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The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us
"Balanced, funny, provocative—and most of all, important for anyone wanting to understand girlhood in America."—E. Lockhart, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Liars
Barbie just might be the most famous doll in the world. She has represented fifty different nationalities. She’s stepped into the always-fashionable shoes of more than one hundred twenty careers. She has been played with, studied, celebrated, and criticized for more than fifty years. And she has unquestionably influenced generations of girls—whether that influence has been positive or negative depends on whom you ask.
Acclaimed nonfiction author Tanya Lee Stone takes an unbiased look at how Barbie became the icon that she is. Part biography—both of the doll and of her inventor, Ruth Handler—and part exploration of the cultural phenomenon that is Barbie, The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie is filled with personal anecdotes, memories, and opinions from people of all ages. Featuring original color and black-and-white photographs, this book is for everyone who understands that we’re all living in a Barbie world.
"This is no mere Barbie book. This is a how-to manual about being a girl."—Lauren Myracle, New York Times bestselling author
* "Source notes, a bibliography, and lots of images, including an inset of color photos, add to an offering that pleases and intrigues." — Booklist , starred review
Barbie just might be the most famous doll in the world. She has represented fifty different nationalities. She’s stepped into the always-fashionable shoes of more than one hundred twenty careers. She has been played with, studied, celebrated, and criticized for more than fifty years. And she has unquestionably influenced generations of girls—whether that influence has been positive or negative depends on whom you ask.
Acclaimed nonfiction author Tanya Lee Stone takes an unbiased look at how Barbie became the icon that she is. Part biography—both of the doll and of her inventor, Ruth Handler—and part exploration of the cultural phenomenon that is Barbie, The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie is filled with personal anecdotes, memories, and opinions from people of all ages. Featuring original color and black-and-white photographs, this book is for everyone who understands that we’re all living in a Barbie world.
"This is no mere Barbie book. This is a how-to manual about being a girl."—Lauren Myracle, New York Times bestselling author
* "Source notes, a bibliography, and lots of images, including an inset of color photos, add to an offering that pleases and intrigues." — Booklist , starred review
128 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2010
34 people are currently reading
1692 people want to read
About the author
Tanya Lee Stone
87 books101 followersTanya Lee Stone is an award-winning author of books for kids and teens. Her work, which includes YA fiction (A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl), picture books (Elizabeth Leads the Way and Sandy's Circus), and nonfiction (Almost Astronauts and The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie) has won national awards such as the ALA's Sibert Medal, SCBWI's Golden Kite Award, YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction, Jane Addams Book Award Honor, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, NCTE's Orbus Pictus, and Bank Street's Flora Steiglitz Award. Forthcoming titles include Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?! and The House that Jane Built (Holt 2013) and Courage Has No Color (Candlewick 2013).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 360 reviews
May 25, 2019
3.5 stars
A good overview of Barbie and her history. It was pretty easy to zone out with the narrator as she’s very much like a teacher. You’re listening to her speak clearly about a topic you’re interested in, but your mind can’t help but wander elsewhere. Possibly listening more than once would let more information settle into one’s brain. I’d definitely like to get a physical copy to look at the photos the print copy is supposed to contain.
The material seems nicely researched and showcases both pro and anti Barbie opinions and viewpoints from a variety of girls and women. It was fascinating hearing about Barbies I hadn't heard about that had come out before I was born. I’m an example of a child who wasn’t much into Barbies, couldn’t always find a representation of me, but admittedly thought they were nicely dressed and could see the appeal for them. That being said I didn’t have a problem with Barbie in regards to my body image or what my limitations were set (others “helped” with that). She was just a doll that didn’t always have one I connected to but did enjoy getting ones as gifts since family and friends thought I would like them.
A good overview of Barbie and her history. It was pretty easy to zone out with the narrator as she’s very much like a teacher. You’re listening to her speak clearly about a topic you’re interested in, but your mind can’t help but wander elsewhere. Possibly listening more than once would let more information settle into one’s brain. I’d definitely like to get a physical copy to look at the photos the print copy is supposed to contain.
The material seems nicely researched and showcases both pro and anti Barbie opinions and viewpoints from a variety of girls and women. It was fascinating hearing about Barbies I hadn't heard about that had come out before I was born. I’m an example of a child who wasn’t much into Barbies, couldn’t always find a representation of me, but admittedly thought they were nicely dressed and could see the appeal for them. That being said I didn’t have a problem with Barbie in regards to my body image or what my limitations were set (others “helped” with that). She was just a doll that didn’t always have one I connected to but did enjoy getting ones as gifts since family and friends thought I would like them.
April 8, 2019
Wow, this hurts...2 stars.
Oh boy...where do I begin with this one??
I suppose my disclaimer first. Audible recommended this book to me. I, a grown woman, love Barbie. It all started with Malibu Barbie in the 70s and she is still a major part of my life today. I have upwards of 50 Barbies (okay 100), still in their boxes displayed on shelves. And my husband’s name is Ken. Purely coincidental :)
So when Audible said I would like this book I said sure, thanks Audible. You get me, you really do!
Yeah, they don’t get me.
POSITIVE points:
The narrator was very easy to listen to. Clearly spoken narration.
The very first part of the book was a biography on Ruth Handler, Barbie’s inventor. I absolutely loved this part. So much so I have purchased the autobiography by Handler.
NEGATIVE points:
When people prattle on and on and on about feminism I actually hear Charlie Brown’s teacher speaking. True story. This book was an awful lot about feminism. I guess I am just lucky. I am very respected by the men in my life both personally and on the business level. With that being said the majority of my upper level supervisors, at the hedge fund firm, are females. They do very well for themselves. They worked very hard and earned respect. So this part was completely wasted on me.
And then the section about Barbie mutilation went on forever. I’m not interested in hearing what Ophelia from Ohio did to her Barbie. I’m not interested in hearing what Mike from Michigan did to his sister’s Barbie. I am not interested in hearing what Patty from Pennsylvania did to her cousin twice removed’s Barbie.
And then there was an awful lot of complaining from former Barbie owners. Pam from Parsippany: “I don’t feel there is one Barbie that represents me completely”. First off Pam it’s a doll. When you played with a stuffed animal were you hurt that the zebra or the little kitty looked nothing like you? I mean seriously people just need to complain. Look, I’m a brunette who wears glasses. I’m of Irish heritage. I sunburn if I look out my window. Guess what Pam? I still love my Malibu Barbie.
Grrr.
And seriously if I wanted to read a gaggle of quotes from random people all over the world I would just go onto Mattel’s Facebook page. It’s almost like there was no effort put into writing or fact-finding. It was all a bunch of random people and their random thoughts.
Grrr.
N.B. Most of the above is paraphrased. I listened to the book in the car. I obviously did not pull over to write down peoples names and exact quotes. But you get the idea right?
Please also note: there were some nice bits. Barbie influenced some little girls to grow up to find themselves in a career influenced by playing with their Barbie. But still this book was not what I thought I’d be reading. Again, it’s similar to reading a truckload of Facebook comments.
Oh boy...where do I begin with this one??
I suppose my disclaimer first. Audible recommended this book to me. I, a grown woman, love Barbie. It all started with Malibu Barbie in the 70s and she is still a major part of my life today. I have upwards of 50 Barbies (okay 100), still in their boxes displayed on shelves. And my husband’s name is Ken. Purely coincidental :)
So when Audible said I would like this book I said sure, thanks Audible. You get me, you really do!
