Female Objectification and Consumerism: an American Story
Ever since Mattel’s very first television advertisement campaign for the Barbie doll in 1959, the central theme of the Barbie doll has not been altered. The Barbie doll was first introduced as a symbol for female beauty and perfection and in the fifty years since its introduction, she has become a worldwide phenomenon. The advertisement from 1959 clearly states, “Someday I am going to be exactly like you” from the perspective of a young girl in relation to Barbie. Barbie has become an iconic figure in popular culture that young girls idolize and want to copy; however, Barbie is a role model that promotes gender roles and insatiable body image. In Peggy Ornstein’s “What’s Wrong with Cinderella?” Peggy explains that “Until they are about six or seven years old, children do not realize that the sex they were born with is immutable” (Ornstein 138). With a world of princesses, Barbie dolls, and even Barbie princesses, it can be clear to see how children can be swayed to act a certain way or to believe that one way is “right” while another way is “wrong.” Barbie’s first television advertisement not only promotes the stereotypical role that females play in a traditional American society but it also promotes consumerism at its finest. The more someone buys in Barbie’s world, the cooler she is and more likely she is to be loved by a man who can provide for her. A survey by Girl Inc. claimed that school-aged girls were overwhelmed by a desire to be perfect both academically and physically (Ornstein 138). Barbie advertisements (especially the earliest advertisements) put unrealistic expectations into young girl’s minds and make the female American youth feel a sense of poor self-image that could only be solved with obsessive consumerism.
The advertisement opens with the words “Barbie, you’re beautiful” while panning from a shot of flowers to the doll that is holding the flowers in a beautiful sundress and hat. The first message to ever be displayed to the public about the Barbie doll is in regards to her physical appearance and the very first image that Mattel wants to put into the viewer’s mind is that the Barbie doll is a beautiful young woman, not just a doll. The song continues, “You make me feel, my Barbie doll is really real.” Unlike other toys, Barbie is unique because she is an actual (yet unrealistic) replication of the female form. The Barbie doll is not just like any toy. She is a representation of all femininity and all things feminine and as a representation of American beauty; she promotes what some people would call the ideal woman. Her petite figure (which is also mentioned in the ad.) and her constantly made up face and hair is a symbol of what a perfect woman should be in American society; attractive and well dressed.
The second most important aspect of the female significance in American culture is her attire. An American woman should be fashionable and own tons and tons of clothes. After the Barbie doll is introduced, the advertisement continues to sell “Purses, hats, and gloves galore and all the gadgets gals adore.” The repetition of products being introduced to Barbie underlines the significance of having multiple gadgets and accessories for all womanhood. In “The Hard Sell: Advertising in America,” Bill Bryson explains that tactics that companies like Mattel uses to sell their products in a few simple steps. Firstly, the advertisement should be directed toward the masses (Bryson 181). In Barbie’s case, it is directed to any and all American girls. The most crucially significant way to distinguish one product from the rest is through the “breathtaking lavishness of [the] advertising” (Bryson 181). In order to make money, Mattel had to spend a fortune on advertising alone; however, the most influential advertising strategy that Mattel adapted for the Barbie campaign would have to be the company’s use of a slogan. In the 1959 ad., the slogan states, “ Barbie, beautiful Barbie. I’ll make believe that I am you.” The slogan as well as the general feeling of the ad. indicates that to be like the Barbie doll is a desirable way to be and being like a Barbie means having all of the lavish things that a Barbie would have.
Mattel marketed and popularized the Barbie doll by promoting a consumerist lifestyle and an image of all-American feminine beauty through the use of advertising techniques that played an important role in the doll’s success. According to the first television advertisement for the Barbie doll, physical appearance and money are the key contributors toward happiness and the ideal American dream lifestyle. With millions of Barbie dolls sold globally in the past fifty years, it is clear to see that Mattel’s message is strong and loud, “Everyone should be more like Barbie and everyone should own nice things.”
Works Cited
Bryson, Bill. "The Hard Sell: Advertising in America." Text Messaging: Reading and Writing about Popular Culture. By John Alberti. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Pub., 2009. 179-93. Print.
Ornstein, Peggy. "What's Wrong with Cinderella?" Text Messaging: Reading and Writing about Popular Culture. By John Alberti. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Pub., 2009. 133-44. Print.
