The History of Barbie in the 1970s
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2024
- You've probably heard about Malibu Barbie and Superstar Barbie, but have you heard about the growing pains Barbie went through in the 1970s? The 1970s were a period of ups and downs for the Barbie brand, and this period would affect the way Barbie was designed and produced for years to come. However, this period of evolution would lead to one of the most, if not the most, recognizable incarnations of the Barbie doll.
Want to learn more? Check out these links:
✨ www.barbiemedia.com/about-barb...
✨ history.state.gov/milestones/...
✨ www.christies.com/lotfinder/L...
✨ / dressing-barbie
Music:
✨ Music by Chinsaku - Voyage - thmatc.co/?l=21312D80
✨ Last Kiss Goodnight by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
✨ ua-cam.com/users/audiolibrary...
✨ I'm Happy I'm Barbie - • I'm happy, I'm Barbie
Copyright Disclaimer:
Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research.
Barbie and associated characters are owned by Mattel.
#barbie #1970s #superstarbarbie #malibubarbie
You should definitely talk about Barbie’s second peak in quality in the late 90’s and 2000’s and the competition with Bratz and how it influenced a lot of Mattel’s decisions during that time.
Definitely on my list of topics! My next video is actually related to this, though it's not exactly about Barbie. Stay tuned! 😉
The competition with MGA was so obvious. The entire Barbie line went right back to lowest quality soon as Mattel won its lawsuit.
I am so glad other people have picked up on the upgrade in quality Barbie went through in that time frame.
The Generation Girls series is a great example of this. They left behind the silly, campy looking stuff Barbie was wearing for most of the '90s, and began dressing her and her 'friends' like real, stylish young women again.
Wow even this comment is a huge ah ha! When i think about it yea the dolls were loaded with quality everything. I grew up in that time and it makes sense why i always found playline whack during the glam era and mainly collected vintage and silkstone
80s Barbie is still the prettiest and the best!
What a great mini doco on Barbie in the 70’s. So informative and fun.
The 70’s is when I met and fell in love with Barbie... here’s our first meeting:
In 1976, at the age of 6, my mum took me to a big department store that had a live Santa you could meet, and take a photo with. Before the photo was done, Santa would talk to the child, and ask "what did you want from Santa", he'd listen, then reach into his big red bag, and out from it, the toy would appear.
My 6 year old eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing. I was witnessing child after child, while in the long... slow... paced line with my mum, these children were with THE real Santa.
I’d asked my mother many times before this occasion, if I could have a Barbie doll, but I’d always end up with something else I liked (but didn’t love)... like a pink Beetle Matchbox car added to my growing Matchbox car collection, which in 1976, I played with like in the Pixar film ‘Cars’. They all had their personalities, and of course amongst them there was the most beautiful princess car (with not a scratch on her... my cars never crashed).
In the line, seeing all these stupendously giddy children with Santa, my mum asked me what I’d ask Santa to find for me in his sack. Without hesitation, knowing this was SANTA I was about to see, I said Ballerina Barbie...
Her response was, “Oh... I don’t think he’ll have her in his sack... maybe you could see if there was a lovely new Matchbox car in there for you instead.”
Somewhat crestfallen, yet so concurrently hyped with hope at what I was witnessing, I felt that Santa would truely know what was my hearts desire.
When it was my turn, with a whispered tone, because this was Santa and with hope in my tiny voice and anime glistening eyes, I got to honestly ask him what toy I really REALLY wanted. I asked him... “do you have a Ballerina Barbie for me?”
At first, Santa said to me that he didn’t think he had her in his big red bag, and surely there was some special boy toy I wanted. I’m sure at that moment, I was like Charlie Bucket hearing that all 5 Golden tickets to the Chocolate Factory were found by other boys and girls... and not me. My glimmer of hope that Santa would know me, and know what I truely and dearly wanted with all my heart, was diminishing fast.
