Inventor Extraordinaire

By: Maddy Willingham

Pate’s Creek Elementary

Ruth Handler(1916-2002)

• Her daughter and her friends liked playing with adult paper dolls more than baby dolls.

• Ruth thought it was important for girls to imagine what they could be when they grew up.

• She designed a life-like adult 3-d

doll with designer clothes.

• Mattel toys first said no.

-too expensive

-girls would not like it

• 1st doll sold in 1959.

• Over 1 billion dolls sold world-wide.

• Most successful product line in the history of the toy industry is...

Criticisms

• Harmful messages about body image

• All about looks and selling Barbie stuff

• Originally limited career choices to:

-fashion designer

-nurse

-flight attendant

-ballerina(

Support

• Enhances girls’ self-esteem• Girls can be anything they want to be• Reflects America’s changing society• Now 108+ career titles -President -doctor -veterinarian - NASCAR driver

Changes Over Time

Originally:• pony tail• curly bangs• sideways,

coy glance• Caucasian

Now:• long straight

hair • tanned• looks

straight

ahead

More Changes

• Multicultural -

Asian-American, African-American,

Native American, Hispanic

• 50+ Nationalities

• Stars in movies such as

Swan Lake, Nutcracker

Bibliography• http://www.listafterlist.com/DesktopModules/iBelong.LAL.ListResults/ListResults_

print.aspx• www.crazyforbarbie.com • http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/handler.htm• http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/

0,29307,1883083_1852826,00.html#ixzz1CZDj9IjS • Barbie Images. Digital image. www.google.com • "Subdued." Royalty Free Music.

Soundzabound Music Library, 2004. CD.

50th Anniversary Barbie 2009