Political Economy of the Barbie Doll

The first Barbie Doll was created in 1959 by a woman named Ruth Handler and it was manufactured by the American toy company Mattel Inc. Handler had a young daughter (Barbara) who enjoyed playing with dolls but she would often pretend that her baby dolls were adults and gave them adult roles and jobs. During a trip to Germany with Handler’s family, Ruth discovered a doll that was based of a popular female comic book character. The doll’s name was Build-Lilli who was based on a popular comic book at the time. Lilli was a workingwoman who was not ashamed of using men as a way to get what she wanted in the workplace. Lilli’s character was racy and sexual, she often teased and flirted with people in her office often joking about using men for money. The doll came in two sizes, each with different hair colors. Lilli wore changeable clothing that was based off of 50’s fashion trends. This doll’s target audience was adults at first, but kids enjoyed the doll because they could change her in and out of clothing and accessories that were available if one wanted to buy them separately. This was the doll that Handler used as inspiration for creating her Barbie Doll, which was named after her daughter.

Photo of the Lilli doll above 

The doll was first introduced on March 9^th 1959 at the American International Toy Fair in New York. Barbie was introduced as a teenage model dressed in a zebra printed one piece swimsuit with her hair (either blonde or brunette) in a ponytail. She had adult features such as long legs, a tiny waist, hips, breasts, and a sexual/ mysterious side glance. Barbie was unlike any child toy on the market at the time. Handler’s goal was to create a doll that would represent what every young girl might hope for in the future.

Photo of the first Barbie Doll

The first Barbie Dolls were manufactured in Japan and their clothes and accessories were handcrafted by Japanese homeowners. During the early stages of production the company that created the Bild-Lilli sued Mattel for taking their doll and copying it. The first Barbie Doll and Bild-Lilli doll are extremely similar with the same hip joint, hairstyle and even face. Louis Marx and Company accused them of claiming the idea and creation of Barbie was completely original to them when really they had stolen the idea from Bild-Lilli. The case was settled in court and Mattel bought the copyright and patent for Lilli for $21,000.

When the doll first came out some parents were skeptical of the way teenage Barbie came across. She was curvy, half dressed, and wore a promiscuous look on her face. However, by the end of the year 350,000 Barbie Dolls were purchased and Ruth Handler’s company started to take off. In 2016 Barbie Dolls are being manufactured mainly in China but also in Indonesia and in Malaysia. Since the Barbie Doll first came out it has changed drastically, introducing new dolls, animals, occupations, you name it. The company has grown to be very successful, it has been estimated that over one billion dolls have been sold worldwide, with one Barbie being sold every 3 seconds.