Barbara Millicent Roberts, more famously known as Barbie, has been a necessity in almost every toddler’s life since her debut March 9, 1959. According to wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie, her creator Ruth Handler gathered inspiration from her daughter Barbara and the Bild Lilli dolls sold in Germany. They had the adult presence that she wanted to create, so she went to Germany bought three of them and then created Barbie.

In 1961 Barbie’s boyfriend Ken, came into the picture sweeping her off her feet and paving the way for Barbie’s friends, family, and pets to make their way into the Barbie lifestyle. She owns over 40 pets, including cats, dogs, a zebra, and a panda. She obtains several different cars including her pink corvette, jeep and she has her pilot’s license. Barbie also has the ability to be whomever she wants to be, whether it is an astronaut, a Nascar driver, or even a doctor. Since her release in 1959, over 10 million units of Barbie has been sold.
Everything has not been so easy in the creation of Barbie either. She is often criticized for her body proportions being unrealistic to girls. People have feared that young girls will be affected negatively by her appearance, and could cause eating disorders or mental disorders. In order to accommodate the complaints, brand owner Mattel has made her waist size larger and has tried to make a Barbie for all ethnicities.