 芭比娃娃 are often centred around concerns that children consider 芭比娃娃 a role model and will attempt to emulate her.
One of the most common criticisms of 芭比娃娃 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.[citation needed] A standard 芭比娃娃 doll is 11.5 inches tall, giving a height of 5 feet 9 inches at 1/6 scale. Barbie's vital statistics have been estimated at 36 inches (chest), 18 inches (waist) and 33 inches (hips). According to research 由 the 大学 Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, she would lack the 17 to 22 percent body fat required for a woman to menstruate.[15] In 1963, the outfit "Barbie Baby-Sits" came with a book entitled How to Lose Weight which advised: "Don't eat!."[16] The same book was included in another ensemble called "Slumber Party" in 1965 along with a 粉, 粉色 bathroom scale permanently set at 110 lbs.,[16] which would be around 35 lbs. underweight for a woman 5 feet 9 inches tall.[17] Mattel 说 that the waist of the 芭比娃娃 doll was made small because the waistbands of her clothes, along with their seams, snaps, and zippers, added bulk to her figure.[18]
In 1997, Barbie's body mold was redesigned and 给 a wider waist, with Mattel saying that this would make the doll better suited to contemporary fashion designs.[19][20]
"Colored Francie" made her debut in 1967, and she is sometimes described as the first African American 芭比娃娃 doll. However, she was produced using the existing head molds for the white Francie doll and lacked African characteristics other than a dark skin. The first African American doll in the 芭比娃娃 range is usually regarded as Christie, who made her debut in 1968.[21][22] Black 芭比娃娃 was launched in 1980 but still had Caucasian features. In September 2009, Mattel introduced the So In Style range, which was intended to create a 更多 realistic depiction of black people than 前一个 dolls.[23]
In July 1992, Mattel released Teen Talk Barbie, which spoke a number of phrases including "Will we ever have enough clothes?", "I 爱情 shopping!", and "Wanna have a 比萨, 比萨饼 party?" Each doll was programmed to say four out of 270 possible phrases, so that no two 玩偶 were likely to be the same. One of these 270 phrases was "Math class is tough!" (often misquoted as "Math is hard"). Although only about 1.5% of all the 玩偶 sold 说 the phrase, it led to criticism from the American Association of 大学 Women. In October 1992 Mattel announced that Teen Talk 芭比娃娃 would no longer say the phrase, and offered a swap to anyone who owned a doll that did.[24]
In 1997, Mattel joined forces with Nabisco to launch a cross-promotion of 芭比娃娃 with Oreo cookies. Oreo Fun 芭比娃娃 was marketed as someone with whom little girls could play after class and share "America's 最喜爱的 cookie." As had become the custom, Mattel manufactured both a white and a black version. Critics argued that in the African American community, Oreo is a derogatory term meaning that the person is "black on the outside and white on the inside," like the 浓情巧克力 三明治 cookie itself. The doll was unsuccessful and Mattel recalled the unsold stock, making it sought after 由 collectors.[25]
In May 1997, Mattel introduced Share a Smile Becky, a doll in a 粉, 粉色 wheelchair. Kjersti Johnson, a 17-year-old high school student in Tacoma, Washington with cerebral palsy, pointed out that the doll would not fit into the elevator of Barbie's $100 Dream House. Mattel announced that it would redesign the house in the future to accommodate the doll.[26][27]
In March 2000 stories appeared in the media claiming that the hard vinyl used in vintage 芭比娃娃 玩偶 could leak toxic chemicals, causing danger to children playing with them. The claim was described as an overreaction 由 Joseph Prohaska, a professor at the 大学 of Minnesota Duluth. A modern 芭比娃娃 doll has a body made from ABS plastic, while the head is made from soft PVC.[28][29]