Then... I remember him looking to my mother, and seeing an almost imperceptible nod of approval from her.
With restored gusto, Santa rummaged through his big red bag, which took a bit of time easily filled with North Pole small talk, then rising up from Santa’s big red sack, like Excalibur rising from the lake... up came the Ballerina Barbie doll, just as I'd dreamed and asked for, I couldn't believe it, yet there she was... just like magic. This really WAS Santa.
I remember being so overcome and overwhelmed, so happy that I was having laughing tears.
Apparently the toy store was below Santa’s floor, with an unseen trapdoor underneath Santa’s big red sack, his “elves” running around finding the approved requested item. I’m hopeful they knew of the great joy they were imparting onto these children... myself included. A lifetime memory. Actually, I’m sure they did. It really was a magical moment. And yes, I still have her, my magical and ultra special Ballerina Barbie. My first Barbie.
Foremost, I’ve a very special and loving thank you to my mother who made this experience come alive for me at 6 years of age, and understanding and truely seeing what would bring me the greatest joy and lasting memory, when meeting this gift giving Santa.
This love of Barbie evolved into wanting to sculpt my own 16” doll ‘Elizabet Bizelle’, which I did in 2001, releasing her in a small run of 300 in 2003.
I’ve recently released my inaugural line of 18” GlamourOZ Dolls. Articulated 18” dressed dolls, designed to wear 16” doll fashions and shoes.
Here’s my website:
www.glamourozdolls.com
I’d love to see more doll docos in your uniquely engaging style. There’s certainly a fascinating story in the birth and many retirements and rebirths of Mel Odom’s 16” Gene Marshall dolls.
As well as an equally fascinating story of the 16” Tyler Wentworth doll by Robert Tonner, who created a doll released 4 years after the Gene Marshall doll, which quickly dominated the collector market of 16” dolls.
I look forward to more of your dolly docos. 😍💕
What a wonderful story!!! Such a beautiful memory it was an honor to read it.
Your dolls are truly wonderful too, they are magnificent! I would love to support you but sadly the shipping cost to my country is very high. I hope more people can appreciate them, love from Chile
i fell in love with barbie because I had no friends, and plus 1960s dramatic new living barbie is like a protagnist in an shojo anime from th 60s to the 70s...
If you're gonna do the 1980s.... don't forget about the feud with Jem. That's how "Barbie and the rockers" came about.
Of course! It usually takes a good competitor like Jem and Bratz (and perhaps now with L.O.L. OMG and Rainbow High) to really make Mattel step up their game with Barbie. Though much at the expense of those competing lines...
@@HaveYouHeardDolls it waz interesting because Jem had a hit TV show that I was crazy about but if you go by Doll....barbie won
@@seanm6215 It's a pity that the Jem line and ultimately the show ended. The toy business, especially the fashion doll scene, is really rough.
CORRECTION 01:53: Malibu Barbie DID NOT have a new headsculpt. The doll used the Casey headsculpt from 1966. Special thanks to commenter Andy Bishop for pointing this out.
They actually used the Stacy head-sculpt for Malibu Barbie.
@@charlenezacks8105: Yes, you are right. Malibu Barbie used the head sculpt of Stacey, Barbie's 'British Friend' from 1968.
Casey was used for Malibu Francie.
I just snagged myself a live action Barbie and I'm over the moon! This era is just gorgeous.
