Barbie
Barbara 'Barbie' Millicent Roberts
First appearance	March 9, 1959
Created by	Ruth Handler
Information
Nickname(s)	Barbie
Occupation	See: Barbie's careers
Family	See: List of Barbie's friends and family

Barbie is a best-selling fashion doll launched in 1959. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ruth Handler ( November 4, 1916 - April 27, 2002) was an American businesswoman the president of the toy manufacturer Mattel These are the "careers" that the Barbie Doll has had Education Art teacher (2002 Spanish language teacher (2001 Sign language Barbie's Family Parents George Roberts Margaret Roberts Siblings Skipper (1964-2003 A doll is an object that represents a baby or other human being but includes likenesses of animals and imaginary creatures The doll is produced by Mattel, Inc., and is a major source of revenue for the company. Mattel Inc ( is the world's largest Toy importing company based on revenue The American businesswoman Ruth Handler (1916-2002) is regarded as the creator of Barbie, and the doll's design was inspired by a German doll called Bild Lilli. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ruth Handler ( November 4, 1916 - April 27, 2002) was an American businesswoman the president of the toy manufacturer Mattel Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Bild Lilli Doll was a German Fashion doll produced from 1955 to 1964 based on the comic-strip character Lilli

Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for nearly fifty years, and has been the subject of numerous controversies and lawsuits, often involving parody of the doll and her lifestyle. In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy A parody (ˈpɛɹədiː US, [ˈpaɹədiː] UK) in contemporary usage is a work created to mock comment on or poke fun at an original work its subject In recent years, Barbie has faced increasing competition from the Bratz range of dolls. Bratz is a popular children's Doll franchise produced by MGA Entertainment.

History

The original Barbie was launched in March 1959

Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara at play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. Ruth Handler ( November 4, 1916 - April 27, 2002) was an American businesswoman the president of the toy manufacturer Mattel At the time, most children's toy dolls 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. Mattel Inc ( is the world's largest Toy importing company based on revenue He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors.

During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across German toy doll called Bild Lilli. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Bild Lilli Doll was a German Fashion doll produced from 1955 to 1964 based on the comic-strip character Lilli ^[1] The adult-figured Lilli 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 popular character appearing in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story Currently in the Western world, most comic strips are written and drawn by a Comics artist The Bild (formerly Bild-Zeitung, lit Picture Newspaper) is a German Newspaper published by Axel Springer AG. Lilli was 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 popular with children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately.

Upon her return to the United States, Handler reworked the design of the doll (with help from engineer Jack Ryan) and the doll was given a new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the This page is about the designer for other uses see Jack Ryan John W The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. The American International Toy Fair (the trademarked name uses all capitals for TOY FAIR is one of a few major toy industry Trade shows held around the world New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This date is also used as Barbie's official birthday. Birthday is the name given to the date of the anniversary of a person's birth Mattel acquired the rights to the Bild Lilli doll in 1964 and production of Lilli was stopped. The Bild Lilli Doll was a German Fashion doll produced from 1955 to 1964 based on the comic-strip character Lilli The first Barbie doll wore a black and white zebra striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as either a blonde or brunette. "Ponytails" redirects here For the girl group see The Poni-Tails. Blond (also spelled blonde, see below) or fair-haired is a Hair color characterized by low levels of the dark Pigment eumelanin Brown hair is the second most common Hair color, with black being the most common The doll was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model," with her clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson. The first Barbie dolls were manufactured in Japan, with their clothes hand-stitched by Japanese homeworkers. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Homeworkers or home workers are defined by the International Labour Organization as people working from their homes or from other premises of their choosing other Around 350,000 Barbie dolls were sold during the first year of production.

Ruth Handler believed that it was important for Barbie to have an adult appearance, and early market research showed that some parents were unhappy about the doll's chest, which had distinct breasts. Market research is the process of systematically gathering recording and analyzing data and information about Customers, Competitors and the Market 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.

