Abstract
In this article, the writer looks at the history of the creation of the Barbie doll. The writer discusses this doll as a symbol of the American ideal of femininity and analyzes the effects of this image on women.

From the Paper
"The Barbie doll was introduced to the American public in 1959. The idea for the doll was conceived by Ruth Handler who, with her husband, founded the Mattel Toy Company ("Inventing"). Handler has toured Europe and found the German "Lilli" doll a possible appealing toy for young girls. However, the "Lilli" doll was considered to be too risquAfA(c)' for the young American girl and Handler set about making a doll that would embody the American ideal of femininity. Barbie as a housewife, Barbie as a fashion icon and Barbie as a teenage tennis player were just a few of Handler's visions ("Inventing"). With the assistance of a clothing designer Handler set ..."

Tags:barbie, female, gender

Abstract
This paper discusses how Klaus Barbie, the infamous "Butcher of Lyons," was an American intelligence asset in the years directly after World War Two. It looks at how both historical documents and the United States government admit that Barbie was used as an informant and how they helped smuggle him and his family to Bolivia, where he escaped justice until 1983.

Outline:
Introduction
A Brief History of Klaus Barbie's Wartime Activities
Barbie's Work as an Informant for the Counter Intelligence Corps
Reasoning Behind the Use of Barbie as an Intelligence Asset
Barbie Becomes a Liability
The Decision to Protect Barbie
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Barbie's fate was the subject of contention between Region XII (the division running Barbie) and CIC headquarters. Headquarters wanted Barbie dropped as an informant; Region XII responded strongly with a case for his continued utilisation. They attacked the case against him by arguing that he was too skillful an interrogator to need to resort to violence. CIC headquarters dropped the matter. At the trial of Rene Hardy in 1950, Barbie's depositions were read into the record, making public for the first time that Barbie was in the US zone being protected by US authorities. His name appeared on the Search and Arrest list used by the German police in the American zone. "Suspending his activities, they nevertheless kept him on the payroll in order to keep him under control and under cover while a frantic debate went on as to his disposition." The CIC faced an unappetizing choice: turn Barbie over and risk the exposure of the CIC's organization and tactics to the French, which the CIC considered equivalent to turning him over to the Soviets, or getting rid of him. "

Tags:butcher, lyon, nazi

Abstract
This paper reviews the 1998 PBS documentary "Barbie Nation" that traces facets of Barbie's unique impact on American society from her creation as the first representation of a realistic female figure in the 1950s to her current position as an international symbol of fashion and femininity. The paper explains that the film seeks to answer why Barbie is so popular and why it has become such a phenomenon. The paper points out that, despite the polarization for and against Barbie's image, the film concludes that the unifying element in adults' reactions to the doll is based on how she made them feel, positive or negative, when they were children initially encountering her.

From the Paper
"That wholesomeness, of course, has come into serious question in recent years as the doll has become more sexualized to accommodate for changing times. Barbie's figure is now being criticized as unrealistic and unfair to the young girls who play with her, as over time they are said develop unreal expectations of body and self because of her suggestive clothing, wide hips, slender waist, and large breasts - proportions that, if rendered to scale, would make for a wildly impossible, mutated being."

Tags:popularity breasts, body image, men disdain

Abstract
This paper examines the influence of the image of the Barbie doll on the female gender. The writer discusses Stacy Handler's (the granddaughter of the Barbie creator) struggles with weight, self-worth and social acceptance as a young female in society. It explains how many young girls have developed eating disorders while trying to emulate Barbie physically and how this has had many psychological repercussions. In its conclusion, the paper shows that until society is willing to comprehend the damage that it inflicts on children through these unrealistic expectations, the concept of Barbie as the "perfect" woman will continue to negatively impact the female gender.

From the Paper
"The Barbie doll was introduced to the American public in 1959. The idea for the doll was conceived by Ruth Handler who, with her husband, founded the Mattel Toy Company ("Inventing"). Handler has toured Europe and found the German "Lilli" doll a possible appealing toy for young girls. However, the "Lilli" doll was considered to be too risque' for the young American girl and Handler set about making a doll that would embody the American ideal of femininity. Barbie as a housewife, Barbie as a fashion icon and Barbie as a teenage tennis player were just a few of Handler's visions ("Inventing"). With the assistance of a clothing designer Handler set about creating fashions for the Barbie doll and it was not until these fashions began to catch the eye of parents that the Barbie began to gain in popularity."

Tags:ken, body, image, fashion, eating, disoders, beauty

Abstract
This paper examines how in Margie Piercy's poem "The Barbie Doll" the author uses ironies to expose the society's role in a woman's self expectations and self confidence. In particular, the paper discusses how symbolisms for an idealistic world are present in this poem and how these symbolisms also reflect reality and the stereotypical images it transcends to young women.

