Barbie 4 ever

Barbie, a fashion doll launched in 1959 by Mattel.

She is mainly critized because she promotes an unrealistic idea of body image for a young woman, leading to a risk to become anorexic if you intend to emulate her.

A standard doll is 11.5 inches tall, giving a height of 5 feet 9 inches at 1/6 scale.

Her measurements have been estimated at:

- chest 36 inches

- waist 18 inches

- hips 33 inches

According to research by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, she would lack the 17 to 22 percent body fat required for a woman to menstruate.

In 1965 Slumber Party Barbie came with a book entitled How to Lose Weight which advised: "Don't eat."

In 1967 "Colored Francie" is alleged to be the first African American Barbie doll although she lacked African characteristics other than a dark skin.

In 1968 Christie made her debut and she is recognized as the first african american doll.

In 1974 a section of Times Square in New York City was renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week.

In 1980 Black Barbie and Hispanic Barbie were launched.

In 1985 the artist Andy Warhol created a painting of Barbie.

In 1989 the Barbie Liberation Organization was formed. Taking

advantage of similarities in the voice hardware of Teen Talk Barbie and the Talking Duke G.I. Joe doll, they performed a stereotype-change operation on 100 dolls. The BLO returned the altered dolls to the toy store shelves, who then resold them to children who had to invent scenarios for Barbies who yelled “Vengeance is mine!” and G.I. Joes who daydreamed “Let’s plan our dream wedding!” They placed “call your local TV news” stickers on the back to ensure that the media would have people to interview as soon as the news broke.

In 1997 Barbie's body mold was redesigned and given a wider waist, Mattel justified she would be better suited to contemporary fashion designs.

In May 1997 Mattel introduced Share a Smile Becky, a doll in a pink wheelchair.

In September 2003 Saudi Arabia outlawed the sale of Barbie dolls, saying that she did not conform to the ideals of Islam.

The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice stated "Jewish Barbie dolls, with their revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories and tools are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West. Let us beware of her dangers and be careful."

In Middle Eastern countries there is an alternative doll called Fulla which is similar to Barbie but is designed to be more acceptable to an Islamic market.

In December 2005 Dr. Agnes Nairn at the University of Bath in England said: "It's as though disavowing Barbie is a rite of passage and a rejection of their past." after publishing a research suggesting that girls often go through a stage where they hate their Barbie dolls and subject them to a range of punishments, including decapitation and placing the doll in a microwave oven.

The Forbes Fictional Interview with Barbie was published in 2009 to mark her 50th birthday.

"You've had 108 different careers. Which was the most satisfying?

I am a big believer in dreaming big and inspiring girls that they can do anything they set their minds to. Being an astronaut in 1965 was very satisfying because--for one, traveling to space was, literally, out of this world--and, secondly, I went to space before any other American woman astronaut, so that's something I'm very proud of. I'm also very proud of all my philanthropic work--from UNICEF Ambassador (1989) to Candy Stripe Volunteer (1964).

It takes over 100 people to make you. Do you consider yourself high maintenance?

You don't just roll out of bed looking like this! Some say high maintenance--some say well-coiffed. I do have to say a big thank you to all the big people. Thank you to my amazing design team--they are all very talented to make me--just an 11-1/2-inch plastic doll--into a fashion icon.

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