In September 2003, the Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia outlawed the sale of 芭比娃娃 dolls, saying that she did not conform to the ideals of Islam. The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice stated "Jewish 芭比娃娃 dolls, with their revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories and tools are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West. Let us beware of her dangers and be careful."[30] In Middle Eastern countries there is an alternative doll called Fulla which is similar to 芭比娃娃 but is designed to be 更多 acceptable to an Islamic market. Fulla is not made 由 the Mattel Corporation, and 芭比娃娃 is still available in other Middle Eastern countries including Egypt.[31] In Iran, Sara and Dara 玩偶 are available as an alternative to Barbie.[32]
In December 2005, Dr. Agnes Nairn at the 大学 of Bath in England published research suggesting that girls often go through a stage where they hate their 芭比娃娃 玩偶 and subject them to a range of punishments, including decapitation and placing the doll in a microwave oven. Dr. Nairn said: "It's as though disavowing 芭比娃娃 is a rite of passage and a rejection of their past."[33][34]
In April 2009, the launch of a Totally 纹身 芭比娃娃 with a range of 纹身 that could be applied to the doll, including a lower back tattoo, led to controversy. Mattel's promotional material read "Customize the fashions and apply the fun temporary 纹身 on 你 too", but Ed Mayo, chief executive of Consumer Focus, argued that children might want to get tattooed themselves.[35]
In July 2010, Mattel released "Barbie Video Girl", a 芭比娃娃 doll with a pinhole video camera in its chest, enabling clips of up to 30 分钟 to be recorded, viewed and uploaded to a computer via a USB cable. On November 30, 2010, The FBI issued a warning in a private memo that the doll could be used to produce child pornography, although it stated publicly that there was "no reported evidence that the doll had been used in any way other than intended."[36][37]
Parodies and lawsuits
芭比娃娃 has frequently been the target of parody:
Mattel sued artist Tom Forsythe over a series of photographs called 食物 Chain 芭比娃娃 in which 芭比娃娃 winds up in a blender.[38][39][40]
In 2011, Greenpeace parodied Barbie,[41] calling on Mattel to adopt a policy for its paper purchases that would protect rainforest. According to Phil Radford, Greenpeace Executive Director, the organization’s “forensic testing and global research 显示 how Mattel products are using mixed tropical hardwood from Asia Pulp and Paper, a company that is ripping down the paradise forests of Indonesia… Sumatran tigers, elephants and orangutans are being pushed to the brink of extinction because Mattel simply isn’t interested in the origins of Barbie’s 粉, 粉色 box.”[42] Four months later, Mattel adopted a paper sustainability policy.[43]
Mattel filed a lawsuit in 2004 against Barbara Anderson-Walley over her website, which sells fetish clothing.[44][45]
The Tonight 显示 with 松鸦, 杰伊, 杰伊 · Leno displayed a "Barbie Crystal Meth Lab".[citation needed]
Saturday Night Live aired a parody of the 芭比娃娃 commercials featuring "Gangsta 婊子, 子 Barbie" and "Tupac Ken".[46] In 2002, the 显示 also aired a skit, which starred Britney Spears as Barbie's sister Skipper.[47]
In November 2002, a New York judge refused an injunction against the British-based artist Susanne Pitt, who had produced a "Dungeon Barbie" doll in bondage clothing.[48]
Aqua's song "Barbie Girl" was the subject of the lawsuit Mattel v. MCA Records, which Mattel 迷失 in 2002, with Judge Alex Kozinski saying that the song was a "parody and a social commentary".[49][50]
Two commercials 由 automobile company Nissan featuring 玩偶 similar to 芭比娃娃 and Ken was the subject of another lawsuit in 1997. In the first commercial, a female doll is lured into a car 由 a doll resembling G.I. Joe to the dismay of a Ken-like doll, accompanied 由 面包车, 范 Halen's 你 Really Got Me.[51] In the 秒 commercial, the "Barbie" doll is saved 由 the "G.I. Joe" doll after she is accidentally knocked into a swimming pool 由 the "Ken" doll to Kiss's "Dr. Love".[52] The makers of the commercial 说 that the dolls' names were Roxanne, Nick, and Tad. Mattel claimed that the commercial did "irreparable damage" to its products,[53][54] but settled.[55]
In 1993, a group calling itself the "Barbie Liberation Organization" secretly modified a group of 芭比娃娃 玩偶 由 implanting voice boxes from G.I. Joe dolls, then returning the Barbies to the toy stores from where they were purchased.[56][57]
Malibu Stacy from The Simpsons episode "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy".
