{"id":15878,"date":"2023-07-10T12:20:25","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T19:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=15878"},"modified":"2023-07-10T17:32:49","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T00:32:49","slug":"its-a-barbie-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_top-768x432.png\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_top-1920x1080.png 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_top-1280x720.png 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_top-768x432.png 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  The new Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has brought the blonde bombshell back to the forefront of America\u2019s consciousness. (Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=arts-and-culture\">Arts and Culture<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  USC Dornsife English professor MG Lord, author of the book Forever Barbie, explains why we can\u2019t get enough of the iconic doll.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Margaret Crable<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">July 10, 2023<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 4.03502747 1.6884158 1.44087681 0 2.80427251-.5423678 3.86936601-1.5289606l.1656615-.1594552 2.2321428-2.2321428-1.6311813-1.6311813-2.2321429 2.26076c-.6581959.658196-1.5167124 1.0016026-2.43246332 1.0016026s-1.7742674-.3434066-2.43246337-1.0016026c-.65819597-.6581959-1.00160257-1.5167124-1.00160257-2.4324633 0-.8547009.2991453-1.6595442.87416905-2.2981957l.12743352-.1342677 2.23214286-2.2321429zm6.88661855-.40736607-5.26116068 5.26116075 1.61881868 1.6188186 5.2611607-5.2611607zm1.3837569-5.54501488c-1.4408768 0-2.8042725.54236779-3.869366 1.52896062l-.1656615.15945513-2.23214282 2.23214286 1.63118132 1.63118132 2.2321429-2.23214286c.6581959-.65819597 1.5167124-1.00160256 2.4324633-1.00160256s1.7742674.34340659 2.4324634 1.00160256 1.0016026 1.51671246 1.0016026 2.43246337c0 .85470089-.2991453 1.65954419-.8741691 2.29819559l-.1274335.1342678-2.2321429 2.2321428 1.5739469 1.5739469 2.2321429-2.2321428c1.0874542-1.058837 1.6884157-2.5183151 1.6884157-4.03502751 0-1.51671245-.6009615-2.94757326-1.6884157-4.03502747-1.058837-1.08745421-2.518315-1.68841575-4.0350275-1.68841575z\" transform=\"translate(-3 -3)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Copy Link<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_facebook\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#facebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Facebook\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_facebook\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m23.9512 6h-16.9024c-.57923625 0-1.0488.46956375-1.0488 1.0488v16.9024c0 .5792362.46956375 1.0488 1.0488 1.0488h9.10024v-7.34768h-2.46772v-2.87584h2.46772v-2.11508c0-2.45404 1.49872-3.79012 3.68828-3.79012.7389668-.00263323 1.4775241.03516995 2.21236.11324v2.56348h-1.51392c-1.18788 0-1.4174.56544-1.4174 1.39612v1.8316h2.84772l-.37088 2.87584h-2.47684v7.34844h4.83284c.5792362 0 1.0488-.4695638 1.0488-1.0488v-16.9024c0-.57923625-.4695638-1.0488-1.0488-1.0488z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Facebook<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_twitter\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#twitter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"X\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_twitter\">\n              <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\"\n\t y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 30 30\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 30 30\" xml:space=\"preserve\" width=\"19\" height=\"19\">\n<path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M14.5,16.2l-0.8-1.1l-6.3-9h2.7l5.1,7.3l0.8,1.1\n\tl6.6,9.4h-2.7L14.5,16.2L14.5,16.2z M16.9,13.4l7.4-8.7h-1.8l-6.5,7.5L11,4.8H5l7.8,11.4L5,25.2h1.8l6.8-7.9l5.5,7.9h6L16.9,13.4\n\tL16.9,13.4z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">X<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#linkedin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Linkedin\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_linkedin\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m25 21.4220779c0 1.974026-1.6038961 3.5779221-3.5779221 3.5779221h-11.84415582c-1.97402598 0-3.57792208-1.6038961-3.57792208-3.5779221v-11.84415582c0-1.97402598 1.6038961-3.57792208 3.57792208-3.57792208h11.84415582c1.974026 0 3.5779221 1.6038961 3.5779221 3.57792208zm-14.5584416-12.21428569c-.98701295 0-1.60389606.61688311-1.60389606 1.48051949-.12337663.8636364.49350649 1.4805195 1.48051946 1.4805195.987013 0 1.6038961-.6168831 1.6038961-1.4805195 0-.86363638-.6168831-1.48051949-1.4805195-1.48051949zm1.3571429 12.70779219v-8.6363636h-2.83766234v8.6363636zm10.2402597 0v-4.9350649c0-2.5909091-1.3571428-3.8246753-3.3311688-3.8246753-1.4805195 0-2.0974026.8636363-2.4675325 1.4805194v-1.2337662h-2.8376623v8.6363636h2.8376623v-4.9350649c0-.2467532 0-.4935065.1233767-.7402597.1233766-.4935065.6168831-.987013 1.4805194-.987013.987013 0 1.4805195.7402597 1.4805195 1.974026v4.564935z\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">LinkedIn<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_bluesky\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#bluesky\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Bluesky\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_bluesky\">\n              <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                <path fill=\"#00000\" d=\"M12 10.8c-1.087-2.114-4.046-6.053-6.798-7.995C2.566.944 1.561 1.266.902 1.565C.139 1.908 0 3.08 0 3.768c0 .69.378 5.65.624 6.479c.815 2.736 3.713 3.66 6.383 3.364c.136-.02.275-.039.415-.056c-.138.022-.276.04-.415.056c-3.912.58-7.387 2.005-2.83 7.078c5.013 5.19 6.87-1.113 7.823-4.308c.953 3.195 2.05 9.271 7.733 4.308c4.267-4.308 1.172-6.498-2.74-7.078a8.741 8.741 0 0 1-.415-.056c.14.017.279.036.415.056c2.67.297 5.568-.628 6.383-3.364c.246-.828.624-5.79.624-6.478c0-.69-.139-1.861-.902-2.206c-.659-.298-1.664-.62-4.3 1.24C16.046 4.748 13.087 8.687 12 10.8\"  fill-rule=\"evenodd\" \/>\n              <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Bluesky<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_email\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#email\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"E-mail\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_print\">\n              <svg height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 12\" width=\"18\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Like a giant, hot pink sphere of bubble gum, the <em>Barbie<\/em> movie is rising over the summer horizon. Starring USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences alumna <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/from-actress-to-activist\/\">America Ferrera<\/a>, it\u2019s garnered both fevered enthusiasm and scornful irritation from the public well ahead of its release date.