Barbie: The Complete Biography of a Fashion Icon
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1959-present
Barbie Today: New 'Barbie' Movie
Director Greta Gerwig made a film inspired by Barbie’s life, co-written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, that stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Barbie is now in theaters. Robbie said of playing Barbie: “She is so iconic, but she’s also so complicated. There’s been real issues with Barbie over the years, and there’s been real love. The conversation has kept evolving.”
Who Is Barbie?
Barbie is a 64-year-old fashion model and cultural icon who has been at the forefront of American pop culture for decades. Known as a fashion queen who has embraced a variety of styles and outfits over the decades, Barbie has also had a remarkably diverse career history throughout her life, working in more than 250 different professions. They have included surgeon, airplane pilot, astronaut, military officer, Olympic athlete, rock musician, and many more. Barbie has also run for president of the United States seven times, though she has never won her party’s nomination. Barbie is well known for her highly-publicized, on-again-off-again relationship with Ken.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Barbara “Barbie” Millicent Roberts
BORN: March 9, 1959
BIRTHPLACE: Willows, Wisconsin
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces
HEIGHT: 5 ft. 9 in.
Early Life
Barbara “Barbie” Millicent Roberts was born on March 9, 1959, to George and Margaret Roberts, from the town of Willows, Wisconsin. She was named after Barbara Handler, the daughter of Ruth and Elliot Handler, cofounders of the toy company Mattel.
George worked as an engineer, while Margaret was a stay-at-home mother raising her large family. Barbie is the eldest of eight siblings, including Skipper, Stacie, Chelsea, Krissy, Kelly, and twin siblings Tutti and Todd. Some aspects of her family history remain shrouded in mystery, including the sudden disappearance of Tutti, who hasn’t been seen or heard from since 1971. Adding to the mystery, Stacie was later publicly described as Todd’s twin sibling, with no explanation of Tutti whatsoever.
Barbie was educated at the Willows High School in Wisconsin and also briefly attended the Manhattan International High School in New York City. Barbie inherited a love of reading from her maternal grandmother, according to the film Barbie and the Secret Door. However, Barbie was said to have struggled with math classes in her early years, her remarks about which proved to be a source of controversy in her later life. After high school, Barbie attended Illinois State University, where she had difficulty choosing a major. Reflecting her wide variety of later careers, Barbie studied a wide range of subjects, including history, English, astronomy, economics, Mayan civilizations, and landscape painting. She ultimately obtained a college degree, though her major remains unclear.
Barbie’s first residence was a stylish 1960s-decor studio apartment, but she’s better known for her famous Barbie Dreamhouse, a multistory townhouse with a pink slide, elevator, and several fashionable rooms. Barbie has owned the home from the remarkably young age of 3, having purchased it in 1962, at a time when many women were unable to buy a house on their own. At the time, women usually needed a man to cosign for a mortgage, which later changed with the passage of the Equal Opportunity Credit Act in 1974. Although very glamorous, the Barbie Dreamhouse is notably small: it’s estimated to be 78 square feet in size, compared to a typical average home size of 1,900 square feet. Standing at 5 feet 9 inches, Barbie still appears to live comfortably in her small and unusual home.
Although later known for her pink Corvette convertibles, Barbie’s first car was a 1962 Austin Healy. The notable animal-lover has also had more than 50 pets during her life, including dogs, cats, ponies, a parrot, chimpanzee, panda, lion cub, giraffe, and zebra. Her first pet was a horse named Dancer.
Fashion Icon
Barbie has been in the public eye since the beginning of her life. Her birth was publicly announced at the 1959 American International Toy Fair in New York City, and she made her first television appearance in a commercial during the Mickey Mouse Club that same year. Although Barbie would go on to work in a staggering number of occupations, her first career was as a fashion model.
Throughout her career, Barbie has worked with hundreds of top fashion designers, makeup artists, and elite couturiers to create her iconic looks and styles. The very first outfit she modeled was a one-piece black and white striped bathing suit, though it generated controversy in some circles because the outfit appeared to have been influenced by similar clothing worn by a German high-end call girl named Lilli.
