exhibition booklet – barbie and body image

 Borne out of male fantasy,
engrained in the female psyche
The History of Barbie
Barbie’s birth came from a male cartoonist working for a German post war
publication Bild Zeitung, in the 50’s. Her face was originally drawn as a baby, and
her body image created for a male targeted adult only market, so the foundations
for an unrealistic representation of a woman’s physical appearance were laid and
have been built on ever since. Is it time to knock down this monstrous structure
and rebuild?
“While we criticize skinny models regularly,
dolls may be even more influential to girls’
development of body image standards...”
Nikolay Lamm
http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/07/09/barbie-meet-average-barbie/
“The cartoon[edit]
Reinhard Beuthien was ordered to make a "filler" to conceal a blank space in the
Bild-Zeitung of June 24, 1952. He drew a cute baby, but his boss didn't like it. So
he kept the face, added a ponytail and a curvy woman's body and called his
creation "Lilli". She sat in a fortune-teller's tent asking: "Can't you tell me the
name and address of this rich and handsome man?" The cartoon was an
immediate success so Beuthien had to draw new ones each day.
The quips underneath the cartoons handled topics ranging from
fashion (to a policeman who told her that two-piece-swimsuits are banned: "Which
piece do you want me to take off?"),
politics ("Of course I'm interested in politics; no one should ignore the way some
politicians dress!")
and even the beauty of nature ("The sunrise is so beautiful that I always stay late
at the nightclub to see it!").
The last Lilli cartoon appeared on January 5, 1961.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild_Lilli_doll#The_cartoon
THE PAPER – BILD ZEITUNG
THEN
http://ooak-lady-oscar.e-monsite.com/pages/barbie/qui-est-bild-lilly.html
https://barbielistholland.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/barbiedoll™/
NOW
http://www.hdm-stuttgart.de/view_news?ident=news20120313190034
THE DOLL
The Bild Lilli Doll was a German doll, materializing the comic strip character,
and was produced from 1955 to 1964. She is commonly known to be the
predecessor of Barbie.
“On August 12, 1955 Lilli was first sold in Germany, usually found in smoke
shops and a few toy stores.
This is the doll that Ruth Handler found while shopping in Europe in 1956 and
was exactly what she had been thinking of producing. She bought three
dolls; gave one to daughter Barbie and the others to her designers at Mattel. The
rest is pretty well known history. Barbie debuted at the New York toy fair on
March 9, 1959. Mattel acquired the rights to Lilli in 1964, thus her production
ceased.”
http://www.dollreference.com/bild_lilli_doll.html
BARBIE IS LAUNCHED BY MATTEL - THE FIRST VERSION OF BARBIE MILLICANT
ROBERTS -
http://www.tonguechic.com/archives/Icon-of-the-Week-Barbara-Millicent-Robertsaka-Barbie/
The Barbie Body Image
“The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness reports that 70 million people
worldwide suffer from eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. About 90
percent of those with eating disorders are young women between the ages of 12
and 25.
One study found more than half of women ages 18 to 25 would prefer to be run
over by a truck than to be overweight. Even if they have not been diagnosed with
eating disorders, these women clearly do not have healthy body images.”
http://www.mirror-mirror.org/barbie-and-body-image.htm#sthash.BIGZ4H73.dpuf
“What is Negative or Distorted Body Image?
Body image refers to how people see themselves. Distorted body image (also
called negative body image) refers to an unrealistic view of how someone sees
their body. Like eating disorders, it is seen most commonly in women, but many
men also suffer from the disorder. You begin forming your perceptions of your
body’s attractiveness, health, acceptability and functionality in early
childhood. This body image continues to form as you age and receive feedback
from peers, family member, coaches, etc. Personality traits such as perfectionism
and self criticism can also influence the development of a negative internalized
image of your body.
Relationship Between An Eating Disorder & Body Image
Body image concerns and eating disorders go hand in hand. Often, it is the early
dissatisfaction with a young person’s appearance that leads them to conclude
that losing weight would enhance their appearance, and make them feel better
about themselves and their bodies. Thus, restrictive eating and over exercising
are often next, frequently leading to patterns of disordered eating and weight
obsession that can develop into anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, compulsive
overeating or binge eating disorder.”
http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/body-image
DESIGN FOR POSITIVE CHANGE
What would Barbie look like as an Average Woman?
http://nickolaylamm.com
“More than 63 years after her debut at Toy Fair in 1959, Barbie finally has a body
that looks like the average teenage girl. Designed by Pittsburgh, Pa.-based artist
Nickolay Lamm, the look may not be more flattering, but it’s definitely more
believable.
Average Barbie, who has not been endorsed by Mattel, is modeled off body
measurements of a normal 19-year-old American girl using data from the CDC.
She’s shorter and broader, with a smaller head and thicker neck. Standing next to
Average Barbie, Mattel’s Barbie looks a little alien.
Lamm levels the same criticism at Barbie that many have offered since the doll’s
debut — that her unrealistic body proportions present an unattainable standard of
beauty for young girls. While we criticize skinny models regularly, dolls
may be even more influential to girls’ development of body image
standards, he argues.”
http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/07/09/barbie-meet-average-barbie/
EDDI AGUIRRE CENDEJAZ - MEXICAN GRAPHIC ARTIST
https://www.behance.net/gallery/Barbie/2143713
The press responded
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2303978/I-just-saw-Ken-runningaway-horror-Barbie-pictured-makeup-shows-doll-oily-skin-eye-bags-frizzyhair.html
NICKOLAY LAMM RESPONDED
http://www.marieclairvoyant.com/entertainment-news/hot-daily-news/on-11april-2013-everyones-talking-about