Yeah, they don’t get me.
POSITIVE points:
The narrator was very easy to listen to. Clearly spoken narration.
The very first part of the book was a biography on Ruth Handler, Barbie’s inventor. I absolutely loved this part. So much so I have purchased the autobiography by Handler.
NEGATIVE points:
When people prattle on and on and on about feminism I actually hear Charlie Brown’s teacher speaking. True story. This book was an awful lot about feminism. I guess I am just lucky. I am very respected by the men in my life both personally and on the business level. With that being said the majority of my upper level supervisors, at the hedge fund firm, are females. They do very well for themselves. They worked very hard and earned respect. So this part was completely wasted on me.
And then the section about Barbie mutilation went on forever. I’m not interested in hearing what Ophelia from Ohio did to her Barbie. I’m not interested in hearing what Mike from Michigan did to his sister’s Barbie. I am not interested in hearing what Patty from Pennsylvania did to her cousin twice removed’s Barbie.
And then there was an awful lot of complaining from former Barbie owners. Pam from Parsippany: “I don’t feel there is one Barbie that represents me completely”. First off Pam it’s a doll. When you played with a stuffed animal were you hurt that the zebra or the little kitty looked nothing like you? I mean seriously people just need to complain. Look, I’m a brunette who wears glasses. I’m of Irish heritage. I sunburn if I look out my window. Guess what Pam? I still love my Malibu Barbie.
Grrr.
And seriously if I wanted to read a gaggle of quotes from random people all over the world I would just go onto Mattel’s Facebook page. It’s almost like there was no effort put into writing or fact-finding. It was all a bunch of random people and their random thoughts.
Grrr.
N.B. Most of the above is paraphrased. I listened to the book in the car. I obviously did not pull over to write down peoples names and exact quotes. But you get the idea right?
Please also note: there were some nice bits. Barbie influenced some little girls to grow up to find themselves in a career influenced by playing with their Barbie. But still this book was not what I thought I’d be reading. Again, it’s similar to reading a truckload of Facebook comments.
March 21, 2011
"She's just too unreal. How do you bond with something that looks like a taffy pull with a face?" writes LA Times journalist and feminist Patt Morrison.
Imagination. Must we sacrifice that in order to stand up for our rights to equality?
Like many girls, I played with barbies as a child, and as the creator (Ruth Handler, a dark-haired Jew) intended, it was all about the clothes. The hourglass figures mimicked the mannequins in store windows because this shrewd businesswoman wasn't going to make money selling dolls. She was going to make money selling the millions of possibilities you could provide for the dolls (through the right fashions, accessories, and big-ticket dream houses, horses, and hears--well, I'm getting ahead of myself).
You could make Barbie do anything, and the discussion touches on Barbie's many careers and nationalities. A few studies are mentioned pertaining to how closely young girls align their sense of self with the dolls they chose to play with and how they played with them. There are happy memories of sewing with Grandma, and there are ruthless memories of cutting off their hair and setting them on fire.
The book also notes that some girls dress and play with their dolls as an indication of what they will become. Some girls played school, some played doctor. My dolls cruised Barbietown (i.e., the kids' half of the basement) in hot cars and met up with their friends. Sometimes they went on vacations to exotic destinations such as Hawaii and Tulsa. Their clothes were all over the map: some expensive, some functional, some vintage (thanks, Mom), and some homemade.
A quick mental recount of my last dozen years as an adult reveals there may be some truth to this. Yes, it would appear I was made to aimlessly roam the earth and wear clothes. It's not such a bad existence, and it is self-funded. But was I to rely on a doll to teach me that, or might I have received some outside influence on matters dealing with my finances and career? I don't know... I played with barbies a lot.
As the author discusses Barbie's history and her impact on society, she raises the typical questions of female equality and self-image that accompany any discussion of this 50-year-old blond, busty icon. The book also (sort of) goes into the question of whether Barbie is real (i.e., whether children see her as real). Is her glamorous image attainable? Should it be?
Although the book doesn't go in-depth, the author supplies nearly equal coverage of Barbie fans and Barbie critics. The previous quote appeared both in the book and in an article published several years ago entitled Kill Barbie. As an aside, I agree with most of what Morrison writes and enjoy her style, but she seems a little too mad to be cited in anything more serious than this fun little book and my quick-turn review of it.
Rather than launch a tirade of insults at what she dismisses as a lump of cold plastic, why not find a creative way to expose Barbie and the pitfalls of being plastic? After all, we girls can do anything.
Margaux Lange made a line of fantastic jewelry from dismembered Barbie parts. Andy Warhol and other artists paid pictoral homage to the Barbie mystique. Someone even made a life-size, Barbie-themed funeral coach ready to haul Barbie away whenever she finally dies. How awesome is that? (Of course, I may be a little biased.)
The book started to drag with Chapter 7's collection of girls (and a few boys) recounting the awful ways they would abuse their dolls and place them in compromising sexual positions. We all did this stuff, or had friends who did, but devoting a whole chapter to it was excessive. It briefly shed some light on yet another talking point in the argument of whether Barbie is "real".
There was one story of a little girl who scared her parents when they found she was regularly popping the heads off of her dolls. Did it mean she had a taste for violence? Was she silently protesting this difficult to attain model of perfection? Not even a little bit. She found it was much easier to change their clothes with their heads detached.
Whether you adore Barbie or hate everything about her bleach-blond hair down to her painfully arched feet, I think the worst you can do for yourself is take her too seriously. While she enjoyed a rise to fame in her earlier years, the information age has busted the toy market wide open and kids these days aren't playing the same way they did 20, or 50, years ago. As mentioned in the book (and this can't be stressed enough), there are many factors that influence a young girl's self image. Whether her parents buy her a doll is one tiny fraction of their overall treatment of her which will define her attitudes about herself and others.
People were up in arms about Black Barbie, Asian Barbie, Hispanic Barbie, etc., claiming she's not a true representation of that race. That's about as silly as me complaining that regular Barbie doesn't look like me. (Although I will deliver a swift kick in the face to anyone who says I should look like her.) Barbie and Mattel didn't sign up to be public servants. They made a toy to be played with, not a culture to be emulated.
No matter what you do, someone isn't going to like it. Or they're going to think they don't like it because they misunderstand it. So maybe in a way, Barbie is a lot like most young girls: misunderstood... but with cooler stuff.
Imagination. Must we sacrifice that in order to stand up for our rights to equality?
Like many girls, I played with barbies as a child, and as the creator (Ruth Handler, a dark-haired Jew) intended, it was all about the clothes. The hourglass figures mimicked the mannequins in store windows because this shrewd businesswoman wasn't going to make money selling dolls. She was going to make money selling the millions of possibilities you could provide for the dolls (through the right fashions, accessories, and big-ticket dream houses, horses, and hears--well, I'm getting ahead of myself).
You could make Barbie do anything, and the discussion touches on Barbie's many careers and nationalities. A few studies are mentioned pertaining to how closely young girls align their sense of self with the dolls they chose to play with and how they played with them. There are happy memories of sewing with Grandma, and there are ruthless memories of cutting off their hair and setting them on fire.
The book also notes that some girls dress and play with their dolls as an indication of what they will become. Some girls played school, some played doctor. My dolls cruised Barbietown (i.e., the kids' half of the basement) in hot cars and met up with their friends. Sometimes they went on vacations to exotic destinations such as Hawaii and Tulsa. Their clothes were all over the map: some expensive, some functional, some vintage (thanks, Mom), and some homemade.