Collecting
Mattel estimates that there are well over 100,000 avid 芭比娃娃 collectors. Ninety percent are women, at an average age of 40, purchasing 更多 than twenty 芭比娃娃 玩偶 each year. Forty-five percent of them spend upwards of $1000 a year. Vintage 芭比娃娃 玩偶 from the early years are the most valuable at auction, and while the original 芭比娃娃 was sold for $3.00 in 1959, a mint boxed 芭比娃娃 from 1959 sold for $3552.50 on eBay in October 2004.[58] On September 26, 2006, a 芭比娃娃 doll set a world record at auction of £9,000 sterling (US $17,000) at Christie's in London. The doll was a 芭比娃娃 in Midnight Red from 1965 and was part of a private collection of 4,000 芭比娃娃 玩偶 being sold 由 two Dutch women, Ietje Raebel and her daughter Marina.[59]
In 最近的 years, Mattel has sold a wide range of 芭比娃娃 玩偶 aimed specifically at collectors, including 瓷, 瓷器 versions, vintage reproductions, and depictions of 芭比娃娃 as a range of characters from film and 电视 series such as The Munsters and 星, 星级 Trek.[60][61] There are also collector's edition 玩偶 depicting 芭比娃娃 玩偶 with a range of different ethnic identities.[62] In 2004, Mattel introduced the Color Tier system for its collector's edition 芭比娃娃 玩偶 including pink, silver, 金牌 and platinum, depending on how many of the 玩偶 are produced.[63]
Competition from Bratz dolls
In June 2001, MGA Entertainment launched the Bratz series of dolls, a 移动 that gave 芭比娃娃 her first serious competition in the fashion doll market. In 2004, sales figures showed that Bratz 玩偶 were outselling 芭比娃娃 玩偶 in the United Kingdom, although Mattel maintained that in terms of the number of dolls, clothes and accessories sold, 芭比娃娃 remained the leading brand.[64] In 2005 figures showed that sales of 芭比娃娃 玩偶 had fallen 由 30% in the United States, and 由 18% worldwide, with much of the drop being attributed to the popularity of Bratz dolls.[65]
In December 2006, Mattel sued MGA Entertainment for $500 million, alleging that Bratz creator Carter Bryant was working for Mattel when he developed the idea for Bratz.[66] On July 17, 2008, a federal jury agreed that the Bratz line was created 由 Carter Bryant while he was working for Mattel and that MGA and its Chief Executive Officer Isaac Larian were liable for converting Mattel property for their own use and intentionally interfering with the contractual duties owed 由 Bryant to Mattel.[67] On August 26, the jury found that Mattel would have to be paid $100 million in damages. On December 3, 2008, U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson banned MGA from selling Bratz. He allowed the company to continue selling the 玩偶 until the winter holiday season ended.[68][69] On appeal, a stay was granted 由 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; the Court also overturned the District Court's original ruling for Mattel, where MGA Entertainment was ordered to forfeit the entire Bratz brand.[70][71]
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 偷了 trade secrets.[72] On April 21, 2011 a federal jury returned a verdict supporting MGA.[73] On August 5, 2011 Mattel was also ordered to pay MGA $310 million for attorney fees, stealing trade secrets, and false claims rather than the $88.5 million issued in April.[74]
In August 2009, MGA introduced a range of 玩偶 called Moxie Girlz, intended as a replacement for Bratz dolls.[75]
"Barbie Syndrome"
"Barbie Syndrome" is a term that has been used to depict the desire to have a physical appearance and lifestyle representative of the 芭比娃娃 doll. It is most often associated with pre-teenage and adolescent females but is applicable to any age group. A person with 芭比娃娃 syndrome attempts to emulate the doll's physical appearance, even though the doll has unattainable body proportions.[76]
Ukrainian model Valeria Lukyanova has acquired attention from the press, due in part to her appearance having been modified based on the physique of Barbie.[77][78][79] She stated that she has had breast implants, but 说 the rest of her body is completely natural and slender due to daily gym workouts and special diet.[80]
芭比娃娃 is the figurehead of a brand of Mattel 玩偶 and accessories, including other family members and collectible dolls. 芭比娃娃 has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for over fifty years, and has been the subject of numerous controversies and lawsuits, often involving parody of the doll and her lifestyle.
Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy 玩偶 were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors.
During a trip to 欧洲 in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli.[1] The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel. The Lilli doll was based on a 流行的 character appearing in a comic strip drawn 由 Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. Lilli was a blonde bombshell, a working girl who knew what she wanted and was not above using men to get it. The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955, and although it was initially sold to adults, it became 流行的 with children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately.
Upon her return to the United States, Handler reworked the 设计 of the doll (with help from engineer Jack Ryan) and the doll was 给 a new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. This 日期 is also used as Barbie's official birthday.
Mattel acquired the rights to the Bild Lilli doll in 1964 and production of Lilli was stopped. The first 芭比娃娃 doll wore a black and white 斑马 striped 泳装, 游泳衣 and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as either a blonde 或者 brunette. The doll was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model," with her clothes created 由 Mattel fashion designer 夏洛特 Johnson. The first 芭比娃娃 玩偶 were manufactured in Japan, with their clothes hand-stitched 由 Japanese homeworkers. Around 350,000 芭比娃娃 玩偶 were sold during the first 年 of production.
Ruth Handler believed that it was important for 芭比娃娃 to have an adult appearance, and early market research showed that some parents were unhappy about the doll's chest, which had distinct breasts. Barbie's appearance has been changed many times, most notably in 1971 when the doll's eyes were adjusted to look forwards rather than having the demure sideways glance of the original model.
芭比娃娃 was one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based extensively on 电视 advertising, which has been copied widely 由 other toys. It is estimated that over a billion 芭比娃娃 玩偶 have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that three 芭比娃娃 玩偶 are sold every second.[2]
The standard range of 芭比娃娃 玩偶 and related accessories are manufactured to approximately 1/6 scale, which is also known as playscale.[3] The standard 玩偶 are approximately 11½ inches tall.
芭比娃娃 products include not only the range of 玩偶 with their clothes and accessories, but also a large range of 芭比娃娃 branded goods such as books, apparel, cosmetics and video games. 芭比娃娃 has appeared in a series of animated films and is a supporting character in Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3.
芭比娃娃 has become a cultural 图标 and has been 给 honors that are rare in the toy world. In 1974, a section of Times Square in New York City was renamed 芭比娃娃 Boulevard for a week. In 1985, the artist Andy Warhol created a painting of Barbie.[4][5]
In 2013, in Taiwan, the first Barbie-themed restaurant called "Barbie Café" opened under the Sinlaku group.[6]
50th anniversary
In 2009 芭比娃娃 celebrated her 50th birthday. The celebrations included a 跑道 显示 in New York for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.[7] The event showcased fashions contributed 由 fifty well-known haute couturiers including Diane von Fürstenberg, Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, Bob Mackie, and Christian Louboutin.[8][9]
Fictional biography
Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. In a series of novels published 由 随意 House in the 1960s, her parents' names are 给 as George and Margaret Roberts from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin.[10] In the 随意 House novels, 芭比娃娃 attended Willows High School, while in the Generation Girl books, published 由 Golden 图书 in 1999, she attended the fictional Manhattan International High School in New York City (based on the real-life Stuyvesant High School[11]).
She has an on-off romantic relationship with her boyfriend Ken (Ken Carson), who first appeared in 1961. A news release from Mattel in February 2004 announced that 芭比娃娃 and Ken had decided to 分裂, 拆分 up,[12] but in February 2006 they were hoping to rekindle their relationship after Ken had a makeover.[13] 芭比娃娃 has had over 40 pets including 猫 and dogs, horses, a panda, a lion cub, and a zebra. She has owned a wide range of vehicles, including 粉, 粉色 Corvette convertibles, trailers, and jeeps. She also holds a pilot's license, and operates commercial airliners in addition to serving as a flight attendant. Barbie's careers are designed to 显示 that women can take on a variety of roles in life, and the doll has been sold with a wide range of titles including Miss Astronaut 芭比娃娃 (1965), Doctor 芭比娃娃 (1988) and Nascar 芭比娃娃 (1998).
