Introduced 1959 as a hyper-feminine hunk of plastic with enormous breasts, showgirl legs, and the wardrobe of a clothes-horse, the outer shell of Mattel’s Barbie doll belies a hidden complexity—there’s a paradox and duality built into her core. As a monument, the 10-inch doll is like the Eiffel Tower, which Roland Barthes said, “attracts meaning the way a lightning rod attracts thunderbolts.” MG Lord, author of the definitive book “Forever Barbie,” asserts that, “In order to understand Barbie, you have to be able to keep opposing ideas in your head simultaneously.”
The contradiction holds for every part of her story, including her birth…
Barbie Complex
by Barbara Lippert
Barbie has a secret.
Introduced 1959 as a hyper-feminine hunk of plastic with enormous breasts, showgirl legs, and the wardrobe of a clothes-horse, the outer shell of Mattel’s Barbie doll belies a hidden complexity—there’s a paradox and duality built into her core. As a monument, the 10-inch doll is like the Eiffel Tower, which Roland Barthes said, “attracts meaning the way a lightning rod attracts thunderbolts.” MG Lord, author of the definitive book “Forever Barbie,” asserts that, “In order to understand Barbie, you have to be able to keep opposing ideas in your head simultaneously.”
The contradiction holds for every part of her story, including her birth…
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