A quick mental recount of my last dozen years as an adult reveals there may be some truth to this. Yes, it would appear I was made to aimlessly roam the earth and wear clothes. It's not such a bad existence, and it is self-funded. But was I to rely on a doll to teach me that, or might I have received some outside influence on matters dealing with my finances and career? I don't know... I played with barbies a lot.
As the author discusses Barbie's history and her impact on society, she raises the typical questions of female equality and self-image that accompany any discussion of this 50-year-old blond, busty icon. The book also (sort of) goes into the question of whether Barbie is real (i.e., whether children see her as real). Is her glamorous image attainable? Should it be?
Although the book doesn't go in-depth, the author supplies nearly equal coverage of Barbie fans and Barbie critics. The previous quote appeared both in the book and in an article published several years ago entitled Kill Barbie. As an aside, I agree with most of what Morrison writes and enjoy her style, but she seems a little too mad to be cited in anything more serious than this fun little book and my quick-turn review of it.
Rather than launch a tirade of insults at what she dismisses as a lump of cold plastic, why not find a creative way to expose Barbie and the pitfalls of being plastic? After all, we girls can do anything.
Margaux Lange made a line of fantastic jewelry from dismembered Barbie parts. Andy Warhol and other artists paid pictoral homage to the Barbie mystique. Someone even made a life-size, Barbie-themed funeral coach ready to haul Barbie away whenever she finally dies. How awesome is that? (Of course, I may be a little biased.)
The book started to drag with Chapter 7's collection of girls (and a few boys) recounting the awful ways they would abuse their dolls and place them in compromising sexual positions. We all did this stuff, or had friends who did, but devoting a whole chapter to it was excessive. It briefly shed some light on yet another talking point in the argument of whether Barbie is "real".
There was one story of a little girl who scared her parents when they found she was regularly popping the heads off of her dolls. Did it mean she had a taste for violence? Was she silently protesting this difficult to attain model of perfection? Not even a little bit. She found it was much easier to change their clothes with their heads detached.
Whether you adore Barbie or hate everything about her bleach-blond hair down to her painfully arched feet, I think the worst you can do for yourself is take her too seriously. While she enjoyed a rise to fame in her earlier years, the information age has busted the toy market wide open and kids these days aren't playing the same way they did 20, or 50, years ago. As mentioned in the book (and this can't be stressed enough), there are many factors that influence a young girl's self image. Whether her parents buy her a doll is one tiny fraction of their overall treatment of her which will define her attitudes about herself and others.
People were up in arms about Black Barbie, Asian Barbie, Hispanic Barbie, etc., claiming she's not a true representation of that race. That's about as silly as me complaining that regular Barbie doesn't look like me. (Although I will deliver a swift kick in the face to anyone who says I should look like her.) Barbie and Mattel didn't sign up to be public servants. They made a toy to be played with, not a culture to be emulated.
No matter what you do, someone isn't going to like it. Or they're going to think they don't like it because they misunderstand it. So maybe in a way, Barbie is a lot like most young girls: misunderstood... but with cooler stuff.
August 20, 2016
There is something about Tanya Lee Stone's writing that I don't like. The tone, I think. When it comes to non-fiction, I like an authoritative, detached perspective from the author. Stone, to my everlasting dismay, subtly editorializes right and left in an overtly feminist "Rah Rah Women!" kind of way. I'm totally pro-woman, but it irks me to see her pushing her perspective when I think she should let the facts speak for themselves. I had this exact same issue with Almost Astronauts, probably even more so than I do with this Barbie book.
So, yeah, what about Barbie? There are many, many opinions about Barbie filling up the pages here. Most of them came from random people and did not really interest me. I liked the story of the invention of Barbie, but after that I stopped caring. Is Barbie good or bad? There are criticisms for sure, but the overall impression I got is that Stone is pro-Barbie and sees Ruth Handler, Barbie's inventor, as a great female role model. I have a feeling that if Barbie had been invented by a man, Stone would have written a different book.
So, yeah, what about Barbie? There are many, many opinions about Barbie filling up the pages here. Most of them came from random people and did not really interest me. I liked the story of the invention of Barbie, but after that I stopped caring. Is Barbie good or bad? There are criticisms for sure, but the overall impression I got is that Stone is pro-Barbie and sees Ruth Handler, Barbie's inventor, as a great female role model. I have a feeling that if Barbie had been invented by a man, Stone would have written a different book.
November 7, 2019
This book was pretty interesting in that it explored both the history of Mattel and Barbie and modern-day opinions about her in a variety of communities.
The author left a ton of stuff undiscussed. What about Mattel's position against Barbie talking and potentially offending someone? Of course, after this book was written they abandoned that policy and now she has a cartoon. The author also failed to cover the Christmas Barbie phenomenon where tons of girls got these expensive Christmas Barbies they were told to leave in the box as collector's items. I hated that so much.
Personally, I played with Barbie as a kid and my objection was the same objection I had with all my dolls, that more of them were blonde and blue-eyed than brunette, which seemed the inverse of the world I experienced around me. I was delighted when I got a brunette and one each of redhead Barbie, black Barbie, and Hawaiian Barbie. It also helped me pretend that all the Barbies were actually different people instead of a clone universe. I had one Hispanic Barbie and one Japanese Barbie, but yeah, these were too expensive and fancy to actually play with which was a major bummer.
I kept many of my childhood Barbies and I've been handing them off one by one to my daughter. She loved them even before I gave her mine, having seen them at her friends' homes. Unbeknownst to her, I've now been building a bit of a Barbie community. I got her some young shapeless Chelsea and Skipper dolls, and some heavier and extra shapely Barbies. My Kens all disappeared from childhood so she got a new one with his own change of outfits. Unfortunately, there's still a bit of a blonde surplus in this community. We're working on it!
As a mom, another frustration is that it's now difficult to buy any affordable quality Barbie clothing. A lot of my daughter's Barbies are still rocking durable 80s outfits.
The author left a ton of stuff undiscussed. What about Mattel's position against Barbie talking and potentially offending someone? Of course, after this book was written they abandoned that policy and now she has a cartoon. The author also failed to cover the Christmas Barbie phenomenon where tons of girls got these expensive Christmas Barbies they were told to leave in the box as collector's items. I hated that so much.
Personally, I played with Barbie as a kid and my objection was the same objection I had with all my dolls, that more of them were blonde and blue-eyed than brunette, which seemed the inverse of the world I experienced around me. I was delighted when I got a brunette and one each of redhead Barbie, black Barbie, and Hawaiian Barbie. It also helped me pretend that all the Barbies were actually different people instead of a clone universe. I had one Hispanic Barbie and one Japanese Barbie, but yeah, these were too expensive and fancy to actually play with which was a major bummer.
I kept many of my childhood Barbies and I've been handing them off one by one to my daughter. She loved them even before I gave her mine, having seen them at her friends' homes. Unbeknownst to her, I've now been building a bit of a Barbie community. I got her some young shapeless Chelsea and Skipper dolls, and some heavier and extra shapely Barbies. My Kens all disappeared from childhood so she got a new one with his own change of outfits. Unfortunately, there's still a bit of a blonde surplus in this community. We're working on it!
As a mom, another frustration is that it's now difficult to buy any affordable quality Barbie clothing. A lot of my daughter's Barbies are still rocking durable 80s outfits.