As someone who has interests in various areas of pop culture, I found your video informative--many thanks. Mattel really did get hammered in the 1970s. Several factors accounted for Mattel's (and Barbie's) decline during the decade. The oil embargo hit Mattel (as well as many companies who used petroleum to manufacture their products) hard, but another huge factor you didn't mention was one that nearly capsized Mattel: bankruptcy. The company had been losing money for several years, a fact that was concealed by Ruth Handler using some , ah, creative accounting tactics. As the 1970s progressed, the ugly truth couldn't be hidden any longer: Mattel was almost broke. This resulted in the company having to engage in some relentless cost-cutting tactics, one of which was to sever ties with their Japanese vendors. Depending on who you talk to, this was the beginning of the end in terms of quality in the Barbie line. Other commentators have mentioned issues with certain dolls from this era having issues with fragile limbs, etc.--these problems certainly bear out the fact that the vendors Mattel began using just couldn't deliver quality the way the Japanese vendors had. And as for Ruth Handler and her creative accounting to conceal losses, that all caught up with her, resulting in her being indicted on securities fraud and eventually being ousted from the company. The resulting scandal no doubt had repercussions with investors and didn't exactly breed confidence within the organization. Another reason Barbie took a hit in the 70s was, well, it was the 70s. Anyone who has lived through (or is familiar with) the decade knows that the era was something of a fallow period for high fashion. Compared to what Mattel did with Barbie's fashions in the 1960s and 1980s, the decade that came between looks like a wash-out. I would like to mention something about Malibu Barbie in light of what you said about certain things like left-over fabrics and existing accessory molds being reused: the head sculpt used was neither new nor created especially for the Malibu line. That sculpt had been used prior for the Stacey doll, which Mattel ceased production on the year Malibu came out.
Thank you so much for elaborating, Andy! I've only heard rumblings of Ruth Handler's accounting coverups throughout my research for this video, so it was great to have a more detailed account of it. I certainly didn't want to misreport anything about this issue (and also to keep the video under 20 minutes 😅). Also, thank you for pointing out that Malibu Barbie uses the Casey mold - the screening Mattel used really masks the prominent lower lip that Caseys are usually known for. I've certainly learned a lot from reading your comment and the other comments on this video, and I hope that it can be a great resource for collectors that are interested in this decade of Barbie.
Please do a video on the 80's, 90's and 2000's!
Definitely! Thanks for watching 😊
Thank you for this! Im a collector myself, and when I started I noticed that 70s are the hardest & most complex to identify, harder than vintage 60s. I never really knew what happened behind the scenes (I only watched one Ruth bio video where these problems were mentioned shortly)... However, Im glad that after those dark times they ended up with one of the most famous B eras - Superstar
Thanks for watching! I'm sure the designers were itching to make something glamorous after all those years of plain prairie dresses because of the oil embargo. The Superstar era produced a lot of dolls and outfits.
@@HaveYouHeardDolls yes & some of the Superstars are more valuable than 60s! Its hilarious! I think after 90s golden age, Superstar is the most memorable period!
In 1970, Mattel's plant in Mexico caught fire; the oil embargo didn't help matters.
Oh my, that probably affected a lot of production decisions. By any chance, could you link any articles/books that mention the fire? I've been interested in learning more about Mattel's production sites over the years.
Please do the history of black dolls.
This was actually very well done.
In many ways better then some documentaries I've seen on the Barbie doll.
This is actually better then "the toys that made us" by Netflix. Their episode on the Barbie doll was pretty good, but they didn't stay in sequence with the segment about 1970s Barbie. This one is a bit more accurate in it's chronological order.
I love the accent of the narrator and the way she pronounces Mattel they way Americans would say "metal"........lol
Others wise, this is very well done.
Thank you! It was a challenge to condense this decade into a video under 20 minutes.
I've had the impression that the 1970s are the most unappreciated in her history. This is despite the fact that perhaps the most iconic Barbie doll of all time (Malibu) emerged in 1971, as well as one of the other biggest, most iconic dolls at the end of the decade--Superstar Barbie, who ushered in a whole new era named after her. No one seems to care much for the Busy Barbie, Walk Lively, Quick Curl, Free Moving, etc. dolls. People who grew up in that era seem to remember the Country Camper, Townhouse, and swimming pool more than anything else besides the Malibu doll line. I finally looked into the era myself more, and I was astounded by all the gorgeous clothing she had even during the 'lean' times in the mid-later 70s, that no one seems to care about or remember. There were countless knockouts in the Get Up n' Go line (the Best Buy line was understandably not as great, since it was a 'budget' line).
