It’s amazing how much controversy a tiny doll, less than 12 inches tall, can cause. These days, Barbara Millicent Roberts, aka Barbie, is in the middle of a blonde beauty fight. Controversy? Mattel claims that Bratz, the line of dolls that busted Barbie, was designed by an employee with an exclusivity contract at Mattel, and therefore Mattel is entitled to some of the estimated $500 million to $2 billion in sales generated by its competitors. every year.
Oh well, Barbie went to the moon, modeled at McDonald’s, and had countless babies. Bratz may come and go, but Barbie has been around for almost 50 years and she can handle anything. So here’s a list of the most fun Barbies to play with
10. The Original Barbie – 1959
Let’s be real—you can’t even talk about Barbie without discussing the O.G. (original) version. Slim waist, great swimsuit and those eyes. What do these eyes tell us? Watch out world because I’m a skinny, badass model and you can’t tell me anything! Why it’s fun to play with: You can just play with this doll as a little girl and imagine the day when mom and dad won’t dread the idea of you wearing nail polish to read.
9. Day to Night Barbie
He can bring home the bacon, fry it in a pan, and never let Ken forget he’s a man. The great thing about this Barbie is that she showed little girls and women how easy it is to transition from work to party time. You wear a coat and your hair in a bun during the day, and in the evening, whip that coat out to reveal a sleeveless, sequined top that helps bring out your inner sexiness. And, of course, hair falls out in the evening. Why she’s fun to play with: This Barbie planted a very important seed in the minds of little girls—the seed of a career. This doll showed us that being a supermodel isn’t the only cool job—working in an office can be cool, too.
8. Western Barbie
Personally, I was a Dolly Parton fan for years before this Barbie hit the scene, and Dolly introduced me to country-western culture. So when this Barbie came on the scene, I was really into it. Western Barbie and her companion Dallas gave us a glimpse into life on the ranch. Cowgirl boots and cowgirl hat – totally awesome. Why it’s fun to play with: It blinks! Seriously – he has a button on his back that blinks when you press it. Oh, and she had pretty big 1980s hair.
7. Christy – Barbie’s first black friend – 1968
Okay, this is a prime example of Barbie expanding her horizons. In 1968, Mattel introduced Barbie’s black friend, Christie. Although her features are very similar (if not identical) to the white Barbie produced at the time (she is a white Barbie with painted skin), this is a very important step in the Barbie line. And this doll was an example of how little black girls aspire to the same dreams as their white counterparts. Why she’s fun to play with: This doll is fun because she leveled the beauty playing field with her white counterpart and showed the world that black is beautiful too.
6. Superstar Barbie
She represented glamour, glamour, glamor – and what little girl DOESN’T WANT to grow up and be glamorous? Before Kimora existed, she was Kimora Lee Simmons, and the boa-esque thing she draped around her shoulders was the icing on the cake. Why she’s fun to play with: Her pink satin dress and bling on her finger, neck, and ear just gave little girls room to dream of the day they could be the same—all adorable.
5. Black Ken (Black – 1981)
Not to be confused with Christie’s boyfriend Brad, who debuted in 1969, this black Ken doll is awesome because between 1969 and 1981, while Barbie went through various Ken companions, Christie was supposed to be cool on her own. Since it was 1981 and fashion was in transition from the 70s, this Ken had an awesome curly afro that was really impossible to comb. Of course, his only clothing was a pair of unflattering yellow gym shorts with red (or was it orange) stripes that flew so high it didn’t matter. Why it’s fun to play with: You can match this Ken with Superstar Barbie and reenact several scenes from Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and REALLY raise eyebrows in BarbieLand.
4. Golden Dreams Barbie
Well – this Barbie was so much fun to play with, I remember the day I got her. As you can see from the picture, the white doll had blue eyes that just jumped out at you. Although Superstar Barbie was of the Diva variety, Golden Dreams was more of the Barbie you’d imagine on a motorcycle, commanding Ken to jump on the back (because of course Barbie would never let Ken ride a bike!) Play with: Superstar Christie’s beautiful brown hair and she had a copper streak in her hair just to let you know – she was beautiful and had an incredible smile but if you got her the wrong way it was game on – I’d kick that ass!
3. Ballerina Barbie – Cara
Ballerina Barbie – seems a logical fit. Barbies and ballerinas, that is. This Barbie was another beauty tangent. The ballerina is one of the most powerful symbols of femininity and romance, and before Kara, black ballerinas were simply rare. A pink tutu with gold accents is completed with pink ballerina slippers and a gold crown symbolizes royalty. Why she’s fun to play with: This Barbie represents grace (and beauty) that many little girls lack and never think about until we start playing and imagining ourselves as Ballerina Barbie.
2. Indian Barbie
Introduced in 1982, India Barbie was one of the first “brown” Barbies of the International Collection (now known as “Dolls of the World”). In 1982, we knew nothing about India and Mattel “went there”. presentation of this collection. Although Mattel could definitely focus only on Europe for the International series, the company has grown a couple and decided to dive into cultures that are not well known in America. Why it’s fun to play with: You can read the box to learn about India, then imagine what life was like for Indian Barbie and try to recreate it by having Barbie and her friends absorb Indian culture.
1. Midge Hadley (Pregnant Barbie)
Midge is Barbie’s best friend. This Midge, of course, was part of a “Happy Family” that included Midge, a father and two children. This Barbie was cool because you could take out her pregnant belly and she had a baby inside her pregnant belly. But in the conservative town I grew up in, that didn’t go over too well with parents who didn’t want to discuss where babies came from. 🙂 Why she’s fun to play with: As a kid, you can bring Midgie to slumber parties and show off her pregnant belly and baby inside. At breakfast the next day, a shelter kid in your group says, “But I thought babies came from storks and cabbage patches—why is a baby in a belly?” you can watch the slumber party host’s mother squirm as she says.
Barbie is usually criticized for having an unrealistic figure that no woman can ever achieve, and Barbie can have several outfits for work (unless there’s a whole office scene that I’m unaware of, which I think Barbie is. About 50 + years) in my opinion, this does not compensate for all the negative things that Barbie is criticized for teaching little girls.