August 8, 2020
Fascinating look at the history of the Barbie doll. I had watched the Barbie episode of The Toys That Made Us on Netflix, and loved it. This has a lot more information thrown in. I never played with Barbie dolls as a kid but now I feel like I missed out.
August 10, 2023
Rating 3.5/5 😄I liked it a lot
Format Audio
Rereading August 2023
I wanted to revisit this because of the success of the Barbie movie, which I saw and liked.
I still can't comprehend people that are so self conscious (acomplejados) that truly hate a doll. Whatever trauma regarding self image, specially for women is derived from society: our parents telling calling us fat, people telling girls men don't like *insert here* (fat, too tall, too short, too skinny, too intelligent, too outspoken... ) It's not fair to blame it on Barbie.
I was a true collector of Barbies, I had a ton of them and I loved them. Not once I compared myself to a Barbie, and I have always been on the fat side. I compared to my – In my eyes– more skinny real life friends. Barbie was just that, a toy, one I could dress pretty, style her hair, imagine worlds of different stories and scenarios (school teacher, soap opera star, housewife...). , I wanted her dreamy clothes for me, but I never wanted to be her, she was a doll.
For me Barbie is a feminist icon, and like any feminist has her haters. At the end, She will be left standing, triumphantly.
The other aspect I liked about this book is getting to know Ruth Handler's story, Barbie's creator and Mattel's founder. How infuriating is to know her two male partners couldn't fit her name on the company's name. It's called Mattel for Harold "Matt" Matson and Elliot Handler, Ruth's husband.
She was a real life strong, visionary, independent woman. More people should know her name.
I liked these quotes:
Original review
******************
Rating: 3.5/5 I liked it
Nonfiction November 2021
This is a very interesting biography-ish of Barbie.
I love Barbie and I disagree if you think she is a bad influence for girls, that because of her, girls have body image issues. Barbie is just a toy, she's not the parent that's constantly telling their daughter that she's fat, she's not the person that bullies you, she's not the man that objectify you. She is whatever you want her to be.
I liked this because she recognizes Barbie as the icon she is, and puts a spotlight on to the extraordinary and visionary woman that created and fought for her. The author presents both sides of the argument, those who hate and those who love her.
I recommend it.
Format Audio
Rereading August 2023
I wanted to revisit this because of the success of the Barbie movie, which I saw and liked.
I still can't comprehend people that are so self conscious (acomplejados) that truly hate a doll. Whatever trauma regarding self image, specially for women is derived from society: our parents telling calling us fat, people telling girls men don't like *insert here* (fat, too tall, too short, too skinny, too intelligent, too outspoken... ) It's not fair to blame it on Barbie.
I was a true collector of Barbies, I had a ton of them and I loved them. Not once I compared myself to a Barbie, and I have always been on the fat side. I compared to my – In my eyes– more skinny real life friends. Barbie was just that, a toy, one I could dress pretty, style her hair, imagine worlds of different stories and scenarios (school teacher, soap opera star, housewife...). , I wanted her dreamy clothes for me, but I never wanted to be her, she was a doll.
For me Barbie is a feminist icon, and like any feminist has her haters. At the end, She will be left standing, triumphantly.
The other aspect I liked about this book is getting to know Ruth Handler's story, Barbie's creator and Mattel's founder. How infuriating is to know her two male partners couldn't fit her name on the company's name. It's called Mattel for Harold "Matt" Matson and Elliot Handler, Ruth's husband.
She was a real life strong, visionary, independent woman. More people should know her name.
I liked these quotes:
"How barbie looked was never the issue, not to the girls who loved her, is what she taught us what mattered, and she taught us was that, like barbie,, we could be anything we wanted to be, so that's exactly what we all became."
"I think Barbie really was, in a lot of ways, the first feminist, she kind of pointed the way out of the kitchen for little girls" MG Lord
"Barbie has always represented the fact that a woman has choices" Ruth Handler
Original review
******************
Rating: 3.5/5 I liked it
Nonfiction November 2021
This is a very interesting biography-ish of Barbie.
I love Barbie and I disagree if you think she is a bad influence for girls, that because of her, girls have body image issues. Barbie is just a toy, she's not the parent that's constantly telling their daughter that she's fat, she's not the person that bullies you, she's not the man that objectify you. She is whatever you want her to be.
I liked this because she recognizes Barbie as the icon she is, and puts a spotlight on to the extraordinary and visionary woman that created and fought for her. The author presents both sides of the argument, those who hate and those who love her.
I recommend it.
January 21, 2019
An interesting piece of modern social history that probably gets less coverage than it deserves. How much more has been written about the Kennedy assassination than Barbie. At first glance, that may be as it should be. Still, when you think about it, what shaped the world more, a doll that influenced, and is still influencing, millions of girls the world over or the murder of one American president? I know what I would answer. Whatever happened on the grassy knoll, if anything, had not a fraction of the influence of Barbie’s friend Midge.
When I was growing up, Barbies were everywhere. I didn’t dare let myself be seen actually playing with one or, I feared, my boy credit would be toast forever. Still, I remember wishing I could have a Barbie for the simple reason that my G.I. Joe’s had no women in their lives. The heroes on TV shows and movies had girlfriends or wives. Many of the people they saved were women. There were female heroes. The women in my G.I. Joe’s lives had to be invisible. My sister came too late to help me out. I was getting too old for action figures by the time she was born. Don’t get me wrong, Barbies, in my opinion, made terrible action figures. Their arms didn’t bend at the elbow, their legs barely bent, you couldn't stand them up with those tiny feet and they didn’t have kung fu grip.
Still, the influence my G.I. Joes had on the world were nothing compared to the towering edifice that was Barbie. This book does a great job of telling the story of its inventor Ruth Handler and the Mattel toy company as well as the pros and cons of Barbie’s massive influence. Love her or hate her, Barbie was a phenomenon that changed the world.
This was a fun read.
When I was growing up, Barbies were everywhere. I didn’t dare let myself be seen actually playing with one or, I feared, my boy credit would be toast forever. Still, I remember wishing I could have a Barbie for the simple reason that my G.I. Joe’s had no women in their lives. The heroes on TV shows and movies had girlfriends or wives. Many of the people they saved were women. There were female heroes. The women in my G.I. Joe’s lives had to be invisible. My sister came too late to help me out. I was getting too old for action figures by the time she was born. Don’t get me wrong, Barbies, in my opinion, made terrible action figures. Their arms didn’t bend at the elbow, their legs barely bent, you couldn't stand them up with those tiny feet and they didn’t have kung fu grip.
Still, the influence my G.I. Joes had on the world were nothing compared to the towering edifice that was Barbie. This book does a great job of telling the story of its inventor Ruth Handler and the Mattel toy company as well as the pros and cons of Barbie’s massive influence. Love her or hate her, Barbie was a phenomenon that changed the world.
This was a fun read.
August 29, 2015
A short, sweet overview of Barbie and the challenges she has faced over her 50+ years of existence. Not very long, not very in depth, but still well researched and good for a glimpse into the famous doll. A lot of the quotes or stories had me laughing out loud...especially the Forward.
I knew the author and I were going to be amazing friends after I read that Forward.
I, too, was forbidden from having that scandalous Barbie doll for fear I would grow up with a negative body image. In fact, I distinctly remember one Christmas where a neon orange skater Barbie was presented to me by less-savvy relatives. I barely got a glimpse of her before we returned it to the store. I probably ended up with something practical, like a sweater.
