Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Memories of Barbie

Somewhere, maybe, still exists a white, blond, bubble cut Barbie with unbendable arms and legs and feet that can't go flat.  This Barbie must wear heels, and it is dressed in a wedding gown.  The last time I saw it, it was lying in my drawer, lying in the embrace of its black stand.

Once beloved, it was put away with other childhood things.  Perhaps it was thrown out after I left home.  I'll never know.

It will never be in a movie.  It will never be famous.  But it isn't forgotten.

I am a senior citizen now.  I can remember my doll, but not the year it was given to me.  I suspect it was 1961 or 1962,  and I loved it.  I played Barbie by myself and with a friend.  I dreamed of the outfits I would dress it (dare I say "her"?) if my Mom could only afford them. 

Needless to say, my Barbie never saw the inside of a Barbie Dreamhouse.  For years, it lived on top of my dresser, on its black wire stand.

I predated all of the career Barbies - the astronaut, the vet, and even the President.  Over 200 of those careers encouraged girls to step out into the world.

I was so thrilled when I got the wedding gown outfit as a gift.  By then, a friend in my apartment building in the Bronx had a Ken, and her Ken became my Barbie's fiancé (whereupon I heard the vocabulary word "fiancé" for the first time).

Now there is a movie, a movie that is on its way-no, wait, it has reached and exceeded- a gross of one billion dollars.  One billion dollars.  For a director who happens to be female. 

At first I thought the movie would be silly but I've changed my mind.  Yes, I'm trying to join the madness, if you can call it that.

The movie? It's become more popular than many could have dreamed. 

And me, the person who last went to a movie in December of 2018, wants to see it.

My spouse wants no part of it.  I don't mind.  I don't expect him to understand, although I don't know if my eyes could stand all the pink (you don't need to see much of this video to understand why).  He won't know what Barbie means to millions of girls and grown up women.

Childhood memories can be so strong.  Barbie gave me many hours of happiness.  If I had been born just a handful of years later, it could have been the catalyst for me becoming something untraditional.

After all, one of my aunts (one I barely knew, I should add) became a doctor back in the 1920's.  And my late mother actually encouraged me to go into medicine, although it wasn't my interest.

Yes, Barbie, thank you.  Sisterhood is strong.  Women are making this movie happen. 

Have any of my readers seen the movie?  If so, would you recommend it?

11 comments:

  1. ...I may be out of step, but Barbie was always an unrealized example of what a woman was.

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  2. I haven't seen the movie, but I find its phenomenon extremely interesting. And, like you, I had and loved one of those old style Barbies back in the day. I remember it fondly today.

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  3. I never had a Barbie, but I get the hours of happiness. Tweeted.

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  4. I had Barbies. I remember selling the collectible Barbies when I worked at the evil toy store (now defunct). We had regular customers who would come in and buy the new ones as they were released. (This was in the 1990s.) I'm not interested in seeing the movie until it's streaming, but I hear it's good. Go see it. Enjoy.

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  5. I was initially not that keen to watch but the clip sells it to me.

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  6. I haven't, but I was told someone who did, it was a lot of fun. That some people are taking it too seriously. I had a bubble cut Barbie in a zebra print bathing suit! She had pearl earrings.

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  7. I had Barbies, my daughters had Barbies. My older daughter loved Dr. Barbie.

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  8. I remember all the gals playing with their Barbie. While I was content to play with my Ideal Tow truck, with a complete service station. Which is why I too have no desire to see Barbie (but loved Oppenhemier)....Enjoy your memories.

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  9. Hi Alana - it's obviously hit the spot - I won't see it ... but no doubt someday will - cheers Hilary

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  10. Saw it with my most long-term friend and my daughter, and we all loved it! I wore a pink dress and a sparkly pink sweater, and the ticket taker acted as though she hadn't seen anyone dressed in pink all day! : )

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