Retrieved from aNNbel NavaRRo
National Barbie Day and Women’s History Month are both celebrated in March. For the past year, we’ve seen just how inspiring Barbie is, but how has a doll impacted real-world changes in women’s professional careers throughout history?
Last year, the first live-action movie, Barbie, premiered in theaters. The film, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, took over the world. According to Mattel, children are supposed to project their hopes and dreams onto the blank canvas of the Barbie doll.
Over the years, Barbie has faced different changes, not only aesthetically but culturally. Stereotypically, the doll has been perceived negatively because of its unrealistic representation of female appearance and beauty standards. However, the brand has been evolving, along with slogans that have helped improve their image. In 2015, the slogan changed to “Imagine the Possibilities” and “You Can Be Anything.” The campaign started with the question, “What happens when girls are free to imagine they can be anything?” And that is exactly how, years later, this message has been inviting girls to dream and believe in the power of their imaginations.
Historically, Barbie has accomplished important career positions for women. She has more than 250 careers and continues to play aspirational and culturally relevant positions, introducing girls and women to different lifestyles. In the 1960s, four years before Neil Armstrong, Barbie went to the moon as an astronaut. Then, in the 1970s, when few women were applying to medical school, she saved many lives as a surgeon. In the 1980s, she entered the boardroom as “Day to Night” CEO Barbie, just as women began to break into the C-suite. Later, in the 1990s, she ran for President before any female contender had appeared on the presidential ballot. This is an especially important achievement as, according to Pew Research Center, only 59 of the United Nations (UN) countries have had a female leader. Afterward, in the 2000s, Barbie had obtained STEM careers when only 24% of the positions in this field were held by women.
Retrieved from The Washington Post
The Washington Post made a year-by-year breakdown of all of her careers by categories. They divided them into five categories, which are arts & entertainment, business, medicine, science & engineering, politics/public service, transportation & education, and sports. This shows us that Barbie is more than a brand or a doll. She has been positioned as an inspirational and aspirational brand that inspires girls to pursue their dreams and celebrate the diversity and potential of women.
She has also inspired me to pursue and explore different career paths. Often, I have been compared to Barbie since I have multiple careers as well. I am an Occupational Therapist Assistant, a swimming instructor, and a lifeguard. Currently, I’m completing my bachelor’s degree in Education, with the hopes of teaching English in the future. There is no limit for me to expand my knowledge and try different careers. Thanks to Barbie, I have learned that “in a world full of possibilities, you can be anything!”