As much as I appreciate my Mom's worry, I tend to agree with the author on this one. Barbie is what you make her. She can be used for good or bad...in the end she is merely a doll.
I knew the author and I were going to be amazing friends after I read that Forward.
I, too, was forbidden from having that scandalous Barbie doll for fear I would grow up with a negative body image. In fact, I distinctly remember one Christmas where a neon orange skater Barbie was presented to me by less-savvy relatives. I barely got a glimpse of her before we returned it to the store. I probably ended up with something practical, like a sweater.
As much as I appreciate my Mom's worry, I tend to agree with the author on this one. Barbie is what you make her. She can be used for good or bad...in the end she is merely a doll.
February 14, 2019
I listened to a couple hours of this and gave up. I don't really have a dog in the hunt when it comes to Barbie -- my childhood Barbies were merely accessories for my Breyer plastic model horses -- but I thought the book might be fun from a social history perspective. And I did find some bits, such as the short history of Mattel and of fashion dolls, to be interesting. After that, though, it bogged down, with chapters on Barbie's wardrobes, careers, figure, etc. each padded out with seemingly endless quotations from random girls and women speaking either for or against Barbie.
August 17, 2023
I truthfully don't care about Barbie but I saw this was on audible plus, which I have, and Barbie is, of course, a big thing right now with the movie that came out. And I saw it is going off audible plus next month and I was like "it's only 3 hours long, and I always speed up audio books, why not just listen to it now?". So I did. Sort of. I fell asleep for... some of it... and do not care to re-listen to it so I just plowed on. But I did learn I was too harsh on Barbie before, so there's that. I did learn something.
October 11, 2012
In The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll’s History and Her Impact on Us, Stone not only tells the history of the Barbie doll but also explores and examines Barbie’s cultural and psychological impact on girls, boys, women, and even men. The book starts out with a brief but detailed biography of Ruth Handler and those she worked with leading up to and founding her toy company Mattel, whose success really took off with the popularity of the Barbie doll. It was interesting to read that Handler loosely modeled the Barbie doll initially after the pinup girls and movie stars of the 1950’s since they set the standards for ideals of women and beauty at the time. It’s no wonder Barbie sparked controversy from her very beginnings, she wasn’t the typical baby-faced doll usually marketed to young girls, she was a teen model of fashion and beauty, at least that’s what Mattel originally intended. With each passing decade Barbie changed with the times, as ideals of women’s roles and beauty changed, so did the Barbie doll. Stone touches upon several aspects of the doll and her impact on us, however, much of her book focuses on the physical beauty attributes of the doll, the doll’s racial and cultural identities, her various physical changes over the decades, and what, if any, psychological effects the doll and her metamorphoses has had on young girls throughout the Barbie years.
Stone includes input from professionals in the psychology fields, authors who have written about Barbie, and tons of responses from young girls up through adult women on their own personal experiences with Barbie. This was perhaps one of my favorite aspects of the book, reading the words and insights of so many young girls and young women really demonstrated Barbie’s major impact on our society and reinforced her identity as an American icon. The images throughout the book of Barbie over the years also exemplified this, it was interesting and often amusing to see all these different Barbie’s and Barbie companions and how each one changed (some drastically) over the decades. As a young girl I had less than five Barbie dolls over my entire doll-playing years, so I was coming from a middle-ground point of view in my opinion, I wasn’t a Barbie-fanatic and I wasn’t a Barbie-hater either. While reading this book I often tried to relate my experiences to those I was reading about, and I think reader’s own Barbie experiences will offer them varying reading experiences as a result. Since I was not a huge Barbie fan I think I geared more toward the “what’s the harm” side initially, however, after reading both sides I can also see where much of the “Barbie-bashers” are coming from as well. Overall, this book was really fun to read, very interesting, and it really made me look at Barbie in a whole new light, definitely a recommended read for anyone who has ever played with a Barbie (or wanted to but their parents wouldn’t buy them one).
Stone includes input from professionals in the psychology fields, authors who have written about Barbie, and tons of responses from young girls up through adult women on their own personal experiences with Barbie. This was perhaps one of my favorite aspects of the book, reading the words and insights of so many young girls and young women really demonstrated Barbie’s major impact on our society and reinforced her identity as an American icon. The images throughout the book of Barbie over the years also exemplified this, it was interesting and often amusing to see all these different Barbie’s and Barbie companions and how each one changed (some drastically) over the decades. As a young girl I had less than five Barbie dolls over my entire doll-playing years, so I was coming from a middle-ground point of view in my opinion, I wasn’t a Barbie-fanatic and I wasn’t a Barbie-hater either. While reading this book I often tried to relate my experiences to those I was reading about, and I think reader’s own Barbie experiences will offer them varying reading experiences as a result. Since I was not a huge Barbie fan I think I geared more toward the “what’s the harm” side initially, however, after reading both sides I can also see where much of the “Barbie-bashers” are coming from as well. Overall, this book was really fun to read, very interesting, and it really made me look at Barbie in a whole new light, definitely a recommended read for anyone who has ever played with a Barbie (or wanted to but their parents wouldn’t buy them one).
December 29, 2010
Okay, finished. It never got any better, though perhaps worth reading just to find out that in 1965 there was a slumber party Barbie that came with a scale set at 110 pounds and a miniature book called How to Lose Weight.
Seriously, what is this book? What is the point? Who is it written for? What are the redeeming qualities? It's padded full of 14-year-old girls psychoanalyzing themselves, with their quotes seemingly used as some kind of evidence that Barbie is or isn't anti-feminist or cool or harmful or whatever. Most of the book could have been retitled "People Emailed Me What They Think About Barbie and I Put It In a Book".
I don't hate Barbie. I don't really have strong feelings about Barbie. But this book is one of the messier works of non-fiction I've read.
Earlier:
I'm about a third of the way through this and can't imagine what else there is for the author to say. Also, my teeth hurt from the sugar.
This is the second book I've read by Stone (Almost Astronauts was first), and I think I simply don't care for her writing. I find it cutesy, full of cliches, repetitive... basically, reads like a very long Cosmo article. She does not hesitate in either book to pause from giving facts, or even interpreting them, to proselytize. In a chapter about Barbie's career options (well, it's called "It's All About the Clothes", but oddly, half is about Barbie fashion and half is about Barbie careers), she breaks in to say:
It is easy to jump on the bandwagon and say that Barbie must be sold as a pilot and not only as a stewardess, or a surgeon and not only a nurse, but it's also important to remember that the world "only" can be just as limiting to girls. If a nurse is what you want to be, then a nurse you should be! It is Choice--with a capital C--that women have fought to have. It doesn't matter what the choice turns out to be, as long as it is your own.
And then she jumps back into a historical timeline of Barbie careers.
I don't disagree with the sentiment, and should have been relieved to see it there, because I was previously annoyed by some slightly nurse-belittling language. But I don't think the above paragraph makes sense in a history/cultural analysis of the Barbie. And I flinch at someone telling me what it is "important to remember", especially when it is opinion and not fact, no matter how much I might agree.
(Also, she talks at some length about how Barbie's doctor clothes aren't suitable for doctoring in, and the pilot's too; but what about the unsuitability of Nurse Barbie's outfit, or Teacher Barbie's, if you're going to go that route?)
Okay, back to the book, but I don't think it's remotely good enough for the Newbery. Of course, I didn't think Almost Astronauts was remotely good enough for the Sibert, so.
