Barbie the eternal teenager
Here are a few fun facts in honour of Barbie, who turned 57 recently!
The start: Fashion model
Introduced at the New York Toy Fair on March 9, 1959, as a teenage fashion model, Barbie was supposed to represent the idea that women had choices, to tell “the little girl could be anything she wanted to be”, her creator, Ruth Handler, said.
FBI warning: Not so cool
Video Girl Barbie had a tiny video camera embedded in her chest that recorded up to 30 minutes of video, which could be uploaded into a computer. The FBI issued a warning that Video Girl Barbie could be used for the “production and possession of child pornography”.
No rings here: Barbie and Ken never married
Ken and Barbie have never officially been married. Ken is two years and two days younger than Barbie (he was introduced in 1961). Also, his full name is Ken Carson.
Barbie today: Barbie around the world
Today’s Barbie represents all shapes, sizes, skin tones and styles of dress, from a laid-back denim romper to a vibrant floral cocktail dress.
Her first words: ‘I love shopping’
Barbie’s first words include “Math is tough,” “I love shopping,” “Party Dresses Are Fun,” and “Do you have a crush on anyone?” Several groups protested against this and Mattel dropped the phrase ‘Math is tough’ from Barbie’s vocabulary.
Multitasker: Barbie goes to workBarbie goes to work
Barbie has had more than 130 careers. She has appeared in avatars of an elementary school teacher, a business executive, a McDonald’s cashier, a doctor, an astronaut, and even a rapper.