Barbie was one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based extensively on television advertising, which has been copied widely by other toys. This article is about playthings For other uses of the term see Toy (disambiguation. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand It is estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that three Barbie dolls are sold every second. ^[2]

The standard range of Barbie dolls and related accessories are manufactured to approximately 1/6th scale, which is also known as playscale. 16 scale modeling, aka Playscale ^[3] Barbie products include not only the range of dolls with their clothes and accessories, but also a huge range of Barbie branded goods such as books, fashion items and video games. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. Barbie has appeared in a series of animated films and makes a brief guest appearance in the 1999 film Toy Story 2. Since her film debut in 1987 in Barbie and the Rockers Out of this World, Barbie has been a virtual actress starring in several Feature films and Short Toy Story 2 is a 1999 Academy-Award -nominated CGI Film, the Sequel to Toy Story; the third

Almost uniquely for a toy fashion doll, Barbie has become a cultural icon and has been given honors that are rare in the toy world. A cultural icon can be an Image, a Symbol, a Logo, Picture, Name, Face, Person, or Building In 1974 a section of Times Square in New York City was renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week, while in 1985 the artist Andy Warhol created a painting of Barbie. Times Square is a major intersection in Manhattan, New York City at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West The City of New York For the song by David Bowie, see Andy Warhol (song. Andrew Warhola (August 6 1928 &ndash February 22 1987 known as Andy Warhol ^[4][5]

Biography

Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. In a series of novels published by Random House in the 1960s, her parents' names are given as George and Margaret Roberts from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin. Random House Inc is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States Barbie has been said to attend Willows High School and Manhattan International High School in New York City, based on the real-life Stuyvesant High School. The City of New York Stuyvesant High School ( IPA: /ˈstаɪvɛsənt/ commonly referred to as Stuy ( IPA: /ˈstаɪ/ is a New York City Public high school She has an on-off romantic relationship with her beau Ken (Ken Carson), who first appeared in 1961. Ken (lesser known full name Ken Carson) is a toy Doll in Mattel's Barbie line of fashion dolls Like Barbie, Ken shares his name with one of Ruth Handler's children. A news release from Mattel in February 2004 announced that Barbie and Ken had decided to split up, but in February 2006 they were back together again. A news release, media release, press release or press statement is a written or recorded Communication directed at members of the News ^[6][7]

Barbie has had over forty pets including cats and dogs, horses, a panda, a lion cub, and a zebra. A pet is an Animal kept for companionship and enjoyment or a househeld animal as opposed to Livestock, Laboratory animals Working animals WikipediaManual of Style (spelling, articles should conform to one overall spelling style of English typically the one most linked to the article topic (if it is geographic The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. The Giant Panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca, "black-and-white cat-foot" is a Mammal classified in the Bear family ( Ursidae) native to The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. Zebras are African Equids best known for their distinctive white and black stripes She has owned a wide range of vehicles, including pink convertibles, trailers and jeeps. A convertible is a type of automobile in which the vehicle's roof can retract and fold away converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle Jeep is an Automobile Marque (and registered trademark of Chrysler. She also holds a pilot's license, and operates commercial airliners in addition to serving as a flight attendant. Flight attendants or cabin crew (historically known as stewards air hosts/hostesses or stewardesses) are members of an Aircrew Barbie's careers are designed to show 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 Barbie (1965), Doctor Barbie (1988) and Nascar Barbie (1998). These are the "careers" that the Barbie Doll has had Education Art teacher (2002 Spanish language teacher (2001 Sign language ^[8]

Mattel has created a range of companions for Barbie, including Hispanic Teresa, Midge, African American Christie and Steven (Christie's boyfriend). Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically Midge Hadley is a fictional Doll character in the Barbie line of Toys by Mattel that was first released in 1963 African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa For more details, see the List of Barbie's friends and family. Barbie's Family Parents George Roberts Margaret Roberts Siblings Skipper (1964-2003

Controversies

Fulla is marketed as an alternative to Barbie in Middle Eastern countries

Barbie's popularity ensures that her effect on the play of Western children attracts a high degree of scrutiny. See Fulla for the figures in Norse mythology. See Fula for the ethnic group in Africa. The criticisms leveled at her are often based on the assumption that children consider Barbie a role model and will attempt to emulate her.

