Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll

Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll PDF Author: M.G. Lord
Publisher: Liveright Publishing
ISBN: 1324095768
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
Barbie is a strong, independent doll. But is she a feminist icon? It’s complicated. Since her introduction in 1959, Barbie’s impact has been revolutionary. Far from being a toy designed by men to oppress women, she was a toy invented by women to teach women what was expected of them, for better or for worse. Whether tarred-and-glittered as antifeminist puffery or celebrated as a feminist icon (or, at any rate, an important cultural touchstone in understanding feminism) Barbie has undeniably influenced generations of girls. In Forever Barbie, cultural critic, investigative journalist, and first-generation Barbie owner M. G. Lord uncovers the surprising story behind Barbie’s smash success. Revealing her low origins as “Bild Lilli,” a risqué doll for adults sold as a gag gift in postwar Germany, Forever Barbie traces Barbie’s development and transformation, through countless makeovers and career changes, into an international pop culture icon and now “traditional toy.” Though not every doll in the line has been a hit—with pregnant Midge and Growing up Skipper among the more intriguing disasters—Barbie’s endurance, Lord writes, speaks as much to Mattel’s successful marketing as it does to our society’s overall ambivalence toward femininity. With new accessories, including a preface on the latest developments in the Barbieverse, Forever Barbie “will make you think of America’s most celebrated plastic doll in ways you never have before” (Susan Faludi).

Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll

Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll PDF Author: M.G. Lord
Publisher: Liveright Publishing
ISBN: 1324095768
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 385

Get Book

Book Description
Barbie is a strong, independent doll. But is she a feminist icon? It’s complicated. Since her introduction in 1959, Barbie’s impact has been revolutionary. Far from being a toy designed by men to oppress women, she was a toy invented by women to teach women what was expected of them, for better or for worse. Whether tarred-and-glittered as antifeminist puffery or celebrated as a feminist icon (or, at any rate, an important cultural touchstone in understanding feminism) Barbie has undeniably influenced generations of girls. In Forever Barbie, cultural critic, investigative journalist, and first-generation Barbie owner M. G. Lord uncovers the surprising story behind Barbie’s smash success. Revealing her low origins as “Bild Lilli,” a risqué doll for adults sold as a gag gift in postwar Germany, Forever Barbie traces Barbie’s development and transformation, through countless makeovers and career changes, into an international pop culture icon and now “traditional toy.” Though not every doll in the line has been a hit—with pregnant Midge and Growing up Skipper among the more intriguing disasters—Barbie’s endurance, Lord writes, speaks as much to Mattel’s successful marketing as it does to our society’s overall ambivalence toward femininity. With new accessories, including a preface on the latest developments in the Barbieverse, Forever Barbie “will make you think of America’s most celebrated plastic doll in ways you never have before” (Susan Faludi).

Forever Barbie

Forever Barbie PDF Author: M. G. Lord
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0802776949
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
Originally published: New York: William Morrow & Co, c1994.

Barbie: It Takes Two: Friends Forever

Barbie: It Takes Two: Friends Forever PDF Author: Grace Baranowski
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0794449891
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 21

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Book Description
Barbie ("Brooklyn") and Barbie ("Malibu") want to make it big in New York City, but they need help from someone with star power to make their dreams come true! Will the girls manage to find a star-making media mogul and get a meeting with him? Find out in this fun storybook with two adorable BFF necklaces! Barbie from Malibu and Barbie from Brooklyn have big dreams of becoming stars in New York City, and there’s one person who can make those dreams a reality: Otto Phoenix! But the friends quickly realize that getting a meeting with Mr. Phoenix is more difficult than they thought. When his assistant, Pandora, won’t let the girls meet with Otto, they have to get creative and come up with a plan to perform for him. Young Barbie fans will enjoy following along as Brooklyn and Malibu put on silly disguises, make pretzels, and scale a building in this fun storybook with two BFF necklaces!

Barbie and Ruth

Barbie and Ruth PDF Author: Robin Gerber
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061341312
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
The tragic and redeeming story of how one visionary woman built the biggest toy company in the world and created a global icon. Barbie and Ruth is the entwined story of two exceptional women. There's Barbie: the diminutive yet arrestingly voluptuous doll unveiled at the 1959 Toy Fair who became the treasure of 90 percent of American girls and their counterparts in 150 countries. She went on to compete as an Olympic athlete, serve as an air force pilot, work as a boutique owner, run as a presidential candidate, and ignite a cultural firestorm. And then there's Ruth Handler, Barbie's creator: the tenth child of Polish Jewish immigrants, a passionately competitive and creative business pioneer, and a mother and wife who wanted it all. After a business scandal that forced Ruth out of Mattel, the company she founded, she drew on her experience as a breast cancer survivor to start a business that changed women's lives. She was ultimately honored as a pioneer, humanitarian, and masterful entrepreneur. Based on original research, extensive interviews, and previously unavailable material, Barbie and Ruth tells the fascinating story of how two women forever changed American business and culture.

