Barbie

I’m sure if anyone manages to read this not long after the year 2023 they will be able to imagine the cultural tsunami that can only be described as the Barbification of the world. The 2023 Barbie movie was not only a box office success, but the fun, whimsical, pink world spewed into all corners of pop culture. After watching hundreds of press interviews, I stumbled across Billie Eilish’s interview with Zane Lowe. Just to go off track for a quick minute: Zane Lowe is one of the most authentic, down-to-earth humans in the music industry. The persona that he embodies in his Apple Music interviews makes space for artists to expose some of the most honest content. He has such in depth knowledge of the craft and never holds back with his praise and adoration for talent. Absolutely love him and the interviews he does. Slightly off track but one hundred percent worth it - he deserves showers of compliments. A couple of initial questions he posed to Billie about her relationship with Barbie really had me thinking. 

Firstly, he asked “What was your relationship like with your first Barbie? What did it mean to you as a kid?”

To me, Barbie began with sisterhood. Almost all my dolls were hand-me-downs from my older sisters - beautifully worn and lived in. Probably the best I would get were new accessories, a new fridge or a toy dog to go with the Barbies. This meant that my sister, Kezzie, not only played with them for long before I did but had to care for them. And boy did she care for them. Though you knew the dolls weren’t brand new, it was as though Kezzie was born knowing she would be a big sister. Barely any hairs out of place, both pairs of shoes with every outfit and, the most impressive one, no bite marks! Driving them around in the iconic pink car was like owning a classic vintage - well serviced, painted with a plethora of Barbie-themed stickers and catching the eye of every peer with nothing but a cheap new alternative. So, without knowing it, my relationship with my first Barbie was appreciating how much I was looked out for. I tried my hardest to return the favour, though I can’t promise I didn’t lose any pieces of jewellery to my tiny fluffy dogs’ vicious jaws.

Similarly, his next question was along the lines of: how did playing with Barbie dolls influence your identity (within a child’s imagination). 

Just as Billie responded, I wasn’t conscious of the whiteness that was the industry, nor the horrific body standards that most of the dolls upheld. What I did feel was my creativity having a healthy avenue to express itself. Since I can remember, I have been a storyteller but I have also been extremely introverted. So, sometimes, in order to express my ideas about life, friendship and romantic love I would need my plastic friends. I could create worlds around the ways I thought high school would be or the house I would experience adulthood in. Outside of myself, each Barbie doll had a distinct name and personality. They had a style, a job and a vision for their lives. They loved, they lost, they cried and most importantly lived grand, extravagant lives. My ability to world-build expanded beyond the little experiences I had lived. Even looking back at the early Barbie movies released from the late 2000s onwards, Barbie was multifaceted. In some movies she was gentle and kind, in others she was determined and steadfast. She had funny, quirky, moody friends. She played sports, she had magical powers and she did ballet. I did ballet up until I was 13 and thought ballerinas were cooler than superheroes (except Spiderman, obviously!). During her adventures, she usually succeeded but not before falling flat on her ass and questioning her abilities. She realistically faced very unrealistic obstacles and came out the other end stronger for it. Similarly, the Barbie Life in the Dream-house depicted a sassy, proud, caring version of Barbie who was shameless about all her achievements. She was way too qualified and earned every amazing luxury she reaped with her sisters, friends and Ken. It was one of the first times I saw a powerful girl dominate a story with a supportive boyfriend by her side. Loving a sweet, helpful boyfriend didn’t diminish her achievements, nor did any of her hundreds of careers suffer from choosing Ken. It was silently feeding me the idea that I could be effortlessly amazing at many things and be proud of it. 

I will not dispute the damage that playing dolls had on my self-image but I think I can love Barbie and be critical of the things she taught me in the same breath. Though it sounds like a thick slab of cheese, having Barbie dolls played a small but crucial part in my love for womanhood and alongside my grandma, mum, aunts and sisters they made me excited to be a woman in the world.