Barbie’s Surprising Origins
Barbie may not be quite what we’ve always believed.
For nearly 70 years, Mattel has promoted her as a groundbreaking figure, a powerful alternative to traditional dolls. However, in her new book, “Barbieland: An Unauthorized History,” Tarpley Hitt presents an unexpected perspective.
Hitt argues that Barbie isn’t an innovative original but a “knock-off” that has thrived thanks to smart marketing, exploitation, and even betrayal.
According to the book, “Mattel spent years hiding Barbie’s backstory.” A representative from Mattel acknowledged the book’s existence.
Traditionally, we’ve been told that in 1959, Ruth Handler, who co-founded Mattel with her husband, introduced the 11.5-inch doll, forever changing childhood and pop culture. Barbie’s distinct look—large breasts, long legs—set her apart from previous dolls, as she was styled as a fashion model who mirrored high fashion trends. Ruth named her Barbie after her daughter.
But Barbie wasn’t the first adult doll. Hitt points out that the German Bild Lili doll had a significant influence on Barbie’s design, something Ruth may not have fully acknowledged.
Lili started as a character in a German tabloid cartoon. Known for her extravagant escapades, she was transformed into a doll in 1955, available in shops across Europe. Interestingly, Lili appeared in her own movie in 1958—65 years before Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig brought Barbie to life on screen.
Years after Barbie hit the market, Ruth confessed she had encountered Lili in Switzerland in 1956 but insisted the idea for an adult doll had been in the air for a long time. Allegedly, when Mattel engineer Jack Ryan toured factories destined for Japan, Ruth slipped the Lili doll into his briefcase, urging him to find a way to replicate it.
By the time the Lili doll received its U.S. patent in 1960, Barbie had already racked up nearly $1.5 million in sales, according to Hitt.
Eventually, Mattel acquired the global rights to the Lili doll and seemingly erased her from history. Hitt claims that investigations regarding Lili quietly vanished from public view.
Mattel’s control over Barbie’s narrative extended beyond her creation. When they commissioned a 1994 coffee table book, they rejected artist Nancy Burson’s piece featuring an aging Barbie, indicating their desire for the doll to appear flawless.
As the ‘90s went on, Mattel became increasingly litigious. The company infamously sued the band Aqua over their catchy song “Barbie Girl,” with the judge advising them to “chill out.”
The final section of Hitt’s book discusses Mattel’s protracted competition with MGA, the company behind the Bratz doll line. Allegations of corporate spying surfaced, with one insider recounting efforts to infiltrate competitor showrooms. Ultimately, a jury found Mattel guilty of theft, resulting in an $85 million judgment, though a later appeal negated the damages.
Interestingly, Mattel allowed Gerwig to produce a film that challenged the doll’s polished image. In the 2023 movie, Barbie, portrayed by Robbie, experiences an existential crisis upon realizing she has cellulite.
By 2018, as Hitt notes, Mattel was struggling and needed to revamp its image. The new CEO aimed to steer the company toward being driven by intellectual property, recognizing that film could shape Barbie’s future.
Ultimately, the film reinforces the idea that Barbie transformed perceptions of what girls could aspire to be—designers, adventurers, leaders. “More than just a children’s accessory, Barbie has become as synonymous with American consumerism as the Golden Arches,” Hitt writes. “She was ‘eternal’ like a diamond or a microplastic.”