<\/p>\n<p>But why are we all so that worked up about a movie based on a doll that debuted back when Eisenhower was president?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/m-g-lord\/\">MG Lord<\/a>, associate professor of<a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/engl\/\"> English<\/a> at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, author of <em>Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll <\/em>(Morrow and Co., 1994), the first book to examine the doll from a feminist angle. She\u2019s uniquely positioned to comment on Barbie: Her book relied on dozens of recorded interviews with those responsible for the doll\u2019s rise to fame, most of whom are now no longer alive.<\/p>\n<p>This research is now the subject of the newly released <a href=\"https:\/\/laist.com\/podcasts\/la-made\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>L.A. Made: The Barbie Tapes<\/em><\/a>, a podcast from LAist Studios. Lord recently sat down to explain how the famous blonde has fused with America\u2019s psyche.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15881\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15881\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15881\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_instory_a.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"630\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_instory_a.jpg 630w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_instory_a-500x322.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15881\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lord (left) discusses her decades of research on Barbie on a new LAist podcast hosted by Antonia Cereijido. (Photo: Julie Leopo.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>What first inspired you to write a book about\u00a0Barbie?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I was a columnist for <em>Newsday<\/em> [in the 1990s], and I wrote this column about cross-dressing my Barbie dolls. At the time I thought it was just massive gender confusion, but in fact it was because my mother had died of breast cancer. I dressed the dolls in that way to protect them, to hide the breasts of the female dolls.<\/p>\n<p>That suggested to me that if these things could lodge in the emotional lives and the heads of kids, then Barbies were bigger than just a symbol of consumerism or corporate capitalism or retrograde ideas about what a woman should look like. They had entered the psyche of children.<\/p>\n<p>Also in the 1990s, the first kids who had grown up with these things were beginning to make visual art and write stories about the doll. It seemed like Barbie was worth investigating.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Barbie\u00a0debuted in 1959, your book was published in 1995 and here we are in 2023 anticipating a movie about\u00a0Barbie. Why does she have such staying power?<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15882\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15882\" style=\"width: 315px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15882\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_instoryb.png\" alt=\"Actor Margot Robbie portraying Barbie sits in a pink car in front of a pink wall\" width=\"315\" height=\"490\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15882\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbie\u2019s distinctive California beach style, with plenty of pink, has received renewed enthusiasm with the launch of the Barbie movie. (Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Some might argue it\u2019s because Barbie is such a hugely recognizable brand. I\u2019d argue that it\u2019s because of the push and pull of the marketplace. Barbie both shapes and reacts to it. There are so many Barbies for different sub-groups now. They recently debuted a Down Syndrome Barbie, and there was a Helen Keller doll with product information in Braille. I love the \u201cBig Tent Barbies.\u201d I think it\u2019s to Mattel\u2019s credit.<\/p>\n<p>Another argument might be that she\u2019s a relatively inexpensive toy. You can get your starter Barbie at a low price. What\u2019s so interesting about Barbie is that she was never the best-selling toy, but she was always solidly number two.<\/p>\n<p>I think there may even be something else at work. She is sort of a mythic archetype. She\u2019s like a Space Age recasting of a Stone Age goddess figure. Even if all of these things are contradictory, it really doesn\u2019t matter because she\u2019s such a wonderful, three-dimensional Rorschach test onto which you can project whatever your beliefs are.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Some say Barbie is sort of sexist, but it seems as if Mattel is trying to reposition her. For instance, you can buy a Barbie that\u2019s president. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Oh, yes, Barbie\u2019s been running for president for years now. She was also an astronaut. I have the commemorative [1965] Barbie Rocket Scientist with her little speech bubble that says, \u201cI really am a rocket scientist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Which actually goes nicely with my book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mglord.com\/astro-turf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Astro Turf<\/em><\/a> [Walker &amp; Company, 2005] and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kpcc.org\/show\/airtalk\/2005-01-26\/a-history-of-the-jet-propulsion-laboratory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">my podcast<\/a> on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It\u2019s almost like the Barbie book was about the social construction of femininity in the midcentury and the JPL book, because it deals with my father, who was hypermasculine and working with all those men in their short sleeves with their pocket protectors, is about the social construction of masculinity in the mid-20th century.