Seriously, what is this book? What is the point? Who is it written for? What are the redeeming qualities? It's padded full of 14-year-old girls psychoanalyzing themselves, with their quotes seemingly used as some kind of evidence that Barbie is or isn't anti-feminist or cool or harmful or whatever. Most of the book could have been retitled "People Emailed Me What They Think About Barbie and I Put It In a Book".
I don't hate Barbie. I don't really have strong feelings about Barbie. But this book is one of the messier works of non-fiction I've read.
Earlier:
I'm about a third of the way through this and can't imagine what else there is for the author to say. Also, my teeth hurt from the sugar.
This is the second book I've read by Stone (Almost Astronauts was first), and I think I simply don't care for her writing. I find it cutesy, full of cliches, repetitive... basically, reads like a very long Cosmo article. She does not hesitate in either book to pause from giving facts, or even interpreting them, to proselytize. In a chapter about Barbie's career options (well, it's called "It's All About the Clothes", but oddly, half is about Barbie fashion and half is about Barbie careers), she breaks in to say:
It is easy to jump on the bandwagon and say that Barbie must be sold as a pilot and not only as a stewardess, or a surgeon and not only a nurse, but it's also important to remember that the world "only" can be just as limiting to girls. If a nurse is what you want to be, then a nurse you should be! It is Choice--with a capital C--that women have fought to have. It doesn't matter what the choice turns out to be, as long as it is your own.
And then she jumps back into a historical timeline of Barbie careers.
I don't disagree with the sentiment, and should have been relieved to see it there, because I was previously annoyed by some slightly nurse-belittling language. But I don't think the above paragraph makes sense in a history/cultural analysis of the Barbie. And I flinch at someone telling me what it is "important to remember", especially when it is opinion and not fact, no matter how much I might agree.
(Also, she talks at some length about how Barbie's doctor clothes aren't suitable for doctoring in, and the pilot's too; but what about the unsuitability of Nurse Barbie's outfit, or Teacher Barbie's, if you're going to go that route?)
Okay, back to the book, but I don't think it's remotely good enough for the Newbery. Of course, I didn't think Almost Astronauts was remotely good enough for the Sibert, so.
August 23, 2010
Award-winning author Tanya Lee Stone is back with another hit. This time, Stone tackles the biography of one of the world’s most loved (and hated) icons – Barbie. Whether you see her as an innocent child’s doll or a reflection of society’s obsession with beauty; this book has something for everyone. The genius of this book begins in the foreword by Meg Cabot, who eloquently offers us her memories of being Barbie obsessed, “supporting my Barbie fix was what started me on a path to eventually becoming a money-hoarding multimillionaire.” Stone deftly weaves the history of Barbie, and her creator; with “every girl” (and guy) recollections culled from hundreds of interviews and solicited emails. In retro handbag cutouts, Stone highlights quotes from young, old, male, female, rich & famous, and the girl next door. Black and white photos, some archival and some staged purposely for this book, are placed throughout keeping the book from becoming text heavy. A wonderful eight page color insert introduces us to Barbie through the years. Chapters cover everything from Barbie’s invention by Ruth Handler in 1959, to society’s reaction to her clothes, body and her impact on girls’ vision of themselves. Stone says, “There is not much middle-of-the-road when it comes to Barbie,” and that is certainly apparent in the research and interviews presented in the chapters on Barbie and her impact on body image. “In America, girls between the ages of three and six own an average of twelve dolls, and 90 percent of girls between three and ten own at least one” making this book a perfect fit for any collection. The final version of the book will include photo credits, an extensive bibliography, source notes and an index. Melissa McBride, School Librarian, Southold Elementary School, Southold, NY.
January 13, 2011
Brief history of the Mattel Company and the creation of Barbie thrown together with a wacky mix of juvenile sensation elements and conjecture.
The story of Ruth Handler and the start up of Mattel was very interesting. Ruth was gutsy and took a lot of rewarding risks. One such venture was her gamble on the untried idea of marketing to kids, by making a huge advertising commitment to the ABC network with the new show, The Mickey Mouse Club. Mattel’s Burp Gun sales went through the roof.
Mattel was a progressive employer. Their first head of production was an African American man. They had a very integrated work force, which was virtually unheard of in the early 1950s.
It took several years for Ruth’s concept of Barbie to materialize to the toy shelves. The author could have elaborated much more here. It almost sounds like Ruth copied a German doll.
I enjoyed reading about the evolution of Barbie along with the pictures; however, this book fell far short of its potential.
The story of Ruth Handler and the start up of Mattel was very interesting. Ruth was gutsy and took a lot of rewarding risks. One such venture was her gamble on the untried idea of marketing to kids, by making a huge advertising commitment to the ABC network with the new show, The Mickey Mouse Club. Mattel’s Burp Gun sales went through the roof.
Mattel was a progressive employer. Their first head of production was an African American man. They had a very integrated work force, which was virtually unheard of in the early 1950s.
It took several years for Ruth’s concept of Barbie to materialize to the toy shelves. The author could have elaborated much more here. It almost sounds like Ruth copied a German doll.
I enjoyed reading about the evolution of Barbie along with the pictures; however, this book fell far short of its potential.
December 17, 2022
This is an excellent introduction for anyone interested in the Barbie franchise! It covers a scope of topics throughout Barbie’s life, not going into too much detail in any individual detail, but rather, it provides a comprehensive storyline of Barbie’s origins, challenges, and controversies from marketing, psychological, societal, political, and feminist lenses.
This book evokes a lot of curiosity and insight from its readers and will encourage them to search out more information and studies on the material it discusses. It’s a great springboard for anyone who wants to really get into and explore the origins and implications of the Barbie doll and the impacts it has on society.
This book evokes a lot of curiosity and insight from its readers and will encourage them to search out more information and studies on the material it discusses. It’s a great springboard for anyone who wants to really get into and explore the origins and implications of the Barbie doll and the impacts it has on society.
November 14, 2017
Although giving opportunities for Barbie fans and defenders to comment, this is more about feminist criticisms of the doll and her “influence” on girls. (The book does include a small section about Barbie’s impact on boys.) The author covers the history of the doll, the reactions in popular culture, and provides lots of pictures (mostly black and white.) An Index, Bibliography, and End Notes are included.
January 10, 2019
A rather short examination of Barbie. The scope of the work vs the length given leaves chapters feeling like there is a lot to be expanded on. However, this book does a good job of balancing positive and negative opinions that have been made about Barbie.
September 8, 2017
Barbie is one of those figures that I've always meant to learn more about, but never gotten around to. I came across a copy of The Good, The Bad, and The Barbie at my local library and thought it would be a good place to start.
This book serves as a solid overview of various aspects of Barbie. It covers her creation, her evolution, and the positive and negative opinions that have been expressed about her over the years. It deals with issues of gender and race, and tries overall to depict both opposing views of the icon that this doll has become. It includes many pictures, which I thought added a lot to the narrative, but might have been more effective in full colour. I really enjoyed how Stone tried to tackle all of the issues head on. That said, The Good, The Bad, and The Barbie is quite a short book, which makes the wide array of issues covered a little bit lacking in depth. While it did cover a bit of everything, I did find myself leaving the book with more questions than answers.
Overall, I thought this was a decent little read. It introduced me to numerous facts about a cultural icon that I didn't know, and provided additional information on opinions I hadn't before considered. That said, I think it best serves as an introduction piece. It mentioned other books and writers as sources, and I intend to look into those for more information. I recommend this to anyone who either isn't interested in anything lengthy on the topic, or to anyone who is looking for a place to start.
