deconstructing Barbie

About 172,800 Barbie dolls are sold every day somewhere in the world, meaning that two dolls sell every second. By the late 60s, the Barbie Fan Club already had over 600,000 members - making it the second largest girls' organization. Only the Girl Scouts of America has more members. Barbie Bazaar, a glossy bimonthly magazine for collectors and conneusiers, has over 20,000 subscribers(Weiss, 1997). There are annual Barbie conventions and clubs in 34 states and several foreign countries. There is even a Barbie museum in Palo Alto, CA. The most successfull doll ever, Totally Hair Barbie, whose hair reaches from her head to her toes, generated $100 million in worldwide slaes during 1992. If all the Barbies sold during the past four decades were lined up head to toe, they could reach around the world more than seven times (Weiss, 1997).

Barbie's had over 500 makeovers in the last 42 years, constantly changing to reflect the latest fashions and newest styles. Her outfits could track the history of fashion over the last four decades, and now designers such as Nicole Miller, Bob Mackie, and Vera Wang are designing her clothes. She has exuded social flexibility since her conception in 1959, and her selling power has depended on the continually updated appearances that freshen her look. Her ever expanding wardrobe and other accessories - including cell phones, scarves, sleeping bags and slippers. Her unrealistic proportions would make her a 39-18-33 on a human scale. The jobs on her resume - doctor, astronaut, fashion designer, olympic athlete, executive, army pilot, veterinarian, the president's running mate - are more than impressive, especially considering she hasn't been known to declare a major yet. "Lodged in the world of fantasy by virute of her flawless body and endless cash flow, Barbie also lives there by virute of having occupations and even vacations without having visible work...Yet Barbie also lives in the world of reality, expecially the worlds of youth culture specifically and popular culture generally. She is attuned to fashion, music, and leisure trends" (Rogers, 1999: 88-89). Most importantly she is a reflection of her times - of market research prognostications and Mattel executives' decisions to create new identities for Barbie and new configurations for her world.