A look back at Barbie
Barbie may be the most famous doll ever made, so it’s no surprise that she’s been in the news a lot. Here’s a look at stories that originally aired on WWOR back on October 15, 1984 and November 10, 1992.
LOS ANGELES – Cue “Barbie Girl” by Aqua.
If you hear the name, you know exactly what it is. Barbie is one of Mattel’s most iconic toys and the world’s most popular doll.
Barbie was created to inspire young girls with her slogan, “You can be anything,” and has since evolved into a toy that promotes inclusion and diversity.
FILE – Archival broll of a Barbie doll advertisement from 1984. (Credit: FOX)
Inspiration behind Barbie
Barbie was created after Mattel’s co-owner, Ruth Handler, was watching her daughter play with paper dolls for hours.
Handler recognized an opportunity to create a 3-D doll that could inspire young girls by being a doll “that shows them that they can be anything,” according to Mattel’s website.
FILE – The original Barbie. (Credit: FOX)
When was the 1st Barbie launched?
Barbie was officially introduced to consumers at the American Toy Fair in New York City on March 9, 1959. That day is also Barbie’s official birthday.
Barbie wore a black-and-white zebra-striped bathing suit and mimicked the glamour of Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe.
Back then, Barbie dolls retailed for $3 a pop.
FILE – Barbie merchandise from 1984. (Credit: FOX)
‘Hiya Barbie! Hi Ken!’
Mattel introduced Barbie’s on-again, off-again longtime boyfriend, Ken Carson, in 1961.
Ken was named after Handler’s (the co-creator of Barbie) son, according to Mattel.
Also noteworthy, Barbie apparently had a rebound boyfriend at one point. Before Valentine’s Day in 2004, Mattel announced that Barbie and Ken were breaking up and introduced her new beau, Blaine, an Australian boogie boarder, according to History.com.
The relationship didn’t last long, however, and Blaine was discontinued.
FILE – Archival broll of a Ken doll from 1984. (Credit: FOX)
Toy experts doubted Barbie
Experts in the toy industry originally said that Barbie’s appearance would not appeal to young girls, but they would soon be proven wrong.
After Barbie was introduced in New York, Mattel sold 300,000 dolls in its first year.
National Toy Hall of Fame
Barbie was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.
Most expensive Barbie ever sold
The most expensive Barbie on record, licensed by Mattel for Australian jewelry designer Stefano Canturi, netted $302,500 at auction — donated to breast cancer research.
The poshest of all Barbies sported a necklace with real emerald-cut Australian pink diamonds.
FILE – Barbie and Ken merchandise from 1984. (Credit: FOX)
Barbie today
Barbie has continued her goal to inspire younger generations and to advocate for inclusivity and diversity with dolls that showcase underrepresented careers such as female pilots, female presidents, and dolls that are based on real-life role models such as Maya Angelou or Dr. Jane Goodall.
She’s had over 250 careers in her lifetime and she continues to break records. Most recently, the “Barbie” movie broke a box office record during its opening weekend, which was a first for a film directed by a woman.
Barbie through the years
If Barbie was a real person, she’d be approaching retirement. But she’s still going strong. In this LiveNOW & Then full episode, we look back at Barbie’s first appearances on TV and the character’s impact on popular culture.
More toy nostalgia