Mattel has created a range of companions for Barbie, including Hispanic Teresa, Midge, African American Christie, and Steven (Christie's boyfriend). Barbie's siblings and cousins were also created including Skipper, Todd and Stacie (twin brother and sister), Kelly, Krissy, and Francie. 芭比娃娃 was friendly with Blaine, an Australian surfer, during her 分裂, 拆分 with Ken in 2004.[14]
See 列表 of Barbie's 老友记 and family
Controversies
Criticisms of 芭比娃娃 are often centred around concerns that children consider 芭比娃娃 a role model and will attempt to emulate her.
One of the most common criticisms of 芭比娃娃 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.[citation needed] A standard 芭比娃娃 doll is 11.5 inches tall, giving a height of 5 feet 9 inches at 1/6 scale. Barbie's vital statistics have been estimated at 36 inches (chest), 18 inches (waist) and 33 inches (hips). According to research 由 the 大学 Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, she would lack the 17 to 22 percent body fat required for a woman to menstruate.[15] In 1963, the outfit "Barbie Baby-Sits" came with a book entitled How to Lose Weight which advised: "Don't eat!."[16] The same book was included in another ensemble called "Slumber Party" in 1965 along with a 粉, 粉色 bathroom scale permanently set at 110 lbs.,[16] which would be around 35 lbs. underweight for a woman 5 feet 9 inches tall.[17] Mattel 说 that the waist of the 芭比娃娃 doll was made small because the waistbands of her clothes, along with their seams, snaps, and zippers, added bulk to her figure.[18]
In 1997, Barbie's body mold was redesigned and 给 a wider waist, with Mattel saying that this would make the doll better suited to contemporary fashion designs.[19][20]
"Colored Francie" made her debut in 1967, and she is sometimes described as the first African American 芭比娃娃 doll. However, she was produced using the existing head molds for the white Francie doll and lacked African characteristics other than a dark skin. The first African American doll in the 芭比娃娃 range is usually regarded as Christie, who made her debut in 1968.[21][22] Black 芭比娃娃 was launched in 1980 but still had Caucasian features. In September 2009, Mattel introduced the So In Style range, which was intended to create a 更多 realistic depiction of black people than 前一个 dolls.[23]
In July 1992, Mattel released Teen Talk Barbie, which spoke a number of phrases including "Will we ever have enough clothes?", "I 爱情 shopping!", and "Wanna have a 比萨, 比萨饼 party?" Each doll was programmed to say four out of 270 possible phrases, so that no two 玩偶 were likely to be the same. One of these 270 phrases was "Math class is tough!" (often misquoted as "Math is hard"). Although only about 1.5% of all the 玩偶 sold 说 the phrase, it led to criticism from the American Association of 大学 Women. In October 1992 Mattel announced that Teen Talk 芭比娃娃 would no longer say the phrase, and offered a swap to anyone who owned a doll that did.[24]
In 1997, Mattel joined forces with Nabisco to launch a cross-promotion of 芭比娃娃 with Oreo cookies. Oreo Fun 芭比娃娃 was marketed as someone with whom little girls could play after class and share "America's 最喜爱的 cookie." As had become the custom, Mattel manufactured both a white and a black version. Critics argued that in the African American community, Oreo is a derogatory term meaning that the person is "black on the outside and white on the inside," like the 浓情巧克力 三明治 cookie itself. The doll was unsuccessful and Mattel recalled the unsold stock, making it sought after 由 collectors.[25]
In May 1997, Mattel introduced Share a Smile Becky, a doll in a 粉, 粉色 wheelchair. Kjersti Johnson, a 17-year-old high school student in Tacoma, Washington with cerebral palsy, pointed out that the doll would not fit into the elevator of Barbie's $100 Dream House. Mattel announced that it would redesign the house in the future to accommodate the doll.[26][27]
In March 2000 stories appeared in the media claiming that the hard vinyl used in vintage 芭比娃娃 玩偶 could leak toxic chemicals, causing danger to children playing with them. The claim was described as an overreaction 由 Joseph Prohaska, a professor at the 大学 of Minnesota Duluth. A modern 芭比娃娃 doll has a body made from ABS plastic, while the head is made from soft PVC.[28][29]
