More than a toy, it’s a pop icon with exceptional longevity. From the top of her 29 centimeters, Barbie is a concentrate of plastic blondness, fantasies and creativity which seduces even Hollywood, since Greta Gerwig devotes a mind-blowing film to her, scheduled for the summer of 2023. On the poster, a casting of dreams: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Dua Lipa… This tells the story of the success of a doll set up as a myth, on which the documentary returns And God created Barbie. Rich in testimonials, from Arielle Dombasle to Lio via Nicky Doll, this France 5 production broadcast this Friday April 27, 2023 at 9 p.m. is an opportunity to unlock the secrets of a figurine less smooth than it looks. .
A doll among babies
At the end of the 1950s, when the toy world was largely revolving around motherhood, Barbie was a small revolution. It was in Germany that its creator, Ruth Handler, found inspiration with the Lilli doll, a pin-up girl inspired by a sexy comic strip. From this model, we evacuate the sexual dimension, but we keep the woman’s body and the wardrobe. Only Mattel fears conservative reactions. Should Barbie be given a chest? After debate, the doll will have breasts… without nipples.
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A perfect plastic
If there was only one thing to remember from the Barbie mythology, perhaps it would be her controversial physique. As early as 1965, the brand caused controversy by marketing the “Barbie pajama party” kit. There is a dressing gown, a brush and… a scale, accompanied by a special weight loss manual! The box is withdrawn from sales, but the debate is launched: what image does the blonde send back to children? What is certain is that its staggering measurements are, according to science, totally inhuman.
Do with me what you want… or not
If the doll likes to embody creation and freedom, beware of those who would like to subvert it. Like all pop culture idols, she has largely inspired the arts, from fashion to film. Rewrites not always to Mattel’s taste: the abandoned and suicidal Barbie sung by Lio is worth a summons to justice to the singer, in 1987. Ditto for the group Aqua and its eurodance tube. But twice, the firm bows.
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Did you say feminist?
In 2016, it’s the big upheaval. While sales are in free fall, the multinational decides to play the girl power and launches a model closer to its customers. Or rather, models: four different silhouettes, seven skin colors, thirty hair colors… Some female personalities are even entitled to their personalized Barbie: Léna Situations, Hélène Darroze, Gigi Hadid… Enough to consecrate the figurine as a standard of female emancipation? We’re still discussing it.
