Barbie Turns 50—and Shares the Anniversary Spotlight

Whatever secret contention I might have with Barbie—those perfectly-perky breasts, that itsy-bitsy waist, the Stepford-wife grin that makes feminist pioneers quiver—I’ve nonetheless gotta hand the woman her kudos. At 50, The first lady of Mattel is still hot. Really hot.

It’s hard to believe that five decades ago on March 9, 1959, the first Barbie prototype made its debut right here at the Toy Fair. And now, at a time when Barbie must certainly be headlong into perimenopause, the fashion icon’s creators spare no expense in celebrating Barbie’s big anniversary with the liberal use of a certain color—girl-power pink.

This fall when the Pink World Line hits store shelves, our daughters will likely begin hounding us to purchase the affordable $14.99 Barbie FAB Girl (in this iteration of herself, Barbie embodies a PDA-toting intern who transforms into a fashionista by evening, with a quick updo and a reverse-striped pencil skirt). And wouldn’t it be just so cruel to keep the leggy lady homeless? As scores of us are fighting to keep our real-life mortgages out of foreclosure, Barbie is apparently surviving the recession rather comfortably: Her new Dream Town House (you guessed it—it’s pink in every imaginable shade) is a hefty $149.

If you can forgive Barbie’s apparent disregard for real American women's figures—and with some therapy, I’ve let it go—you’ll discover just how well she encourages a gutsy-girl spirit among the children who play with her. Since Barbie sashayed into toy stores around the world, the Renaissance woman has had exactly 108 careers—as a surgeon, a TV chef, a presidential candidate, even a Sea World trainer. In Fall 2009, she’ll add two more jobs to her résumé via the Barbie I Can be series: newborn baby doctor and preschool teacher (both $23.99).

When it comes to anniversary galas, Barbie has plenty of company. USAopoly’s Simpson’s TV is celebrating its 20th; The Pink Panther, Sesame Street, and Nerf all made it over the hill to 40 this year; And the Smurfs, Candyland, and Little People join Barbie for the big 50. Finally, there’s one of my personal faves, Madame Alexander’s Madeline—the cloth doll who comes complete with a series of storybook adventures—is as adorable now as she was when she was introduced in 1939. Since 70 is apparently the new 40 for the unstoppable Boomer set, that means our dear Madeline has at least another seven decades to delight us.