<\/p>\n<p>Whereas, Barbie is all about women. Barbie is just a girl, at that age when she has really no relationships or responsibility. She has no children. There are no parents.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can we talk about\u00a0Barbie\u2019s body? It\u2019s controversial because it\u2019s both idolized and blamed for sparking body image issues. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Barbie was modeled on a German gag gift, the Bild Lilli doll. They\u2019re virtually indistinguishable. The Lilli doll was based on a newspaper comic character who was a sex worker. Ruth Handler took that and projected onto it the All-American girl, which was kind of the message in the 1950s: You had to look like a German sex worker but also be pure and virginal.<\/p>\n<p>Barbie was always positioned as a \u201cfashion doll.\u201d She was in dramatic contrast to the broad-shouldered, Rosie the Riveter woman of the war years. \u201cDior\u2019s New look\u201d [popularized by fashion designer Christian Dior in 1947] was very hourglass. Her clothes were made up of real cloth, which is why her waist is so cinched in. If you put layers of fabric on a scaled down regular waist, it wouldn\u2019t have the same fashionable lines.<\/p>\n<p>I have a whole chapter in my book where I interviewed a lot of experts on eating disorders. One of the things that stuck with me was how a little girl deals with all the ideals of beauty in our culture and how she is very much influenced by how she is valued by the adults in the home. She interprets the idealized images of women by the way in which, say, her mom and dad react to them.<\/p>\n<p>If a parent makes it very clear that if you don\u2019t look a certain way, you\u2019re a lesser person, then you\u2019re going to get really neurotic about it. But if the parents are casual about it, often those children don\u2019t get eating disorders.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It does seem unlikely that if you simply hand a child a Barbie it\u2019s going to spark an eating disorder.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m so with you. It\u2019s like, feminine ideals are the problem and Barbie is the scapegoat.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15906\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15906\" style=\"width: 896px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15906 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/Barbie_QA-Manet-SideEye.jpg\" alt=\"Composite image shows a 1950s Barbie doll in a striped bathing suit next to Edouard Manet's painting &quot;Olympia&quot;\" width=\"896\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/Barbie_QA-Manet-SideEye.jpg 896w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/Barbie_QA-Manet-SideEye-500x227.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/Barbie_QA-Manet-SideEye-768x348.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 896px) 100vw, 896px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15906\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbie\u2019s original, coyly side-eyed gaze shifted to straight-on \u2014 reminiscent of Olympia\u2019s head-on stare in \u00c9douard Manet\u2019s famed painting \u2014 as the 1970s brought updated social norms for women, argues MG Lord. (Image Composite: Darrin S. Joy; Image Source: Wikimedia Commons.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>It looks like Barbie\u2019s eyes have changed over the years.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15880\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15880\" style=\"width: 162px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15880\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_instoryd.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"162\" height=\"252\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15880\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ancient female fertility carvings bear similarity to Barbie, both in the statuesque figure and in the prong-like feet, says Lord. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Originally, she had the sidelong glance that you associate with 19th-century pornography. The [1971] Malibu Barbie was the first one that looks straight ahead. I think it was a reflection of the sexual revolution. By 1970, you could have that body, you could be that overtly sexual and actually look at the viewer. It\u2019s like the way that Manet\u2019s <em>Olympia<\/em> painting was so startling because the unabashedly naked subject was engaged visually with the viewer. It was a defiant meeting of the male gaze with her own eyes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Barbie\u2019s iconic, arched foot gets a big nod in the film. What are your thoughts on the symbolism there?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Well, you know those ancient Venus goddess figures, they didn\u2019t have feet. They had prongs. You stick them in the earth with the prong feet and they stand up. So, that\u2019s one way of looking at it. A literal way is that they were borrowed from the Lilli doll, which had exaggerated high-heel shoes painted on. That was a big issue with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.womenshistory.org\/exhibits\/feminism-second-wave\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">second wave feminists,<\/a> since she couldn\u2019t stand up on her own.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why was Ken introduced?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ken was only made because consumers (mothers and daughters in the late \u201950s) wrote in and said she needed a man. In the \u201950s and \u201960s, a woman without a man, without a husband, was considered a failure. So, they made Ken.