• In September 2003 the Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia outlawed the sale of Barbie dolls, saying that she did not conform to the ideals of Islam. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice stated "Jewish Barbie dolls, with their revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories and tools are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West. Fashion accessories are decorative items that supplement one's garment, such as Jewelry, Gloves, Handbags, Hats belts, Perversion is a concept describing those types of Human behavior that are perceived to be a serious deviation from what is considered to be orthodox or normal Let us beware of her dangers and be careful. "^[9] In Middle Eastern countries there is an alternative doll called Fulla which is similar to Barbie but is designed to be more acceptable to an Islamic market. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. See Fulla for the figures in Norse mythology. See Fula for the ethnic group in Africa. Fulla is not made by the Mattel Corporation, and Barbie is still available in other Middle Eastern countries including Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. ^[10] In Iran, Sara and Dara dolls are available as an alternative to Barbie. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Sara and Dara dolls are popular Iranian Toys. They were first introduced in 2002, as an alternative to the Barbie doll ^[11]
• The word Barbie has come to be used as a derogatory slang term for a girl or woman who is considered shallow, most notably in the 1997 pop song Barbie Girl (see Parodies and lawsuits below). Words and phrases are pejorative if they imply disapproval or contempt Slang is the use of highly informal Words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's Dialect or Language. A girl is any Female Human from birth through Childhood and Adolescence to attainment of Adulthood The term may also be used to mean " Barbie Girl " is a Song in the Bubblegum pop genre by the Dano - Norwegian dance - pop group
• In July 1992 Mattel released Teen Talk Barbie, which spoke a number of phrases including "Will we ever have enough clothes?", "I love shopping!", and "Wanna have a pizza party?" Each doll was programmed to say four out of 270 possible phrases, so that no two dolls were likely to be the same. Pizza (ˈpiːtsə, in Italian:) is a popular dish made with an Oven -baked flat generally round Bread that is covered with tomatoes or a tomato-based One of these 270 phrases was "Math class is tough!" Although only about 1. Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and 5% of all the dolls sold said the phrase, it led to criticism from the American Association of University Women. The American Association of University Women ( AAUW) advances equity for Women and girls through Advocacy, education and research In October 1992 Mattel announced that Teen Talk Barbie would no longer say the phrase, and offered a swap to anyone who owned the doll. ^[12]

Barbie's waist has been widened in more recent versions of the doll

• One of the most common criticisms of Barbie is that she promotes an unrealistic idea of body image for a woman, leading to a risk that women who attempt to emulate her will become anorexic. Anorexia Nervosa is a psychiatric Diagnosis that describes an Eating disorder characterized by low Body weight and Body image distortion A standard Barbie 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 by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, she would lack the 17 to 22 percent body fat required for a woman to menstruate. Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The menstrual cycle is a recurring cycle of physiologic changes that occurs in reproductive-age Females Overt menstruation (where there is blood flow from the ^[13] In 1965 Slumber Party Barbie came with a book entitled How to Lose Weight which advised: "Don't eat. " The doll also came with pink bathroom scales reading 110lb, which would be around 35lbs underweight for a woman 5 feet 9 inches tall. In 1997 Barbie's body mold was redesigned and given a wider waist, with Mattel saying that this would make the doll better suited to contemporary fashion designs. ^[14]

Oreo Fun Barbie from 1997 became controversial due to a negative interpretation of the doll's name