Hailed as a fashion queen during the 1960s, Barbie donned a variety of wigs and hairdos highlighting different styles from the time period. Among her more famous was a Bobblecut inspired by that of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Barbie’s looks changed with the time, with some of her transformations including “Twist ’n’ Turn Barbie” as she adapted to the new mod era in 1967, as well as a brief “Hippie Barbie” period in 1971.
One of her most iconic looks came later in the 1970s with “Sunset Malibu Barbie,” with her tan skin and beach attire emphasizing the popular California girl look of the time. A true fashion chameleon, Barbie continued to adapt her style over the following decades; another notable example was “Totally Hair” Barbie in 1992, which saw her frizzle hairdo reaching all the way down to her ankles, part of the big hair craze from that era.
Many designers have created costumes for or inspired by Barbie over the past six decades, including Oscar de la Renta, Stefano Canturi, and Bob Mackie, who created a gold fantasy couture gown for Barbie with 5,000 hand-sewn golden sequins accented with a white feather boa. Gucci, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, and Vera Wang are just a few of the companies that have contributed designs to Barbie’s wardrobe. A muse for artists Andy Warhol and Peter Max, she is also considered a social media influencer, with more than 2.8 million Instagram followers, as of July 17.
Some outlets and organizations have criticized Barbie, saying she provides an unrealistic standard for beauty. Some have even accused her of defying the laws of physics, in that it should be anatomically impossible for her to walk on two legs given her body size and type. Critics have said Barbie inadvertently encourages eating disorders and body image issues among fans who wish to look like her. She drew particular criticism in 1963 when she was spotted with a controversial diet book that simply read: “Don’t eat.” In recent years, however, Barbie has attempted to speak out in support of a variety of body types, sizes, and styles.
Careers
Although arguably best known for her fashion career, Barbie has had an almost unbelievable amount of careers throughout her life, having held more than 250 different professions over the past six decades.
Despite her young age at the time, Barbie had five different jobs in 1961 alone, including fashion designer, flight attendant, and registered nurse. This was her first foray into the medical field but not her last. She would go on to become a doctor, dentist, veterinarian, and—most notably—a surgeon in 1973, at a time when very few women were applying for medical school. She also went from flight attendant to airplane pilot, flying her own line of Barbie-branded commercial airliners.
Barbie’s aviation career hasn’t been limited to the lower atmosphere, however. In 1965, Barbie became an astronaut, traveling in space four years before Neil Armstrong took humankind’s first steps on the moon. Barbie returned to space again in 1986 and 1994 and has also worked as a Space Camp instructor.
Barbie also boasts an impressive military career, joining the U.S. Army as an officer in 1989, before advancing to the position of sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, where she led a squad of at least eight soldiers in combat operations. She also put her piloting skills to good use in the military, becoming a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird squadron leader.
Barbie has had active careers in the sports and entertainment fields. She has represented the United States in the Olympic Games several times, winning gold medals as a gymnast and figure skater in the 1970s, as well as for swimming in 2000. Barbie has also been a NASCAR driver, Rockette dancer, ballerina, movie star, and the lead singer of a New Wave rock group in 1986. As front woman for Barbie and the Rockers, Barbie wore neon colors and spandex while performing alongside bandmates Dana, Dee Dee, Derek, and Diva. Along with her friends Simone and Tori, Barbie auditioned in 2005 for the popular TV singing competition American Idol, performing for judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson.
Several of Barbie’s careers have been considered innovative for their time, particularly when she rose to the position of corporate CEO in 1985, at a time when few women held corporate executive positions. In the 2010s, Barbie sought to inspire more young girls to pursue STEM careers, working as a computer engineer, robotics engineer, and even a Mars explorer. However, Barbie also generated controversy while working as a video game developer during this time, when she was quoted in a book saying “I’m only creating the design ideas” and that she would need help from her male friends to actually create games. She also drew negative headlines with her “Video Girl Barbie” persona, in which she wore a video camera on her necklace that could record up to 30 minutes of footage and stream it onto a computer, raising privacy concerns with the FBI.
