The iconic Barbie has yet again seized the global spotlight after Greta Gerwig‘s latest movie based on Mattel’s doll lineup became the year’s most anticipated release. The film, which pocketed a staggering $22.3 million on opening night, is the very first live-action rendition of the legendary Barbie franchise after numerous animated direct-to-video and streaming television film releases.
Gerwig’s Barbie brings the Barbieland to life, featuring numerous Barbies and Kens derived from Mattel’s original Barbie doll collections. If the multitude of Barbies and her enchanting pink world intrigued you, here are 10 fascinating facts that unravel the 64-year-old history of this iconic doll.
1. Barbie first appeared in her iconic black-and-white swimsuit
As seen in the Barbie movie, which included so much pink in the sets that it led to a global shortage, Barbie is famed for her characteristic pink color. However, the first Barbie did not appear in an all-pink fit. Mattel launched the first Barbie doll on March 9, 1959, which adorned her iconic black-and-white striped swimsuit.
The look was recreated by Margot Robbie in Barbie‘s trailer, featuring the same zebra-print strapless swimsuit along with white sunglasses and golden hoops. For the eagle-eyed, this version of Barbie was designed to look sideways, which was changed later on in 1971 to look forwards.
2. Barbie and Ken have full names
Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie and a co-founder of Mattel, gave her doll a distinct identity by giving Barbie her own universe. Barbie’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, and she resides in the made-up Wisconsin town of Willows, according to her official biography. Barbie attended Willows High School in the Random House novels, but she went to Manhattan International High School in the 1999 Generation Girl books.
Similarly, Barbie’s boyfriend and the second-most important character in Barbieland, Ken, also has a full name: Kenneth Sean Carson, and he is 2 years younger than Barbie. Barbie and Ken’s surnames were taken from the name of Mattel’s ad agency Carson/Roberts.
3. Barbie was named after Ruth Handler’s daughter Barbara
After observing her daughter Barbara Handler play with paper dolls and give them adult tasks, Ruth Handler decided to create the first Barbie doll. She was inspired by a German toy doll called Bild Lilli and redesigned the doll with assistance from local inventor-designer Jack Ryan. Ruth then named the redesigned doll Barbie, after her daughter named Barbara.
4. Barbie’s boyfriend is named after Barbara’s real-life sibling
Following the sale of about 350,000 Barbie dolls in the first year of production, Mattel thought about expanding its business and producing new dolls. The Ken doll was created by the company two years after the first Barbie was introduced in the market.
Barbie needed a boyfriend, and Ken filled the role in 1961. Ken was named after Barbara’s real-life sibling, and Ruth and Elliot’s son, Kenneth. To generate interest, Mattel actively promoted the fictional romance between Barbie and Ken, and even devised an on-off dating timeline between the two.
5. Barbie’s parents are George and Margaret Roberts
Now Barbie has a full name, boyfriend, residence, and a high school too. But does she have fictional parents too? Yes, Barbie’s parents are named George and Margaret Roberts according to Barbie’s official website. Though, not much is known about them in terms of their appearance and professions, the two also hail from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin. We believe it’s time Mattel released middle-aged dolls of elder residents of Barbieland.
6. Barbie has three sisters
To complete the Roberts family, Barbie was given three sisters, namely Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea. Skipper Roberts dolls were first introduced in 1964 as Barbie’s 8-year-old sister. Later, as seen in the Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse series, she was altered to a 14-year-old girl who enjoys music, technology, and gadgets.
Next in line came Stacie, an 11-year-old competitive and skilled athlete. She has her line of sports-themed dolls called “Team Stacie”. Barbie’s youngest sister is around 7 years old and named Chelsea after initially being called Kelly. Chelsea resembles Barbie the most, with her blonde hair and blue eyes.
7. Barbie’s official birthday is March 9, 1959
Barbie’s official birthday is celebrated on the day she was unveiled at the New York Toy Fair, on March 9, 1959. If we go by her original birth year, Barbie is now 64 years old! However, the actual Barbie was created as a 19-year-old doll, and she is frozen at that age. She appears as a young adult in all her movies and series, including in the latest Barbie movie.
8. Barbie has had over 250 careers
A feminist goal behind the creation of the Barbie doll was to inspire women to aim high and succeed. Due to this, Mattel has released numerous versions of Barbie with varied occupations. The Lifeguard Barbie playset, for instance, came with a Barbie, a lifeguard dress and shoes, a lifeguard chair, a dolphin, a life preserver, and other accessories.
The various careers of Barbie include actor, chef, dancer, fashion designer, singer, entrepreneur, and many more. Barbie has also run for the presidential elections every year since 1992, and went to the moon four years before Neil Armstrong.
9. Barbie’s girl bestie is Midge
Barbie has a bestie named Midge, short for Margaret Hadley Sherwood. She is an Irish-American doll first released in 1963. In most versions, she is redheaded, freckled, and blue-eyed. Barbie’s bestie found her true love in Alan Sherwood in 1991’s Happy Family Canon. The couple had three children named Ryan, Nikki, and Cassandra, and a pair of unintroduced twins.
Midge made an appearance in Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse in 2013, where it was revealed that she had relocated to Malibu. This was a significant canon change, which reintroduced Midge as a young single woman who uses outdated terminology and has a retro outlook on life.
10. First Black and Hispanic Barbies appeared in 1980
Christie, one of the first black Barbie dolls, was released in 1968 as part of the equal rights campaign. Christie was designed as a companion for Barbie and has short, ’60s-era hair and mod-inspired swimwear. The firm has developed a wide range of dolls over the years, but they have all always been friends of Barbie. Barbie’s first black and Hispanic dolls were made available by Mattel in 1980.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie echoed the diverse sentiments of the company and introduced various versions of Barbie belonging to different races. Hopefully, more movies will chronicle the lives of different Barbies in the future.