<\/p>\n<p>I mean, Ken was an afterthought, an accessory, a slave, a gnat, a fly! You know, the tagline for the movie is \u201cBarbie, she\u2019s everything. He\u2019s just Ken.\u201d In the way that the Mother Earth goddess religions came before Judeo-Christian religion, Barbie came before Ken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>USC Dornsife English professor MG Lord, author of the book Forever Barbie, explains why we can\u2019t get enough of the iconic doll.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":15894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,10],"tags":[123,57,75],"class_list":["post-15878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-and-culture","category-faculty","tag-cinema","tag-entertainment","tag-humanities"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"MG Lord, author of the book Forever Barbie, explains why we can\u2019t get enough of the iconic doll.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"MG Lord, author of the book Forever Barbie, explains why we can\u2019t get enough of the iconic doll.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC Dornsife News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-07-10T19:20:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-07-11T00:32:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_top-1024x589.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"589\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Liu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Liu\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447\"},\"headline\":\"It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-10T19:20:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-07-11T00:32:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":11,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/barbie_qa_top.png\",\"keywords\":[\"cinema\",\"entertainment\",\"humanities\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Arts and Culture\",\"Faculty\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/\",\"name\":\"It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/barbie_qa_top.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-10T19:20:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-07-11T00:32:49+00:00\",\"description\":\"MG Lord, author of the book Forever Barbie, explains why we can\u2019t get enough of the iconic doll.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/barbie_qa_top.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/barbie_qa_top.png\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1150},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/its-a-barbie-world\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"description\":\"USC Dornsife news and events\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":330,\"caption\":\"USC Dornsife News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/uscdornsife\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/USCCollege\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/uscdornsife\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447\",\"name\":\"Michael Liu\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Michael Liu\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/author\\\/liumk\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)","description":"MG Lord, author of the book Forever Barbie, explains why we can\u2019t get enough of the iconic doll.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)","og_description":"MG Lord, author of the book Forever Barbie, explains why we can\u2019t get enough of the iconic doll.","og_url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/","og_site_name":"USC Dornsife News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","article_published_time":"2023-07-10T19:20:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-07-11T00:32:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":589,"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_top-1024x589.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Michael Liu","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uscdornsife","twitter_site":"@uscdornsife","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/"},"author":{"name":"Michael Liu","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447"},"headline":"It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)","datePublished":"2023-07-10T19:20:25+00:00","dateModified":"2023-07-11T00:32:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/"},"wordCount":11,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_top.png","keywords":["cinema","entertainment","humanities"],"articleSection":["Arts and Culture","Faculty"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/","name":"It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_top.png","datePublished":"2023-07-10T19:20:25+00:00","dateModified":"2023-07-11T00:32:49+00:00","description":"MG Lord, author of the book Forever Barbie, explains why we can\u2019t get enough of the iconic doll.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_top.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/barbie_qa_top.png","width":2000,"height":1150},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/its-a-barbie-world\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"It\u2019s a Barbie world (we\u2019re just living in it)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","name":"USC Dornsife News","description":"USC Dornsife news and events","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"USC Dornsife News","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","width":1000,"height":330,"caption":"USC Dornsife News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/x.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uscdornsife\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/USCCollege","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/uscdornsife"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447","name":"Michael Liu","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Michael Liu"},"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/author\/liumk\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15878"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15918,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15878\/revisions\/15918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}