logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
42m 45s

Barbie's Schemehouse | 114

Wondery
About this episode
Ruth Handler is a mom and small business owner when a sex doll gives her inspiration for a toy that will change everything: Barbie. She becomes the proto-Girl Boss who’s willing to lie, cheat and steal to make Mattel the biggest toy company in the world. And she’s having a good day every day, until shareholders and the SEC catch her making pretend with busin ... Show More
Up next
Mar 2025
Billy Mitchell: Truth or Kong-sequences | 151
Billy Mitchell became the king of arcade games when he achieved a perfect Pac Man score, and held the highest score in Donkey Kong. But in the early 2000s, a documentary about an upstart trying to be the best at Donkey Kong leads fans to examine how Billy actually achieved those ... Show More
48m 15s
Today
The Wildenstein Family Part 2: The Art of the Steal | 223
In our last episode, we followed the Wildenstein family over the span of four generations as they came to dominate the art world. The family prized success – and secrecy – above all else. But when the Wildenstein men attempt to cast aside the women they brought into their fold, l ... Show More
54m 37s
Jul 14
Listen Now: Dan Taberski’s Manifesto
Just in time for America’s 250th birthday, follow Dan Taberski (Hysterical, 9/12, Missing Richard Simmons) as he sets off on his most complicated quest yet: to reclaim the manifesto and write his own. Dan attempts to rescue the manifesto as a form from the sweaty clutches of cyni ... Show More
8m 1s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
The Barbie Tapes: When Girls--and Barbie--Could Do Anything
In this episode, Ruth and Elliot Handler are gone, and the new Mattel team, led by a man who feared the volatility of the toy business, diversified the company and made a big gamble on electronics. It didn’t work. Fortunately, Barbie ends up in the sure hands of some trailblazing ... Show More
32m 26s
Jul 2023
Introducing LA Made: The Barbie Tapes from LAist Studios
"LA Made: The Barbie Tapes," from LAist Studios, 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 mak ... Show More
31m 48s
Aug 2023
Business Daily meets: Mattel's CEO
Ynon Kreiz explains how they transformed Barbie, the well-loved and sometimes controversial doll, into a movie.The boss of one of the world's biggest toy companies also talks about the need to bring more diversity into the Barbie brand, and expand products beyond the toy aisles. ... Show More
18m 19s
Sep 2023
The World’s Most Famous Doll (Who Shall Remain Nameless for Legal Reasons) Goes to Court to Protect Her Brand
With the success of Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster movie, we are once again living in a doll’s world. Toymaker Mattel has long had a reputation for aggressively defending its Barbie-related intellectual property. Hosts Trisha Rich and Maggie Mendenhall Casey are joi ... Show More
55m 4s
Jul 2023
Barbie: German Sex Doll to American Icon
<p>She's an icon, a polymath, a fashionista, and she's absolutely everywhere right now.</p><br><p>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?</p><br><p>In this episode, M.G. Lord joins ... Show More
31m 54s
Feb 2024
The Business of Barbie | 5
We’ve got the keys to Barbie's dream house and we’re unlocking her legacy, staying power and what’s ahead. We're joined by Time reporter and Mattel expert Eliana Dockterman and entertainment and culture journalist Matthew Jacobs to talk about Barbie's ups and downs and the key bu ... Show More
33m 43s
Dec 2012
How Barbie Doll Works
<p>In this episode, Josh and Chuck explore the history, cultural impact and feminist ire raised by the Barbie doll. The boys are joined by Gordon Javna, the founder of the Bathroom Readers' Institute and publisher of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ... Show More
1h 1m
Apr 2019
Hasbro vs Mattel - Screen Dreams | 6
With the world plugging into the Internet, toys are under pressure. Kids are swapping plastic play for screen-based entertainment and both Mattel and Hasbro need to adapt. The question is: how?Mattel’s also finding out the hard way that Barbie’s reign as the queen of dolls is no ... Show More
28m 38s
Jan 2021
Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Screen Dreams | 6
With the world plugging into the Internet, toys are under pressure. Kids are swapping plastic play for screen-based entertainment and both Mattel and Hasbro need to adapt. The question is: how?Mattel’s also finding out the hard way that Barbie’s reign as the queen of dolls is no ... Show More
28m 40s