• "Colored Francie" made her debut in 1967, and she is sometimes described as the first African American Barbie doll. Francie was a Fashion doll issued by Mattel from 1966 to 1976 African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa However, she was produced using the existing head molds for the white Francie doll and lacked African characteristics other than a dark skin. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. The first African American doll in the Barbie range is usually regarded as Christie, who made her debut in 1968. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa ^[15][16] Black Barbie and Hispanic Barbie were launched in 1980.
• In 1997 Mattel joined forces with Nabisco to launch a cross-promotion of Barbie with Oreo cookies. Nabisco (originally known as Na tional Bis cuit Co mpany is a brand of Cookies and Snacks including brands such as Chips Ahoy! Oreo is a trademark for a popular sandwich Cookie currently manufactured by the Nabisco Division of Kraft Foods. In the United States and Canada, a cookie is a small flat-baked treat usually round containing milk flour eggs and sugar etc Oreo Fun Barbie was marketed as someone with whom little girls could play after class and share "America's favorite cookie. " As had become the custom, Mattel manufactured both a white and a black version. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse 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 chocolate sandwich cookie itself. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The doll was unsuccessful and Mattel recalled the unsold stock, making it sought after by collectors. ^[17]
• In May 1997 Mattel introduced Share a Smile Becky, a doll in a pink wheelchair. A wheelchair is a wheeled Mobility device in which the user sits 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. Cerebral palsy ( CP) is an Umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non- contagious conditions that cause Physical disability An elevator or lift is a Transport device used to move people or goods vertically from one floor to another Mattel announced that it would redesign the house in the future to accommodate the doll. ^[18][19]
• In March 2000 stories appeared in the media claiming that the hard vinyl used in vintage Barbie dolls could leak toxic chemicals, causing danger to children playing with them. The claim was rejected as false by technical experts. A modern Barbie doll has a body made from ABS plastic, while the head is made from soft PVC. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or ABS, ( Chemical formula (C8H8· C4H6·C3H3Nn is ^[20][21]
• In December 2005 Dr. Agnes Nairn at the University of Bath in England published research suggesting that girls often go through a stage where they hate their Barbie dolls and subject them to a range of punishments, including decapitation and placing the doll in a microwave oven. The University of Bath is a Campus university located in Bath, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Decapitation (from Latin, caput, capitis, meaning head or beheading, is the cutting off of the head of a person or animal A microwave oven, or a microwave, is a Kitchen appliance that cooks or heats Food by Dielectric heating. Dr. Nairn said: "It's as though disavowing Barbie is a rite of passage and a rejection of their past. "^[22][23]

Parodies and lawsuits

The 1997 song Barbie Girl by Aqua led to a five year lawsuit

Barbie has often been referenced in popular culture and is frequently the target of parody. " Barbie Girl " is a Song in the Bubblegum pop genre by the Dano - Norwegian dance - pop group In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — A parody (ˈpɛɹədiː US, [ˈpaɹədiː] UK) in contemporary usage is a work created to mock comment on or poke fun at an original work its subject Some of these occasions include:

• In 1997, the Danish pop-dance group Aqua released a song called Barbie Girl. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Aqua is a Danish - Norwegian Dance-pop group, perhaps best known for their 1997 breakthrough single " Barbie Girl. " Barbie Girl " is a Song in the Bubblegum pop genre by the Dano - Norwegian dance - pop group It contained lyrics such as "You can brush my hair / Undress me everywhere" and used graphics similar to the pink Barbie logo. A logo ( Greek el λογότυπος = el-Latn logotypos is a graphical element ( Ideogram, Symbol, Emblem, Icon, Sign) Mattel argued that this constituted a trademark infringement and filed a defamation lawsuit against MCA Records on September 11, 1997. A trademark or trade mark, represented by the symbols ™ and ®, or mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual MCA Records was an American -based record company owned by MCA Inc Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar In July 2002, Judge Alex Kozinski ruled that the song was protected as a parody under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Alex Kozinski (born 23 July 1950 is a Romanian American jurist The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress ^[24][25]

Aqua - Barbie Girl

listen to a clip from the song.

