Barbie
by Ashley Barron and Lauren Gates
The Face of the American Dream
The Origional Barbie Doll
An Update to the Origional
The Current Barbie Doll
Prior to the Barbie
History
Barbie and Ken
Barbie's new boyfriend Ken
Barbie and Ken 30 years later
Modern Barbie and Ken
Impact on the Decade
The American dream was first used in 1931 by James Truslow in his book “The Epic of America”. The American dream is the idea that through hard work, a person can become and achieve whatever they wish. Barbie is a big symbol of the American dream, because she has things that many people see in their own american dream. This includes a big house, clothes, lots of extra money to spend and happiness. The Barbie doll impacted the decade because people were seeking out the American Dream even more once the war was over. Barbie was an example of someone who had achieved, and many aspired to be in that same situation.
Barbie also had a huge impact on the way children, specifically girls play with toys. Before Barbie, little girls mostly had baby dolls to play with. However, girls began to show an interest in playing with toys that looked older so they could do more grown-up things. As Ruth Handler puts it, “Through the doll, the girl can be anything she wanted to be.”
Another Impact Barbie had was about feminism. Creator Ruth Handler believed that girls should be able to be and do what they want to and not have to follow the typical standards of what a woman “should” be. Barbie obviously wasn’t the typical girl and through her, girls could learn to do what they wanted regardless of female stereotypes.
Connection to Today
Citation
1992 Totally Hair Barbie (Headshot) | BarbieMedia.com - The Best Doll Ever |. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2016, from http://barbie.com-beta.com/?img=77
Barbie. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2016, from http://barbiepictures2016.blogspot.com/2016/02/barbie-doll.html
Barbie. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2016, from https://www.pinterest.com/artsy4u/barbie/
Craft and dolls and miniatures. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2016, from https://www.pinterest.com/rowenamurillo/craft-and-dolls-and-miniatures/
"For a fashion model, Barbie's new looks are way overdue." St. Cloud Times; St. Cloud, Minn.. 2016, February 07: C6.
Gaby, W. (2002, April 15). Dream doll. New Statesman, (702), 38, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com