This book serves as a solid overview of various aspects of Barbie. It covers her creation, her evolution, and the positive and negative opinions that have been expressed about her over the years. It deals with issues of gender and race, and tries overall to depict both opposing views of the icon that this doll has become. It includes many pictures, which I thought added a lot to the narrative, but might have been more effective in full colour. I really enjoyed how Stone tried to tackle all of the issues head on. That said, The Good, The Bad, and The Barbie is quite a short book, which makes the wide array of issues covered a little bit lacking in depth. While it did cover a bit of everything, I did find myself leaving the book with more questions than answers.
Overall, I thought this was a decent little read. It introduced me to numerous facts about a cultural icon that I didn't know, and provided additional information on opinions I hadn't before considered. That said, I think it best serves as an introduction piece. It mentioned other books and writers as sources, and I intend to look into those for more information. I recommend this to anyone who either isn't interested in anything lengthy on the topic, or to anyone who is looking for a place to start.
July 9, 2019
This was a very interesting book. A lot more interesting than I thought it was going to be. I was not much of a doll kid growing up. Of course, like the book pointed out, most of the doll's available were baby dolls. Ugh! I wanted trucks and guns and stuff like that. Since the '60's were a very patriarchal time I was quickly informed to play with the baby doll the parents got me. "Look she has a bottle."
So, having a Barbie was ok. I never took much interest in the clothes and the shoes were dumb, but I enjoyed building her houses and cars. They were really expensive back then, so I made her homes, furniture, etc. from stuff in the yard and around the house. So, for me Barbie was a craft project. Empty thread spools were chairs, cereal boxes became walls, closets, etc. And, during my early love of Star Trek empty oatmeal containers became transporters.
As I said, this was a very interesting book. I learned so much about the woman who created the dolls and helped begin Mattel Toys. Good book! Don't turn away from it just because it's about a doll. That doll helped shape the childhood of a lot of people.
So, having a Barbie was ok. I never took much interest in the clothes and the shoes were dumb, but I enjoyed building her houses and cars. They were really expensive back then, so I made her homes, furniture, etc. from stuff in the yard and around the house. So, for me Barbie was a craft project. Empty thread spools were chairs, cereal boxes became walls, closets, etc. And, during my early love of Star Trek empty oatmeal containers became transporters.
As I said, this was a very interesting book. I learned so much about the woman who created the dolls and helped begin Mattel Toys. Good book! Don't turn away from it just because it's about a doll. That doll helped shape the childhood of a lot of people.
April 20, 2015
Tanya Lee Stone introduces a controversial topic in her nonfiction book: The Good, The Bad, And The Barbie: A Doll’s History and Her Impact on Us. Tanya is straightforward. She begins by giving the readers the background as to how Barbie was created and then pulls opinions from all over. She really did her research. She receives opinions from Barbie supporters to Barbie-Bashers. Tanya gives examples of how Barbie dresses to work in what was generally a male dominated workforce. While on the other hand, many of the Barbie-Bashers feel like this doll created an unrealistic idea of what a woman should look like, present herself, and wear. Sarah Newman, age eleven stated “The dolls and movies give a different message than Barbie’s slogan, ‘Be who you wanna be.’ The real message is, ‘You can be who you wanna be… if you’re pretty.’” (p. 41)
What I found really interesting about this book was how Tanya showed the reader how the doll has progressed and changed over the years. Also, she showed Barbie dolls from around the world. (p.74-81) This just shows that as much as people say that Barbie has greatly influenced young girls’ outlooks on self-image (which I am not arguing) Barbie has also been shaped by our society. Originally created as a fashion toy, this doll has turned into an unexpected sensation.
What I found really interesting about this book was how Tanya showed the reader how the doll has progressed and changed over the years. Also, she showed Barbie dolls from around the world. (p.74-81) This just shows that as much as people say that Barbie has greatly influenced young girls’ outlooks on self-image (which I am not arguing) Barbie has also been shaped by our society. Originally created as a fashion toy, this doll has turned into an unexpected sensation.
August 15, 2014
I absolutely loved Barbies from about age 9 to 12. My friends and I played out elaborate storylines for hours at a time. So I was fascinated by this book, which looks at the doll, her creator, and her impact.
I didn't shelve it under "buy for book clubs" because I need another reader. I'm not sure of the kid appeal--am I liking it only because of who I am? And there's basically a whole chapter about how kids have Barbie & Ken have sex. I don't think it's a big deal, but I really need another adult opinion on that one, just because it's not an issues we've dealt with before. We pretty much know exactly where our lines are for our population for actual sex...but this is definitely different!
I didn't shelve it under "buy for book clubs" because I need another reader. I'm not sure of the kid appeal--am I liking it only because of who I am? And there's basically a whole chapter about how kids have Barbie & Ken have sex. I don't think it's a big deal, but I really need another adult opinion on that one, just because it's not an issues we've dealt with before. We pretty much know exactly where our lines are for our population for actual sex...but this is definitely different!
July 23, 2023
Just reread this one. I’m bumping up my rating to 5 stars because I think this might be the best example I’ve seen of a history book for young adults that really works for any adult who wants a succinct, readable history. She blends together quality history with great insights from actual Barbie doll owners. So you get both the history of this doll and the analysis of what the doll has meant. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for a reader wanting a deep in-depth history of Barbie (Barbie and Ruth is a great pick for that) or a reader wanting a meaty, academic look at the cultural meanings of Barbie (I’d recommend Forever Barbie for that). But for a highly readable, brief swoop through the story of Barbie, this is a terrific pick
October 17, 2010
An exceptionally well-written look at how Barbie dolls have reflected cultural and fashion sensibilities over the years. There is a balanced look between people who claim Barbie reinforces and promotes negative stereotypes and unhealthy attitudes about body image and consumerism, and those who see positive influences the dolls promote. The chapter discussing the inventive ways Barbies are used to enact sexual and torture scenarios are highly entertaining!
January 28, 2019
This book gives a brief, but interesting history of Mattel as well as the creation and evolution of Barbie. The majority of the book, however, is devoted to the debate surrounding Barbie's influence on girls. It turns out that the debate seems to be rather fierce and almost everyone, well almost all females that is, seem to have an opinion. (I just kept thinking, "wow, what a great, often overlooked subject for a controversial topic" but that's just the librarian talking.) Anyway, Stone, the author, interviewed dozens of females ranging in ages from children to grandmothers and just as wide a variety of expertise. There were again, children and mothers as well as professors and acclaimed feminists. It was fascinating to hear everyone's opinions on the doll and her affect on girls' or the American culture's psyche. I'm sure you've heard the general arguments before so I won't go into those. The book is rather brief, not all comprehensive on the history of the company, the doll, or the arguments either way. It's just a really good overview. What this book did, though, was made me think through my own opinion.
February 7, 2019
I listened to this on Audible. A quick listen, and the narrator is excellent. I would have given this 2 stars if I had read it (I am more tolerant of Audiobooks for some reason), and an even lower score if I had paid full price (this was an Audible deal of the day). The backstory of the creator of Barbie was very interesting, but could have been covered in an interesting magazine article. The cultural history was less interesting, and mostly comprises anecdotes of women who used to play with Barbies which I found intermittently interesting. If you got it as the Audible deal of the day, you shouldn't be disappointed.
