“The Ruth Handler Legacy: Unraveling the Iconic Barbie Phenomenon”

Barbie‘s Creator Ruth Handler: The Mother of an Iconic Doll

Introduction

In her recent movie about the world-famous Barbie doll, director Greta Gerwig delves into the history of the doll’s creator, Ruth Handler, and her relationship with her daughter, Barbara. Ruth Handler, together with her husband, co-founded Mattel Inc., the parent company of Barbie. This report aims to provide an in-depth exploration of Ruth Handler’s role in inventing Barbie, her complex personality, and how she is portrayed in Gerwig’s film.

How Ruth Handler Invented Barbie

Ruth Handler was a trailblazer in the toy industry when she introduced a mainstream doll with the proportions of an adult female. Prior to Barbie, girls mainly played with baby dolls, which reinforced traditional gender roles and motherhood as the primary aspiration. Drawing inspiration from her daughter Barbara’s inclination to play dress-up with paper dolls, Handler believed that dolls modeled after grown-up women could empower girls to imagine their future potential. Thus, she invented Barbie and named the doll after her daughter.

Initially, Mattel’s executives were hesitant about producing an adult-looking doll, fearing that no mother would buy a doll with breasts for their daughters. However, Handler’s determination prevailed when she brought back a German doll called Bild Lilli, which was based on a pin-up character, as evidence that a similar doll could be successful. Consequently, Barbie made her debut at the 1959 Toy Fair in New York City, clad in her iconic black-and-white striped bathing suit. The fashion doll’s immediate popularity propelled Mattel to great success.

Over the years, Barbie evolved from being solely a fashion doll into a figure who embodied various careers, such as a doctor or astronaut, alongside her fashionista persona. Author M.G. Lord, in her book “Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Living Doll,” argues that Barbie became an archetypal figure upon which little girls projected their idealized selves. For many baby boomers, Barbie holds the same iconic significance as female saints, albeit without the religious context.

Ruth Handler: A Complex Woman

As the Barbie film suggests, Ruth Handler was a multi-dimensional and complicated individual. In 1978, she, along with several Mattel executives, faced legal troubles when they were indicted for conspiracy, mail fraud, and providing false financial statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Handler pleaded no contest and received a fine of $57,000, as well as 2,500 hours of community service. However, she later found success in a completely different industry during the 1980s.

Handler battled breast cancer and recognized the need for realistic prostheses designed by and for women. She created a product called Nearly Me and formed a team of eight women, most of whom were breast cancer survivors, to visit department stores and train sales staff in properly fitting customers. Handler even fittingly provided her “strip act” as a sales tactic, demonstrating that her prosthetic breast was indistinguishable from her real one. Her efforts led to her being featured in People magazine and fitting First Lady Betty Ford for a prosthesis after her mastectomy. Handler eventually sold her company to Kimberly-Clark in the 1990s.

Towards the end of her life, Handler reflected on her legacy as the inventor of an adult-shaped doll and her pioneering work in the field of prostheses. She fondly remarked, “I’ve lived my life from breast to breast,” acknowledging both her personal struggles and achievements.

Ruth Handler as the God of Barbie Land

In Gerwig’s Barbie movie, Ruth Handler assumes a spiritual role. She appears in a retro kitchen, hidden within Mattel headquarters, offering solace to Barbie during a period of existential crisis. Handler aids Barbie in escaping the oppressive influence of Mattel’s executives who want to confine her again. Although Barbie initially doesn’t recognize the woman, their spiritual connection is evident.

Towards the end of the film, Handler reveals her true identity to Barbie, emphasizing that a woman was Barbie‘s original inventor. This conversation takes place in a glowing space, echoing the heavenly moment in Harry Potter where Dumbledore helps Harry Potter realize his choices and destiny. Here, Barbie is given the opportunity to embrace her humanity fully, face mortality, and leave Barbie Land to navigate the complexities of the real world.

In my interview with Greta Gerwig for TIME’s cover story on Barbie, she disclosed that Ruth and Barbie touch hands twice in the film, creating a powerful image reminiscent of God giving life to the first man in the Sistine Chapel fresco. However, in this instance, Ruth as God imparts life not to a man but to a woman, specifically a doll that has long symbolized society’s expectations of womanhood.

Conclusion

Ruth Handler’s ingenuity and the creation of Barbie revolutionized the toy industry, inspiring young girls to dream beyond traditional gender roles. Her complex personality, including her legal troubles and her successful involvement in the prostheses industry, adds depth to her legacy. In the Barbie movie, Gerwig portrays Handler as a kind but imperfect deity, guiding Barbie on her journey to self-discovery and embracing the complexities of the real world.

Handler’s story serves as a reminder that even icons like Barbie have complex origins and evolved meanings. Through her creation, Handler enabled generations of girls to project themselves into the aspirational world of Barbie, and in doing so, transformed the cultural landscape of America.