From the Paper
"The Barbie doll is made of plastic and rubber. A woman is made of flesh. The Barbie doll could be bought at the toy store for a certain price depending on the model. A woman has different models but she may never be priced. As long as the Barbie doll is in the store, it is confined inside a box. A woman, even if she has engagements, friends or lovers, could roam freely and do whatever she wants with life. Barbie cannot think for herself while the woman can. The woman has life. The Barbie doll does not have life. Pondering upon these differences, can one still say that the Barbie doll is the vision of perfection? Is the Barbie doll still more privileged than the average woman? A woman would kill herself just to be able to look like a Barbie doll. But does she realize that she could be more than just a pretty face? Life offers so many privileges so why settle for something superficial that wilts away once a person starts to age when the individual can develop one's God given talents and make it last for a lifetime. "

Tags:stereotypes, perfection, society

Abstract
In this article, the writer critically reviews research published by H. Dittmar, E. Halliwell, and S. Ive on the effects Barbie has on the body image of five- to eight-year-old girls. This paper summarizes key findings, identifies strengths and weaknesses of the research, assesses the quality of the research and suggests areas for additional future research. The writer concludes that Barbie does have a negative impact on the body image of young girls, 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 and 6 1/2 -7 1/2 years old. However, the writer maintains that by the time girls are 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 these same negative impacts are more influenced by size-16 Emme. The writer concludes that there are a lot of societal influences other than the dolls that are causing negative body images in young girls.

From the Paper
"The results of the study were different for different ages, 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 , 6 1/2 -7 1/2 and 7 1/2 -8 1/2, revealing differences in the way girls though they looked and the way they wanted to look after seeing certain images. For example, the youngest group, age 5 1/2 to 6 1/2, shown the Barbie picture books wished they were thinner and disliked their bodies more than girls of the same age who viewed other images. These results were even more pronounced for girls 6 1/2 to 7 1/2. Further, this age group desired more extreme thinness as adults than girls the same age who viewed images other than Barbie and the girls 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 who had also viewed Barbie pictures. The 7 1/2 - 8 1/2 age group were affected by the Emme images and not the Barbie images. The girls who viewed Emme wanted a thinner body shape for the adult figure than girls viewing other images."

Tags:Emme, doll, size, looks

Abstract
The paper looks at Marge Peircy's "Barbie Doll" that is an examination of the impact that society has on the female gender through the expectations that society places on this population from the time of birth. The paper then examines Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman", that contends that women should be viewed as proud and strong individuals that have influence over their own lives and the lives of those around them. The paper highlights how unlike Peircy, who works to express the oppression of the female gender, Angelou provides a picture of the power of women through simply being in existence.

From the Paper
"Marge Peircy's "Barbie Doll" is an examination of the impact that society has on the female gender through the expectations that society places on this population from the time of birth. The prevailing idea is that all females are supposed to exhibit the perfect Barbie doll image in order to be socially acceptable and considered a "real" female. Ironically, however, the understanding that Barbie is a plastic doll that has been molded by the human hand does not register in the minds of individuals who support this theory, as is demonstrated through Peircy's poem. In Maya

Tags:angelou, piercy, poem

Abstract
This paper discusses Mattel's international marketing strategy and asserts that, in order to capture new, less affluent markets, Mattel should reconsider price structures which have been threatening sales in particular areas. The paper shows how Mattel is marketing African-American, Hispanic and Asian Barbie dolls and is employing a diversification strategy in order to ensure global market dominance in Central Europe, the Middle East, South America, India and Japan. The paper emphasizes that in order to continue their growth, Mattel will have to reorganize price structures in poor nations.

From the Paper
"Barbie is one of the most common toys in all of the United States. But, as she began to go global, Mattel was forced to change its strategy and try new ways to sell the famous doll in brand new worldwide markets. In its attempt to capture these new markets, Mattel thought global but began to act local, saw cultural difficulties with the American version of the doll, while at the same time continuing Barbie's reign as a complete American icon. However, in order to further capture new, less affluent markets, Mattel should reconsider price structures which have been threatening sales in particular areas."

Tags:multiculturalism, culture, ethnic, markets, price

Abstract
In this article, the writer analyzes the poem "Barbie Doll". The writer argues that in this poem, the poet is trying to show that the union of idealized notions of female appearance and female self-acceptance of appearance can never meet.

From the Paper
"Marge Piercy's poem 'Barbie Doll' is written in free verse and represents the author's attack on patriarchal construction of idealized female appearance. In the poem, the speaker describes her life as a child, one that was fine, until she learned at puberty she was perceived as having a great big nose and fat legs. Only after she has died from cutting off her nose and legs, do others perceive the speaker as being pretty. In this poem Piercy is trying to ... "

Tags:patriarchy, self-expression, identity, roles, norms, values, socialization, gender, sexism

Abstract
This paper provides an explanation of the history behind the development of the Barbie doll. It discusses how, from the beginning, the doll was controversial and how it has been ever since. This paper argues that the Barbie culture is harmful not only to young women and girls, but also to young men. It states that women are not Barbie dolls, nor should they be.

From the Paper
"The year: 1991. The occasion: My eighth birthday. My house was full of giggling third grade girls, and the pile of gifts was looming high near the cake. My parents eyed the mountain warily, knowing full well what the majority of the rectangular 13-inch boxes contained. They were inevitable gifts at that age. In fact, they were expected gifts at that age. I tore into them one by one, the bright bubble gum pink flooding my senses, as Barbie reared her perfectly coiffed head. For a female child in America, or a female child, period, Barbie is an unavoidable influence on development, both physically and mentally. I was to become a statistic by the year 1996, it was reported that 99 percent of girls between ages eight and ten had at least one Barbie, while the average girl had eight (Rogers 13). Though the Barbie doll was created with good intentions, and though proponents today continue to fight for her rights, today Barbie does more harm than good for her followers."

Tags:body, image, doll, girl, controversial