She was more distant in my adulthood, as Barbie had become a subject of feminist concern.
I followed many authors, artists, musicians and assorted culture jammers who were publicly working out their own Barbie issues in fascinating ways.
However we feel about Barbie at a given moment says a lot more about us than it does about Barbie.
Mattel’s litigious responses to things like the 1998 intersectional feminist body-image essay collection “Adios, Barbie” and Aqua’s gratingly ubiquitous earworm “Barbie Girl” didn’t help its P.R.
It’s a fitting approach, since the most interesting thing about Barbie has always been our reactions to her.
Persons:
Barbie, jammers, she’s, Rather, Ophelia, Anita Hill, Barbie —, Mattel’s, Barbie ”, “, Greta Gerwig
Organizations:
Committee, Latina, Miss America, Playboy, Mattel, American Association of University Women
Locations:
Hollywood