Barbie is an icon of American pop culture. She has been a household name in America not long after her debut in 1959. In fact, the average household has eight dolls. Barbie has revolutionized the doll industry replacing paper dolls with her 3-D adult form, and by her influential image of the ideal American woman. Although she was intended for young girls to fantasize about their futures as adult women, she has caused a great deal of controversy concerning the nature of fantasy that influences body image, gender roles, and personal identity.

     Barbie’s original intent was to be a role model and encourage young girls to dream. Barbie was first introduced to us as a fashion model, and as the accepted role of women evolved, so did Barbie. America’s ageless girl next-door has assumed the role of everything from fashion model to presidential candidate, fairytale character to cinema star, and is the multi-ethnic representative of the world. Barbie may be the most influential icon underlying American culture today, which begs the question: “Has the vinyl goddess Barbie shaped society, or does she simply reflect society?” 

~ T. Deason

9 December 2008