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

• A commercial by automobile company Nissan featuring dolls similar to Barbie and Ken was the subject of another lawsuit in 1997. In the commercial, a female doll is lured into a car by a doll resembling GI Joe to the dismay of a Ken-like doll, accompanied by Van Halen's version of the song You Really Got Me. GI Joe is a line of military-themed articulated "action figures" produced by the Toy company Hasbro. Van Halen is a Hard rock band formed in in 1972 They enjoyed success from the release of their self titled debut album in 1978 " You Really Got Me " is a rock Song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band The Kinks. According to the makers of the commercial, the dolls' names were Roxanne, Nick and Tad. Mattel claimed that the commercial had done "irreparable damage" to its products, but lost the copyright infringement lawsuit. Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for ^[26]
• Saturday Night Live aired a parody of Barbie commercials featuring the fictional "Gangsta Bitch Barbie" doll and a "Tupac Ken" doll. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City ^[27]
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno displayed a fictional "Barbie Crystal Meth Lab" which mocked how Barbie usually has a career that is "in keeping with the times or in this case, in keeping with society's current problems. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show currently hosted by Jay Leno, on "
• Malibu Stacy is a parody of Barbie in the cartoon series The Simpsons. Although The Simpsons is itself a show mainly consisting of Fictional characters (see List of characters from ''The Simpsons'') excluding celebrities who In the 1994 episode Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy, a talking Stacy doll is introduced, speaking phrases such as "let's buy make-up so the boys will like us". "Lisa vs Malibu Stacy" is the fourteenth episode from the fifth season of The Simpsons, in which Kathleen Turner guest stars Lisa is disgusted by the "sexist drivel spouted by Malibu Stacy," leading her to market an alternative "Lisa Lionheart". Sexism is the belief or attitude that one Gender or Sex is inferior to or less valuable than the other and can also refer to a Hatred or distrust towards The episode is based loosely on the controversy surrounding Teen Talk Barbie from 1992.
• In 1993 a group in the United States calling itself the "Barbie Liberation Organization" modified Barbie dolls by giving them the voice box of a talking G.I. Joe doll, and secretly returned the dolls to the shelves of toy stores. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the GI Joe is a line of military-themed articulated "action figures" produced by the Toy company Hasbro. Parents and children were surprised when they purchased Barbie dolls that uttered phrases such as "Eat lead, Cobra!" and "Vengeance is mine. " ^{[28] [29]}
• In 1999 Mattel sued the Utah artist Tom Forsythe over a series of photographs called Food Chain Barbie, which included a photograph of a Barbie doll in a blender. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of Activities to do with creating Art, practicing the Arts and/or demonstrating A blender, or liquidiser in British English, is a Kitchen appliance used to mix ingredients or Puree food Mattel lost the lawsuit and was ordered to pay $1. 8 million in costs to Mr. Forsythe. ^[30][31][32]
• In November 2002 a New York judge refused an injunction against the British-based artist Susanne Pitt, who had produced a doll called Dungeon Barbie in bondage clothing. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous An injunction is an Equitable remedy in the form of a Court order, whereby a party is required to do or interact with in certain ways all right or to refrain from The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In the context of BDSM, bondage involves people being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure Judge Laura Taylor Swain stated: "To the court's knowledge, there is no Mattel line of S&M Barbie. Sadism refers to Sexual or non-sexual gratification in the infliction of Pain or humiliation upon or by another person "^[33]

Collecting

Vintage #7 Ponytail Barbie doll from 1964-66. The doll's hair has been restyled and she is wearing a different outfit from the red swimsuit of the original.

Mattel estimates that there are well over 100,000 avid Barbie collectors. Ninety percent are women, at an average age of 40, purchasing more than twenty Barbie dolls each year. Forty-five percent of them spend upwards of $1000 a year.