In September 2003, the Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia outlawed the sale of 芭比娃娃 dolls, saying that she did not conform to the ideals of Islam. The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice stated "Jewish 芭比娃娃 dolls, with their revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories and tools are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West. Let us beware of her dangers and be careful."[30] In Middle Eastern countries there is an alternative doll called Fulla which is similar to 芭比娃娃 but is designed to be 更多 acceptable to an Islamic market. Fulla is not made 由 the Mattel Corporation, and 芭比娃娃 is still available in other Middle Eastern countries including Egypt.[31] In Iran, Sara and Dara 玩偶 are available as an alternative to Barbie.[32]
In December 2005, Dr. Agnes Nairn at the 大学 of Bath in England published research suggesting that girls often go through a stage where they hate their 芭比娃娃 玩偶 and subject them to a range of punishments, including decapitation and placing the doll in a microwave oven. Dr. Nairn said: "It's as though disavowing 芭比娃娃 is a rite of passage and a rejection of their past."[33][34]
In April 2009, the launch of a Totally 纹身 芭比娃娃 with a range of 纹身 that could be applied to the doll, including a lower back tattoo, led to controversy. Mattel's promotional material read "Customize the fashions and apply the fun temporary 纹身 on 你 too", but Ed Mayo, chief executive of Consumer Focus, argued that children might want to get tattooed themselves.[35]
In July 2010, Mattel released "Barbie Video Girl", a 芭比娃娃 doll with a pinhole video camera in its chest, enabling clips of up to 30 分钟 to be recorded, viewed and uploaded to a computer via a USB cable. On November 30, 2010, The FBI issued a warning in a private memo that the doll could be used to produce child pornography, although it stated publicly that there was "no reported evidence that the doll had been used in any way other than intended."[36][37]
Parodies and lawsuits
芭比娃娃 has frequently been the target of parody:
Mattel sued artist Tom Forsythe over a series of photographs called 食物 Chain 芭比娃娃 in which 芭比娃娃 winds up in a blender.[38][39][40]
In 2011, Greenpeace parodied Barbie,[41] calling on Mattel to adopt a policy for its paper purchases that would protect rainforest. According to Phil Radford, Greenpeace Executive Director, the organization’s “forensic testing and global research 显示 how Mattel products are using mixed tropical hardwood from Asia Pulp and Paper, a company that is ripping down the paradise forests of Indonesia… Sumatran tigers, elephants and orangutans are being pushed to the brink of extinction because Mattel simply isn’t interested in the origins of Barbie’s 粉, 粉色 box.”[42] Four months later, Mattel adopted a paper sustainability policy.[43]
Mattel filed a lawsuit in 2004 against Barbara Anderson-Walley over her website, which sells fetish clothing.[44][45]
The Tonight 显示 with 松鸦, 杰伊, 杰伊 · Leno displayed a "Barbie Crystal Meth Lab".[citation needed]
Saturday Night Live aired a parody of the 芭比娃娃 commercials featuring "Gangsta 婊子, 子 Barbie" and "Tupac Ken".[46] In 2002, the 显示 also aired a skit, which starred Britney Spears as Barbie's sister Skipper.[47]
In November 2002, a New York judge refused an injunction against the British-based artist Susanne Pitt, who had produced a "Dungeon Barbie" doll in bondage clothing.[48]
Aqua's song "Barbie Girl" was the subject of the lawsuit Mattel v. MCA Records, which Mattel 迷失 in 2002, with Judge Alex Kozinski saying that the song was a "parody and a social commentary".[49][50]
Two commercials 由 automobile company Nissan featuring 玩偶 similar to 芭比娃娃 and Ken was the subject of another lawsuit in 1997. In the first commercial, a female doll is lured into a car 由 a doll resembling G.I. Joe to the dismay of a Ken-like doll, accompanied 由 面包车, 范 Halen's 你 Really Got Me.[51] In the 秒 commercial, the "Barbie" doll is saved 由 the "G.I. Joe" doll after she is accidentally knocked into a swimming pool 由 the "Ken" doll to Kiss's "Dr. Love".[52] The makers of the commercial 说 that the dolls' names were Roxanne, Nick, and Tad. Mattel claimed that the commercial did "irreparable damage" to its products,[53][54] but settled.[55]
In 1993, a group calling itself the "Barbie Liberation Organization" secretly modified a group of 芭比娃娃 玩偶 由 implanting voice boxes from G.I. Joe dolls, then returning the Barbies to the toy stores from where they were purchased.[56][57]
Malibu Stacy from The Simpsons episode "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy".
