The Barbie hype has started with the new movie and so many memories come to mind as I reflect on the role this ‘perfect woman’ played in my life.
Times were hard for my parents so my siblings and I played five stones, pick up sticks, hide-and-seek and hopscotch.
We fought when we didn’t agree and got punished for it, but this built our social skills as we had to get along if we wanted someone to play with.
In my adult life, Barbie was the doll that my nieces — then aged 8 and 10years — always asked for.
I had read that ‘imagination’ and ‘make believe’ were important aspects of a child’s growth, and so it was that for five consecutive Christmases, I gave them a Barbie.
I didn’t realise that I was shaping their views that might have affected their self esteem – slim body, blonde hair, blue eyes.
In those days, that was considered the epitome of beauty and there are vestiges of it when I see women colour their hair blonde today. I don’t see blondes colouring their hair black.
The furore about how the Barbie dolls were an unhealthy symbol for girls’ self esteem and body image came later.
Thankfully, both nieces did not develop aspirations to be ultra skinny. The shocker for my sister and me was when pop singer Karen Carpenter died from anorexia; unheard of, in those days.
In working life, I was part of a firm that managed media relations for Mattel in Singapore.
A new world opened for me when I saw adult collectors in long queues for the latest editions of Barbie.
There were the fashion icon Barbie dolls (from Vera Wang to Calvin Klein), movie star Barbie dolls like Judy Garland in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and Marilyn Monroe in ‘The Seven Year Itch’ and ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’, as well as Pop Star Barbie dolls like Olivia Newton John and Joan Jett.
It was a wonder to me that people would be interested in collecting toys, especially when an item could not be unboxed for it to fetch a high value.
At the time, the concept of adults ‘collecting’ toys was still new.
Today, there are retail and online shops that stock toy collections, and insurance policies to protect them!
Being in the business of brands and communication, I marvelled at the speed that Mattel was able to keep up with the times. In the 1980’s Mattel introduced Asian dolls, Hispanic and African dolls.
One would think that Asian dolls would be our best sellers here in Singapore, but ask any young girl today and she would still pick the blonde Barbie!
One of the interns at the workplace was a young man, Yang Jian, who was just starting his collection of Barbies in 1997.
He has since amassed over 12,000 dolls and is now one of the world’s biggest collectors, as well as an important social media influencer today.
His work with toys took him to many places including being the first Singaporean to be named global head for a marketing agency in New York, where he took care of a single toy property across movies, animation, licensing and toys.
Now, this co-owner of a communications agency makes it his life’s work to create advertising and content for clients like McDonald’s and Toys “R” Us, informed by his deep immersion and passion for the category.
One day, my god daughter, prompted by her mother, reached out to me for her school project. The subject matter was how Barbie had influenced their generation of 15-year old’s.
Looking at eight wide-eyed girls with their future ahead, I thought it best to explain that Barbie was not just a symbol of beauty. I did this by sharing the Career Barbie range with them.
This set of aspirational dolls was produced by Mattel from the mid 60’s and included doctors, astronauts, firefighters and teachers.
Perhaps it was what I had preached: that Barbie was a misunderstood icon of unintelligent beauty — that got them a B instead of an A for their project. I felt so bad.
Today in keeping with the times, other career Barbie dolls are Computer Engineer, Palaeontologist, Game Developer and Music Producer.
As for smart marketing, I learnt that good brands have to keep evolving. Standing still is never an option, in any business.
New additions are Barbies wearing hijabs, dolls marketed as hearing impaired and more recently disabled dolls in wheelchair, on prosthetic legs and with Down Syndrome.
So with this new Barbie Movie, Mattel has struck gold once again.
The Barbie movie box office has hit a record high after the first weekend, at US$155million (S$217m) despite heavy competition from the movie Oppenheimer which only collected US$80million (S$112m), or just half.
As I look back, I’m amazed that a doll has come so far, in 64 years.
Barbie’s perfect form has been an emblem of aspiration, derided for causing ‘wrong values’ in girls, marketed so that adult collectors fall under her charm for various reasons, and not just monetary gain.
So while I dislike the idea of succumbing to the hype, it’s getting increasing hard to ignore the ‘noise’. And I love pink.
Today’s price for the Ponytail doll is SGD38,000 on Etsy, there’s an ad for Happy holidays 1997 Barbie Doll on Ebay asking for US$15,950 or S$22,300.
Opinion: Barbie’s Enduring Legacy Through The Eyes Of A Singaporean Silver
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There were no big toy stores in Singapore in the ‘60s
Barbie seen as an unhealthy symbol for girls’ self esteem
Barbie's status as a cultural icon extends to movie and pop stars
A doll collecting hobby becomes much more
The Career Barbie range silences skeptics
Barbie adapts very quickly to the new demands of society
Fun facts:
Asian Barbie dolls
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Lena Soh-Ng
Having spent most of her work life in PR, Media and Communications, Lena finds that there’s indeed a circle to life as she goes in a full loop back to Media, at SilverStreak. Whether writing, social media posting or researching, there’s always something fascinating to learn…these are her special Silver moments.
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