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I was curious as to exactly how Barbie’s face has changed across the 56-year span she’s been around.

When I was in middle school, I did a social Studies project on the history of Barbie and the social impact she had on girls and women. I read a book called Forever Barbie, and I realize looking back that it was probably a little too over a 12-year-old’s head, but I remember it being one of the most interesting books I read for research. It talked about Barbie’s origin as being inspired by a lewd joke doll manufactured in Germany (I think) whose sole purpose was for drunk men to lift up her skirt and peek at her plastic parts. It talked about how the development for Ken was stymied because they couldn’t give him a package, but had to put something there so his clothes would lay right – leading to his painted on BVDs…and a slew of phallic props, including a baseball bat, a fishing pole, and his first car – a Hot Rod, naturally. 

Barbie was inspired by Bild Lilli, a doll made in Germany in the 1950s. Lilli started as a cartoon in the Bild magazine, and the character was a street-smart, gold-digging “good time girl”. the doll was initially sold in tobacco shops for men to give to their girlfriends as a joke, or hang from their cars’ rear-view mirrors

however, there were no “plastic parts” to gawk at apart from stylized boobs- Lilli was not anatomically correct, despite persistent urban legends that she had nipples. (source: have seen a nude, all-original Bild Lilli doll)

Lilli also had some crossover appeal as a children’s toy, incredible as it may seem. you could buy separate outfits for her- something I doubt the playboy market had much use for -and Ruth Handler (the creator of Barbie) bought a Lilli doll for her daughter while traveling in Austria. so while she kind of was a gag gift for adult men…she also kind of wasn’t

I also feel like people put too much emphasis on the side-glancing thing. like, yeah, Barbie had a shift from looking sideways to looking straight ahead. but MOST fashion dolls in the immediately prior era had made eye contact with their admirers

(Madame Alexander “Cissy” doll, c. 1955-60.)

(Uneeda “Dollikin,” c. 1958.)

(Ideal “Miss Revlon,” c. 1956)

I’d almost argue Barbie was breaking the mold by looking to the side- something previously seen more often in mischievous-looking novelty child dolls -and restoring the earlier norm when she switched to looking forward. And therefore, I’m not sure I see it as a shift from Bad Old Passive Dolls™ to a New Active Empowered Doll™ Or vice versa, I should add. I just don’t think it’s that deep, personally

this is especially noticeable around the neck! most fashion dolls have really long necks for this reason. 

Bedroom by @serosez