Did Barbie have a Mommy or Daddy?
There has been a lot of talk about two Barbie related books. One is called Barbie and Ruth and covers, as the name suggests, the role of Ruth Handler within Mattel. Written by Robin Gerber, this book is an interesting account of Ruth's contribution to the birth of Barbie.
The second one, Jerry Oppenheimer's Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel, focuses on a more controversial topic. And that contentious topic would be designer Jack Ryan who might have been the genius behind the best loved doll. Well, this is what Oppenheimer claims.
These two books have been making waves and obviously ruffling a few feathers. Especially if you consider the chat-show worthy nature of the latter book. Think about it. A troubled genius with a turbulent personal life who was used and discarded like a piece of.... you could just go on and on. If you are infinitely curious about them now, you can read extensive reviews of the books here and here.
The point is, these two books have been regenerating interest in the origins of Barbie, the cute little toy. Either book, or even both, will be a must-have for avid Barbie fans.
My own personal suggestion would be to disassociate the rise-to-fame business aspect of the toy from the actual doll itself. Firstly, business is business and every popular toy, game or show has reached star status by good business decisions and excellent marketing skills. And yes, this might have left a few disgruntled folk in the wake and even stepped on a few toes. Maybe something went wrong somewhere, someone might have said something they should not have. Point is, it would and will happen with any business.
Secondly, do keep in mind that a juicy story full of anger and fretful tension sells better than a bland little discussion of business tactics. A sordid description of late night parties, psychological problems and perhaps crying a little bit too much into the camera guarantees instant success. After all, why else are reality shows so popular? All I'm saying is that there are many ways to look at the past and sometimes the sensational view is what sells. Don't let that reflect badly on Barbie.
And why not, some may ask? Well, that is a personal choice and it also depends on whether such stories offend your own sensibilities. However, it would be a tad selective to hate Barbie and her troubled beginnings while overlooking the equally scandalous stories of other products/ventures. Think about the animated versions of Peter Pan and Pocahontas as well as the continuous copyright kerfuffles surrounding most comic-to-live action movies. On that note, it seems quite appropriate to end this with “Why so serious?”.