Barbie: Big City Big Dreams

Barbie: Big City Big Dreams PDF Author: Marilyn Easton
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0794448836
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 21

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Book Description
What happens when Barbie Roberts from Malibu meets another Barbie Roberts from Brooklyn? They become best friends, of course! Follow along as Malibu and Brooklyn learn what it takes to be a great friend in this fun storybook with an included charm bracelet. Barbie Roberts is off to New York City for the summer of a lifetime! She arrived at the Handler Arts Academy to find a surprise waiting for her—another Barbie Roberts! Barbie from Malibu and Barbie from Brooklyn become fast friends, but when an accident threatens to tear them apart, Brooklyn and Malibu discover the true meaning of friendship and working together. In this book based on the musical special Barbie: Big City Big Dreams, Barbie fans of all ages will enjoy reliving every moment of Brooklyn and Malibu’s adventures. Also included is a cute charm bracelet with three charms!

Barbie Collector's Guide

Barbie Collector's Guide PDF Author: Marilyn Easton
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 079444718X
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 96

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Book Description
With Barbie, you can be anything! Barbie has had many different careers over the years-from a surgeon to an astronaut-proving that anything is possible for you and Barbie! Packed with countless interesting Barbie-related facts.

Barbie's Queer Accessories

Barbie's Queer Accessories PDF Author: Erica Rand
Publisher: Duke University Press
ISBN: 9780822316206
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
This book discusses the history of the Barbie doll and at the cultural reappropriations of Barbie by artists, collectors and especially lesbians and gay men.

Barbie A Rare Beauty

Barbie A Rare Beauty PDF Author: Sandi Holder
Publisher: Krause Publications
ISBN: 9781440212796
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
What a Doll! The year is 1959. It is an era of one-dimensional paper dolls and cherubic baby dolls. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, there is Barbie doll. Sophisticated and full of possibilities. Barbie changes everything--forever. When Ruth Handler created Barbie doll five decades ago she not only introduced a wonderful toy for little girls, she helped create one of the most popular and prized collectibles in the toy market. Imagine, Handler's first doll, a Ponytail Barbie, sold for more than $25,000 at auction; a staggering amount for a doll that originally sold for $3. Barbie: A Rare Beauty hosts an amazing visual feast of 50 years of beautiful dolls, showcasing more than 500 striking photographs of some of the finest and rarest dolls ever created. Author and celebrated Barbie doll expert Sandi Holder presents a banquet of gorgeous vintage dolls, classic fashion sets, prototypes, one-of-a-kind rarities, Japanese fashions, store displays, licensed products and many never-before-seen items in this stunning presentation of the grandest doll ever: Barbie.

The Barbie Chronicles

The Barbie Chronicles PDF Author: Yona Zeldis McDonough
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439143897
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
A THOROUGHLY GROWN-UP LOOK AT A TWENTIETH-CENTURY MUSE OF OUTSTANDING PROPORTIONS To some she's a collectible, to others she's trash. In The Barbie Chronicles, twenty-three writers join together to scrutinize Barbie's forty years of hateful, lovely disastrous, glorious influence on us all. No other tiny shoulders have ever, had to carry the weight of such affection and derision and no other book has ever paid this notorious little place of plastic her due. Whether you adore her or abhor her, The Barbie Chronicles will have you looking at her in ways you never imagined.

Dressing Barbie

Dressing Barbie PDF Author: Carol Spencer
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062802453
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
A legendary fashion designer for Barbie shares the story of her adventures working behind-the-scenes at Mattel, and spotlights the creations that transformed the world’s most famous doll into a style icon in this beautifully designed book—published in commemoration of Barbie’s sixtieth anniversary—illustrated with 100 full-color photographs, including many never-before-seen images of rare and one-of-a-kind pieces from the author’s private archive. Dressing Barbie is a dazzling celebration of the clothes that made America’s favorite doll, and the incredible woman behind them. For thirty-five years, Carol Spencer enjoyed an unparalleled reign as a Barbie fashion designer, creating some of Barbie’s most iconic looks from the early 1960s until the late 1990s. Barbie’s wide-ranging wardrobe—including princess gowns and daisy-print rompers, flirty sundresses and smart pantsuits— combined fashion trends and haute couture with a liberal dose of fantasy. In Dressing Barbie, the successful and prolific designer reminisces about her time at Mattel working with legendary figures such as Ruth Handler, Barbie’s creator, and Charlotte Johnson, the original Barbie designer, and talks about her best and most beloved clothing designs from each decade. But Carol’s most impressive creation is her own life. As Handler famously said, “Barbie always represented the fact that a girl has choices”—a credo Carol epitomized. In Dressing Barbie, she talks candidly about how she broke free of the constraints of the late 1950s to pursue a dazzling career and an independent life for herself. Over the course of her successful and prolific career, Carol won many accolades. She was the first designer to have her signature on the doll, the first to go on a signing tour, the first to design a limited-edition Barbie Doll for collectors, and the designer of the biggest selling Barbie of all time. Now, Carol is the first member of the inner circle to take fans behind the pink curtain, revealing the fashion world of Barbie, the quintessential California girl, as never before.