You should do a video talking about the feud between barbie and bratz dolls.
Such a depressing feud though because really, there was no feud Mattel went to court as soon as Bratz were winning and ruined Bratz forever lol
Great video! I always associated Malibu Barbie with the 70s era, but hadn't heard about Superstar Barbie until this video. Fabulous documentary!
I'm curious to know about other eras of Barbie and how they developed, like the 80s and early 90s, along with the turn of the millennium, when other doll brands started to challenge Barbie's monopoly. You also have a lot of knowledge about the Generation Girl spinoff line, and I'd love to see your take on it all!
These videos are so in-depth and informative. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Riley!! Barbie, and Mattel in general, certainly has a rich history full of innovations (and drama). I look forward to digging deeper into these topics in future videos! 😊
You made my day! Thank you so much for creating this wonderful documentary based on an idea I gave you 😍 And you know what? It exceeded my expectations, it's such a bliss to watch! Not only is your documentary complex, with excellent research, but also sonically and visually engaging. I loved your music sellections, from psychedelic rock to acid jazz and disco - you created a climatic sonic impression of the 1970s. What I love about your work is the fact you cover the technical aspects of Barbie evolution, and the influence of the economy on the way the doll and her fashions kept changing. Most docs I've seen mainly focused on social/cultural issues, but you always add something truly extra. You understand what a collector would actually like to know, as opposed to the common person who only thinks of Barbie in social context. I appreciate how you cover the nuances of how the dolls were manufactured, how their bodies and face molds changed, and even the ways of packaging. The 1970s were indeed such a transitional period for Barbie and you just took us on another amazing journey! 💕 Like someone said in an earlier comment, the 80s/90s era would be a great subject for your next work. Personally I'm fascinated by the story of Mattel's deal with Brazilian Estrella, Venezuelan Rotoplast and Spanish Congost that all made Barbie at some point in early 90's 😉 Anyway, I'll be coming back to this documentary because I'm totally mesmerized by it 😍💕
I'm so happy that you enjoyed this video, Nori - your comment really made MY day! It was incredible to dive into the history of Barbie in the 1970s, and really appreciate how much the brand evolved within a decade alone. As a collector myself, I really wanted to highlight the often-overlooked technical innovations Mattel has made with Barbie that really shaped the way fashion dolls are manufactured. So glad that you appreciated that aspect of the video. I will definitely consider creating similar videos for each decade Barbie was in production. You've definitely piqued my interest in Mattel's South American and Spanish connections.
I am incredibly grateful for your comments, as they motivate me to keep improving my content (glad you liked my music choices too)! I hope to keep making enjoyable and informative content for doll collectors/fans!! 😊❤️
That was so interesting! I never knew what was going on behind the scenes of Barbie in 1970's, and it's qreat to know now thanks to you. I hope you keep making these videos :) I always wanted to know more about Totally Hair Barbie, the best selling Barbie of all time. Maybe you know something about the process of designing her, and how her success affected future Barbie releases... That would be fun to watch :-)
Thank you so much!! I'm so glad that this video was informative, and offered a look into what was happening internally and externally within the Barbie brand. I really love your suggestion of Totally Hair Barbie - such an iconic doll, and really proved how popular the hair play concept is for fashion dolls. Will definitely add it to my list of video ideas!
The quality of your videos and research is always amazing to notice, excellent work and thank you!
Could you do a side by side quality difference between 2010's barbie dolls and 1900's? That would amazing to watch lol
This is an absolutely fascinating history----thank you!
I can’t wait for your posts I always look forward to them, love your videos sm!! ✨💞
Thank you for making these. I'm really amused by your documentaries about Barbie!
I really love your videos, they're really informative and fun to watch! It would be cool to hear you talk about Barbie's rapid decrease in quality in recent years and why it happened (if you know of course).
