logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
10m 5s

The birth of Barbie

Bbc World Service
About this episode

The first Barbie doll was sold in 1959.

It took Ruth Handler, who created it, years to convince her male colleagues that it would sell.

The plastic creation sold 350,000 in the first year and went on to take the world by storm selling millions.

It’s now been turned into a live action film starring Margot Robbie which hits the cinemas on Thursday 20 July.

Ruth and husband Elliot Handler spoke to the BBC’s Alan Dein in a 1990s documentary which Claire Bowes used to make this programme first broadcast in 2014.

(Photo: A Barbie doll from 2009. Credit: Victor Chavez/WireImage via Getty Images)

Up next
Today
Ni Una Menos women’s movement in Argentina
On 3 June 2015, tens of thousands of people gathered in the capital, Buenos Aires, and in dozens of cities and towns demanding an end to violence against women. There were demonstrations in Chile and Uruguay in solidarity too. Argentina was reporting a female murder rate of one e ... Show More
9m 31s
Yesterday
Argentina’s national genetics bank created to identify stolen babies
In 1982, Argentine geneticist Victor Penchaszadeh was living in exile in New York when he received a call that would change the course of his career. Two founding members of the campaign group, the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, were asking for his help to find their kidnappe ... Show More
10m 41s
Jul 8
The mystery of Evita’s corpse
When Eva Peron, Argentina's most famous First Lady, died in 1952, her body was embalmed. Three years later, her widower, Juan Peron, was deposed in a coup. But military officers feared her corpse would become a rallying point of protest against the new government. So they stole i ... Show More
10m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
Wartime surrenders and the birth of Barbie
Max Pearson presents a compilation of stories from this week’s Witness History episodes. In the autumn of 1945, World War II surrender ceremonies took place across the Japanese Empire. Thousands of people watched the incredible moment Japanese generals handed over their swords in ... Show More
51m 16s
Jul 2023
Barbie: German Sex Doll to American Icon
She's an icon, a polymath, a fashionista, and she's absolutely everywhere right now. Where did Barbie come from? What has she represented to the many who have bought and played with her? And what makes her an American doll? In this episode, M.G. Lord joins Don to introduce us to ... Show More
31m 54s
Jul 2023
The Barbie Tapes: A Toy is Born
When Barbie arrives on the toy scene in 1959, her celebrity is instantaneous, and not just because of her controversial appearance. Worldwide, Barbie is still the best-selling doll of all time. But Barbie has always been more than just a doll - she's a cultural touchstone. From p ... Show More
30m 58s
Dec 2023
Barbie, indémodable icône féministe
[REDIFF] Pour les fêtes de fin d’année, le Titre à la Une vous propose de réécouter une sélection de portraits de personnalités qui ont marqué l’année 2023.Il est devenu le film le plus rentable du monde en 2023. Le film Barbie, sorti en juillet dernier, a relancé le marché de la ... Show More
19m 2s
Jul 2023
Barbie: Feminist Icon?
Barbie is many things: an astronaut, a robotics engineers, a judge, and now a movie star! But can she be considered a feminist icon?  For a toy with such incredible appeal around the world, especially to young children, it’s an important question to ask.  Today we’re joined by Le ... Show More
41m 53s
Jul 2023
Barbie: The Fashion History of an Icon, Part I
Barbie is so much more than a child's toy. Since making her debut in 1959, the Barbie doll has become a full-fledged global phenomenon--and fashion icon. In this two part series, we explore the fashion history and cultural significance of the world's most famous doll and meet the ... Show More
58m 58s
Jun 2024
Black Barbie
In 1959, Barbie changed the way girls played with dolls - taking them from babies to beauty queens, fashion mavens, and professional role models. But girls of color didn’t see themselves represented by the blonde haired, Malibu-tanned figurine. It took 20 years for Mattel to fina ... Show More
35m 50s
Jul 2023
Six marketing principles from the Barbie Movie if your budget doesn’t extend to hiring Margot Robbie
The Barbie marketing team have been doing a BRILLIANT job. Pink billboard ads. Shots of the dream house the team built in Malibu. Behind-the-scenes tours with Margot Robbie and more. The team behind advertising the new Barbie Movie have been doing a BIG job, gathering their effor ... Show More
8 m
Jul 2023
Introducing LA Made: The Barbie Tapes from LAist Studios
Season 2 of “LA Made” tells the true story of the making and marketing of the most famous doll in the world, Barbie, told by the people who did it. We’ll hear from Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler, who spent years trying to convince her own company to make a teen aged fashion doll. ... Show More
1m 8s