May 21, 2023
Like a lot of young kids, I had my share of Barbie dolls and Barbie adventures. I had the controversial International dolls, the townhouse (remember that elevator!), the dream house, the coupe and my favorite- the RV camper. When a couple of my bookworm friends expressed an interest in reading a Barbie book, Stone's book was suggested as a buddy read. I was fortunate to find a copy at my library and did enjoy the read. I admit that I knew little about Barbie (and Mattel's) founder, Barbara Millicent Roberts. It was interesting to read about Robert's aspirations for Barbie, offering children an outlet for their dreams. Barbie, however, is not without criticism and those critiques are also explored in The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie. I enjoyed this short read and loved the walk down memory lane with the numerous photos of Barbie. I recommend Stone's book to fans of Barbie and to younger readers that hope to learn more about her history.
July 30, 2023
“Girls are strong, and no plastic eleven and a half inch doll could ever change that.” No matter what your opinion about Barbie is, this is always true.
I love Barbie and Barbie is always a slay!! I vividly remember playing with Barbies when I was a kid, and being so wildly excited that I could be and do whatever I could imagine through Barbie. Playing with Barbie encouraged my creativity, empowered me as a girl, and helped a lonely little girl feel not quite so alone.
I’m sad to say that the book did not live up to my expectations—I wanted more. It felt disjointed and disorganized as we skipped around within the Barbie timeline. As well, I was hoping for a more nuanced approach to Barbie, or at least arguments with more substance and depth. In 9 long chapters that are researched at a basic level, Tanya Lee Stone discusses 2 sides to Barbie discourse. They are as follows:
1. Barbie is empowering, encourages girls to follow their dreams and do what they truly want, Barbie is a vehicle through which girls can experiment and engage in play, Barbie unapologetically embraces her femininity within a horrifically patriarchal society that scorns women for doing so. Not only does Barbie help women love being women, she helps women love to be themselves.
2. Barbie negatively reinforces impossible beauty standards, she damages self image, she is demeaning to women, etc.
While both criticisms are very valid, Stone doesn’t really scratch the surface. There are a few moments where she considers Barbie through various intersectional lenses, but those moments are few and, for the most part, fleeting. I mean, Stone gave us an ENTIRE chapter dedicated to how/why kids mutilate their Barbie dolls…. like we know this. This isn’t important. We’ve all decapitated our Barbies at some point or another. I want more intersectionality and diverse perspectives. That would create depth and authenticity.
The most interesting part of the book is the first chapter. We get a short biography of Ruth Handler, how she created Barbie, and how Mattel came to be. This was fascinating. I think Ruth is my hero now?? She was gutsy, fiercely independent, and a cut throat business woman during a time when women did NOT occupy those roles. She wanted to create a doll that girls could project themselves and their dreams onto; she wanted to show girls, through Barbie, that they can do anything men can do, but with style. Feminist icon! I also learned a lot about Mattel that definitely garnered my respect. Mattel has been an inclusive, diverse company since the beginning, and highly valued hiring the “best possible person for the job.” This progressive attitude started with hiring a black man in a high-level management position during the height of segregation, and continued on to hiring a black designer to design Mattel’s first black Barbies, consulting with cultural centres all over the world when creating their Dolls of the World collection, and hiring experts to co-create product, and continue to prioritize representation in the Barbies they create so everyone can see themselves in Barbie. Even the Barbie youtube channel is amazing and empowering and highly inclusive.
Overall, I’ll always be a Barbie girly
I love Barbie and Barbie is always a slay!! I vividly remember playing with Barbies when I was a kid, and being so wildly excited that I could be and do whatever I could imagine through Barbie. Playing with Barbie encouraged my creativity, empowered me as a girl, and helped a lonely little girl feel not quite so alone.
I’m sad to say that the book did not live up to my expectations—I wanted more. It felt disjointed and disorganized as we skipped around within the Barbie timeline. As well, I was hoping for a more nuanced approach to Barbie, or at least arguments with more substance and depth. In 9 long chapters that are researched at a basic level, Tanya Lee Stone discusses 2 sides to Barbie discourse. They are as follows:
1. Barbie is empowering, encourages girls to follow their dreams and do what they truly want, Barbie is a vehicle through which girls can experiment and engage in play, Barbie unapologetically embraces her femininity within a horrifically patriarchal society that scorns women for doing so. Not only does Barbie help women love being women, she helps women love to be themselves.
2. Barbie negatively reinforces impossible beauty standards, she damages self image, she is demeaning to women, etc.
While both criticisms are very valid, Stone doesn’t really scratch the surface. There are a few moments where she considers Barbie through various intersectional lenses, but those moments are few and, for the most part, fleeting. I mean, Stone gave us an ENTIRE chapter dedicated to how/why kids mutilate their Barbie dolls…. like we know this. This isn’t important. We’ve all decapitated our Barbies at some point or another. I want more intersectionality and diverse perspectives. That would create depth and authenticity.
The most interesting part of the book is the first chapter. We get a short biography of Ruth Handler, how she created Barbie, and how Mattel came to be. This was fascinating. I think Ruth is my hero now?? She was gutsy, fiercely independent, and a cut throat business woman during a time when women did NOT occupy those roles. She wanted to create a doll that girls could project themselves and their dreams onto; she wanted to show girls, through Barbie, that they can do anything men can do, but with style. Feminist icon! I also learned a lot about Mattel that definitely garnered my respect. Mattel has been an inclusive, diverse company since the beginning, and highly valued hiring the “best possible person for the job.” This progressive attitude started with hiring a black man in a high-level management position during the height of segregation, and continued on to hiring a black designer to design Mattel’s first black Barbies, consulting with cultural centres all over the world when creating their Dolls of the World collection, and hiring experts to co-create product, and continue to prioritize representation in the Barbies they create so everyone can see themselves in Barbie. Even the Barbie youtube channel is amazing and empowering and highly inclusive.
Overall, I’ll always be a Barbie girly
January 28, 2019
Quite informative about the origin of Barbie and the role of Barbie in the modern world. I liked the fact that the book highlighted the two sides of the story -Barbie as a feminist, globalist, egalitarian, and Barbie as a patriarchal tool. It indeed can enjoy this dual reputation.
It was a fast read, but nothing to write home about. It is non-fiction, so it is not worth discussing characters, style, ideas, and emotional depth.
As I non-fiction, it is a solid read, but it does not have the sparkle to be an excellent book. It reminds me of student research paper that was based on the well-funded research to interview different people across the country.
It was a fast read, but nothing to write home about. It is non-fiction, so it is not worth discussing characters, style, ideas, and emotional depth.
As I non-fiction, it is a solid read, but it does not have the sparkle to be an excellent book. It reminds me of student research paper that was based on the well-funded research to interview different people across the country.
February 26, 2019
The Good, The Bad – lets be honest, this book focuses quite a bit more on the bad. My experiences with Barbie was playing with my sister’s Barbie’s, and yes the dream house and the convertible. I would play with them while my sister was a school. It would make her so angry, but my mother totally let me do it. I could never understand why my sister was angry with me and not my mother.
Barbie and I are the same age……I have not aged quite as well as she has, but no one criticizes me like they do Barbie.
This book is entertaining, I liked hearing what people had to say and I loved all the great photos.
I received my first Barbie for my 50th birthday, anniversary edition.
Barbie and I are the same age……I have not aged quite as well as she has, but no one criticizes me like they do Barbie.
This book is entertaining, I liked hearing what people had to say and I loved all the great photos.
I received my first Barbie for my 50th birthday, anniversary edition.
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