Sixteenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

The Barbie doll has long been vilified by feminists for its detrimental impact on female body image. In an age when toys are no longer branded by gender and technology has transformed the way children play and learn, it would appear that Barbie has little relevance. In an effort to halt this decline, Mattel has, in recent years, increasingly courted black, Hispanic, and Asian doll buyers. Currently there are more multicultural representations of Barbie than ever before. My paper will examine these efforts in the context of Mattel’s well-documented history of reluctance in integrating the Barbie line and its notable missteps (for example, its failed attempt in 1967 to introduce the first Black doll, an experiment that was roundly condemned by African American parents). I will also discuss how educators can use the history of multicultural Barbies (from the 1960s to the present) to teach students about colonialism, Western standards of beauty, and the reality of low-wage labor in developing countries. Lastly, I will argue that using popular icons such as Barbie are an imaginative way for educators to cover multidisciplinary ideas in a highly accessible but substantive way.