Dive into a colorful tour of the Barbie universe: a universe that isn’t cynical, ugly or hopeless, but aspirational. If you’re looking for inspiration, joy and a deep dive into female potential and imagination, get yourself to the Cincinnati Museum Center for the Barbie™ exhibit. It opened this past spring, and there is a little less than one month left to see this nostalgic powerhouse.
The pairing of explaining real history in tandem with the Barbies of each era shows you just how much Barbie has represented the growth of women in the workforce, acting as trailblazers in every profession. Miss Astronaut Barbie came out four full years before Neal Armstrong ever set foot on the moon, and 20 years before the first female American in space, Sally Ride.
The aspirations and careers of Barbie keep growing and changing with the times, and the exhibit does a great job showing that with each decade’s exhibit. Miss Astronaut Barbie is just one of hundreds of inspirational Barbies that show women making huge strides in the world. Christie, the first black doll in the Barbie universe, was introduced in 1968 during the height of the civil rights movement and brought representation to the mainstream market. In 1980, Black Barbie was introduced and designed by one of Mattel’s first black designers, Kitty Black Perkins.
Mattel founder Ruth Handler came up with the idea of Barbie while watching her daughter Barbara (Barbie) play with paper dolls. It occurred to her that most dolls were geared towards putting the child in the role of a mother with a baby instead of thinking about themselves as individuals beyond motherhood. While on a trip to Europe, she came across a doll called Bild Lilli, a beautiful fashion plate of a doll, who was her own adult person instead of a baby.
She and her husband eventually acquired the rights to Bild Lilli and redesigned her to become the first Barbie. At first, Americans were horrified; she was too adult, too independent, too materialistic. But after they successfully sponsored “The Mickey Mouse Club” and advertised on television, little girls all over couldn’t get enough.
The history of Barbie, the desire for women to be more than just mothers but hold careers and enjoy colorful fashion, is at the heart of this exhibit. Barbie has truly been a role model for so many girls for the past 66 years and the exhibit taps into your nostalgia and also your hope for the future.
You can get into a life size replica of Barbie’s pink corvette, or a giant Barbie box, and live out the dream of wanting to be just like Barbie when you were a kid. A person who could be an astronaut, a veterinarian, a chef, the president, and all while being a gorgeous fashionable woman.
Beyond the 200+ careers, there’s also so many beautiful clothes, shoes and hairstyles to admire, as well as interviews with Barbie designers on the process of creating new dolls. Barbie has always been a fashion plate, starting with her original classic Chanel inspired looks to her beautiful maximalist gowns. Famous designer to the stars Bob Mackie designed 47 different dolls for Mattel starting in the 80’s, and a few of the originals are featured at the exhibit.
Well worth the visit, Barbie™: A Cultural Icon is so colorful, genuinely inspirational and full of humanity and life despite celebrating what is essentially a small piece of inanimate plastic. The exhibit is fun for all ages, a visual feast, and leaves you remembering that you are full of potential, and so is every little girl.