Some of Barbie’s other jobs have included entrepreneur, journalist, candy striper, police officer, rapper, SCUBA diver, paleontologist, sign language teacher, and zoologist.
Political Aspirations
Despite her impressive career history, one job has always eluded Barbie: United States president. Despite never having held a lower political office, Barbie has sought the presidency seven times, running in each election cycle from 1992 to 2020, but never successfully capturing her party’s nomination. In her most recent campaign, Barbie made the unorthodox decision to hire only a two-person team, including a campaign manager and fundraiser, instead banking on her name recognition, fundraising power, and diverse resumé to make up for her lack of a sophisticated political apparatus. Barbie has told NPR she doesn’t plan to run for president again.
Despite never reaching the top office, Barbie has represented the United States as a UNICEF ambassador. Barbie’s success and ambition has occasionally led to controversy on the international stage, particularly in 2003, when Saudi Arabia banned her from the nation and condemned her as a “symbol of decadence to the perverted West.”
Relationship with Ken
Barbie is well known for her highly-publicized, on-again-off-again relationship with Kenneth “Ken” Sean Carson, who is two years younger than her. Ken is also from Barbie’s hometown of Willows, Wisconsin, and he first met her while shooting a television commercial in the 1960s. Like Barbie, Ken has had a wide variety of careers over his life, having worked in about 40 different professions, including lifeguard, barista, surfer, and dentist. However, he’s mostly known to spend his time as a “beach bum,” which has led to speculation that Ken is less ambitious than his more accomplished girlfriend. Barbie and Ken have never been married, nor do they have any children.
Barbie and Ken had a highly publicized breakup in February 2004. The specific reasons for the split weren’t released, except that they reportedly wanted “to spend some quality time – apart.” Just four months after the breakup, Barbie had a brief fling with an Australian surfer named Blaine, which generated a significant amount of media coverage.
In 2006, Ken adopted a significant makeover and exercise regiment in an attempt to win Barbie’s affections back; according to a Hollywood stylist, he “revamped his life – mind, body and soul.” The efforts were initially unsuccessful, but on Valentine’s Day 2011, it was announced Barbie and Ken had finally gotten back together. Barbie wrote on Facebook at the time: “Yes it’s true… after seven long years apart, Ken and I have decided to rekindle our romance. A doll knows when it’s love, and I’ve finally realized that my heart only beats for Ken.”
Famous Friends
Midge, Barbie’s best friend since 1963, married Ken’s best friend Allan in 1991, and they had a family together. Her highly-publicized pregnancy drew scrutiny from the media. Barbie has had several other close friendships throughout her life, including Teresa, Christie, Steven, and Kayla.
In addition to her romantic relationships and personal friendships, Barbie has had a large number of high-profile friendships in the celebrity world, starting with supermodel Twiggy in 1967. Barbie’s other celebrity friends have included Audrey Hepburn, Ava DuVernay, Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Grace Kelly, J.K. Rowling, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Marilyn Monroe, and more. Additionally, Mila Kunis made one of her first acting appearances in a commercial with Barbie.
In Pop Culture
Barbie has been featured in a handful of movies, songs, and other works of pop culture over the years. The dance-pop group Aqua released a 1997 hit single called “Barbie Girl,” which highlighted the lives of Barbie and Ken while making a social commentary on commercialism, materialism, and gender roles. Toy company Mattel sued Aqua on Barbie’s behalf over the song, but the lawsuit was dismissed, after which the judge said, “The parties are advised to chill.”
Barbie appeared in a supporting role in the Pixar animated films Toy Story 2 (1999) and Toy Story 3 (2010), the latter of which also featured Ken.
Greta Gerwig directed and cowrote, with Noah Baumbach, the 2023 movie Barbie inspired by her life that stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. Robbie said of playing Barbie: “She is so iconic, but she’s also so complicated. There’s been real issues with Barbie over the years, and there’s been real love. The conversation has kept evolving. I think ultimately it is a conversation we’re having about ourselves, but it’s easy to put it on Barbie.”
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