Vintage Barbie dolls from the early years are the most valuable at auction, and while the original Barbie was sold for $3. "Auctioneer" redirects here For the DC Comics supervillain see Auctioneer (comics. 00 in 1959, a mint boxed Barbie from 1959 sold for $3552. 50 on eBay in October 2004. eBay Inc is an American Internet company that manages eBaycom an Online auction and shopping Website in which people and businesses buy and ^[34] On September 26, 2006, a Barbie doll set a world record at auction of £9,000 sterling (US $17,000) at Christie's in London. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency Christie's is a leading art business and a fine arts Auction house London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The doll was a Barbie in Midnight Red from 1965 and was part of a private collection of 4,000 Barbie dolls being sold by two Dutch women, Ietje Raebel and her daughter Marina. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands ^[35]

In recent years Mattel has sold a wide range of Barbie dolls aimed specifically at collectors, including porcelain versions and depictions of Barbie as a range of characters from television series such as The Munsters and Star Trek. Porcelain is a Ceramic material made by heating raw materials generally including Clay in the form of Kaolin, in a Kiln to temperatures The Munsters is a 1960s American television Sitcom depicting the home life of a family of Monsters. Star Trek is a Science fiction Television series created by Gene Roddenberry that aired from September 8, 1966 through ^[36][37] There are also collector's edition dolls depicting Barbie dolls with a range of different ethnic identities. ^[38] In 2004 Mattel introduced the Color Tier system for its collector's edition Barbie dolls, ranging through pink, silver, gold and platinum depending on how many of the dolls are produced. ^[39]

Barbie versus Bratz

In June 2001 MGA Entertainment launched the Bratz range of dolls, a move that would give Barbie her first serious competition in the fashion doll market. MGA Entertainment (Micro-Games America Entertainment is a manufacturer of children's toys and entertainment products founded in 1997 Bratz is a popular children's Doll franchise produced by MGA Entertainment. In 2004 sales figures showed that Bratz dolls were outselling Barbie dolls in the United Kingdom, although Mattel maintained that in terms of the number of dolls, clothes and accessories sold, Barbie remained the leading brand. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[40] In 2005 figures showed that sales of Barbie dolls had fallen by 30% in the United States, and by 18% worldwide, with much of the drop being attributed to the popularity of Bratz dolls. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[41]

In April 2005, MGA Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Mattel, claiming that the My Scene range of Barbie dolls had copied the doe-eyed look of Bratz dolls. In law a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a Court in which the party commencing the action the Plaintiff, seeks a legal or equitable remedy My Scene is a line of Fashion dolls introduced by Mattel in 2002 The lawsuit is currently pending in the court system of California. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. ^[42]

Mattel is also suing MGA Entertainment and Carter Bryant, a former doll designer for Mattel, claiming that company secrets were stolen by MGA. ^[43]

See also

• Barbie Mini Kingdom
• Barbie syndrome
• Playscale Miniaturism
• Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story

References

Further reading

• Lord, M. G. , Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll. Paperback ISBN 0-8027-7694-9.
• Rogers, Mary F. , "Barbie Culture". Paperback ISBN 0-7619-5888-6.
• Knaak, Silke, "German Fashion Dolls of the 50&60". Paperback www. barbies. de.
• Beckham, Victoria (Foreword), John, Elton (Foreword), The Art of Barbie. Paperback ISBN 0-9537479-2-1
• Essays, Guys'n'dolls: Art, Science, Fashion & Relationships. Paperback ISBN 0-948723-57-2

External links

• The Official Barbie Website — Owned By Mattel
• "Renaissance Woman: Artist, Inventor, Developer" -- interview with an ex-Barbie designer first published in Fashion Doll Quarterly
• New York Times: "The Barbie Way of Knowledge" by Dave Cullen
• Washington Times: "Religious police take after Barbie" by Paul Martin
• St. Petersburg Times Floridian: "The doll that has everything - almost", an article about the "Muslim Barbie" by Susan Taylor Martin
• BBC News: "Vintage Barbie struts her stuff", September 22, 2006
• USA Today: Barbie at number 43 on the list of The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived
• BBC News: Barbie doll accessories removed from sale due to concerns over lead in paint, September 5, 2007