Collecting
Mattel estimates that there are well over 100,000 avid 芭比娃娃 collectors. Ninety percent are women, at an average age of 40, purchasing 更多 than twenty 芭比娃娃 玩偶 each year. Forty-five percent of them spend upwards of $1000 a year. Vintage 芭比娃娃 玩偶 from the early years are the most valuable at auction, and while the original 芭比娃娃 was sold for $3.00 in 1959, a mint boxed 芭比娃娃 from 1959 sold for $3552.50 on eBay in October 2004.[58] On September 26, 2006, a 芭比娃娃 doll set a world record at auction of £9,000 sterling (US $17,000) at Christie's in London. The doll was a 芭比娃娃 in Midnight Red from 1965 and was part of a private collection of 4,000 芭比娃娃 玩偶 being sold 由 two Dutch women, Ietje Raebel and her daughter Marina.[59]
In 最近的 years, Mattel has sold a wide range of 芭比娃娃 玩偶 aimed specifically at collectors, including 瓷, 瓷器 versions, vintage reproductions, and depictions of 芭比娃娃 as a range of characters from film and 电视 series such as The Munsters and 星, 星级 Trek.[60][61] There are also collector's edition 玩偶 depicting 芭比娃娃 玩偶 with a range of different ethnic identities.[62] In 2004, Mattel introduced the Color Tier system for its collector's edition 芭比娃娃 玩偶 including pink, silver, 金牌 and platinum, depending on how many of the 玩偶 are produced.[63]
Competition from Bratz dolls
In June 2001, MGA Entertainment launched the Bratz series of dolls, a 移动 that gave 芭比娃娃 her first serious competition in the fashion doll market. In 2004, sales figures showed that Bratz 玩偶 were outselling 芭比娃娃 玩偶 in the United Kingdom, although Mattel maintained that in terms of the number of dolls, clothes and accessories sold, 芭比娃娃 remained the leading brand.[64] In 2005 figures showed that sales of 芭比娃娃 玩偶 had fallen 由 30% in the United States, and 由 18% worldwide, with much of the drop being attributed to the popularity of Bratz dolls.[65]
In December 2006, Mattel sued MGA Entertainment for $500 million, alleging that Bratz creator Carter Bryant was working for Mattel when he developed the idea for Bratz.[66] On July 17, 2008, a federal jury agreed that the Bratz line was created 由 Carter Bryant while he was working for Mattel and that MGA and its Chief Executive Officer Isaac Larian were liable for converting Mattel property for their own use and intentionally interfering with the contractual duties owed 由 Bryant to Mattel.[67] On August 26, the jury found that Mattel would have to be paid $100 million in damages. On December 3, 2008, U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson banned MGA from selling Bratz. He allowed the company to continue selling the 玩偶 until the winter holiday season ended.[68][69] On appeal, a stay was granted 由 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; the Court also overturned the District Court's original ruling for Mattel, where MGA Entertainment was ordered to forfeit the entire Bratz brand.[70][71]
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 偷了 trade secrets.[72] On April 21, 2011 a federal jury returned a verdict supporting MGA.[73] On August 5, 2011 Mattel was also ordered to pay MGA $310 million for attorney fees, stealing trade secrets, and false claims rather than the $88.5 million issued in April.[74]
In August 2009, MGA introduced a range of 玩偶 called Moxie Girlz, intended as a replacement for Bratz dolls.[75]
"Barbie Syndrome"
"Barbie Syndrome" is a term that has been used to depict the desire to have a physical appearance and lifestyle representative of the 芭比娃娃 doll. It is most often associated with pre-teenage and adolescent females but is applicable to any age group. A person with 芭比娃娃 syndrome attempts to emulate the doll's physical appearance, even though the doll has unattainable body proportions.[76]
Ukrainian model Valeria Lukyanova has acquired attention from the press, due in part to her appearance having been modified based on the physique of Barbie.[77][78][79] She stated that she has had breast implants, but 说 the rest of her body is completely natural and slender due to daily gym workouts and special diet.[80]
Barbie