It's definitely something I want to touch on in an eventual video. There are so many factors that caused this sad, but inevitable decline, and Mattel's financial issues certainly aren't helping.
@@HaveYouHeardDolls Yeah it's very sad and confusing.
The channel is great, the only pity for me is the robotic voice - I think the videos would be more enjoyable if they were narrated by a human voice. ^_^ But I understand if you don't like the idea of recording your voice.
Yes, I agree!
4/5/21, Very informative video, please make more factual vids about Barbie. I enjoyed learning detailed facts about Barbie 70's era. I think the iconic Malibu Barbie and other 70's Barbies are the most beautiful to date.
U should talk about barbie in the 80's which has been absolutely the golden age for barbies!
My absolute favorite era of Barbie ever
Love Barbie and her universal smile
I adore your content! Keep making these vids, they are really fun to watch
this was fun to watch awesome vid
Wow! Now I now who can I blame for the low quality barbies from nowadays
I love this channel. I don’t know how is not more popular. Please do a video on Disney store dolls or Jem dolls from Hasbro if you can.
I'd love to see you do this for the other decades as well
Great video! I reall wanna see a video of Barbie's history in Latin America, and know more about Barbie dolls made in this part of the continent, like Dibon Barbie, Top Toys Barbie, Estrela Barbie, Rotoplast Barbie, BASA Barbie, Cipsa/Aurimat Barbie, Congost Barbie (even tho Spain is not a latin american country) and specially Plásticos Gloria Barbie, which are Barbie dolls manufactured in my country, Chile.
Amazing video thank you
Wait a minute, New Dream Barbie Collection; Barbie Films in Movie Tapes and Discs, Barbie TV Series in Prime Favorite Videos, Barbie Cancelled Movies in Webtoon Vlogs, Barbie Musicals in Music Tapes and Discs, Barbie Songs and Stories in Books, Barbie Happy Meal Toys, Barbie Computer and Video Games, Barbie Hygiene and Beauty Products, Barbie Keepsake Jewels, Barbie Holiday Ornaments, Barbie Music and Lyric Videos, Barbie Arts and Crafts, and a Barbie Fan Club Membership Badge.
Such a great series of mini docs. Would be interesting to learn a bit more about the Bob Mackie designing period, including his introduction of cl.osed mouth mackie
Where did you find the “I’m happy I’m Barbie” instrumental 😳😳😳 I love it!
I was only able to extract a portion of it through PhonicMind. Apparently, the other side of the record the dolls came with had an instrumental version of their song as well. I was only able to find a good quality version of the song with vocals online though: ua-cam.com/video/uZ0kvVUwnjAh/v-deo.htmlttps://ua-cam.com/video/uZ0kvVUwnjA/v-deo.html
@@HaveYouHeardDolls you’re the best!
The late 70's and 80s barbies were the best
Love the video!!!!! So interesting Please make more about barbie my favorite doll what happened in the 80, 90 and 2000
Great informative video! 😊
Malibu & Superstar barbie were my very first. I wish I still had them
Live-Action Barbie is 50 this year!
This is such a well made video, you should totally do this for other babrie decades!
I love this video 🥰 I am happy and proud to start collecting Barbie dolls 🥰
Very, very good! 👏Regards from Brazil!
The ALL-American doll that is made in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and China. God bless America!
You can probably guess the age of a Barbie fan based on the country their dolls were made in. Taiwan, in my case
I had the Malibu Ken, Malibu Barbie, Malibu Frances and Skipper. Also the Barbie Sweet Sixteen.
The ONLY Barbies that don't creep me out are the ones with real eyelashes. After 1973 or so they cut corners and stopped giving them eyelashes. After that Barbie characters are ugly. The most beautiful of all of them is Francie with Growin Hair
I agree, Growin' Hair Francie is so beautiful! I definitely think the rounder features of the mod-era Barbie dolls gave them a sweeter look than a lot of the dolls that came before and after. The rooted eyelashes really complemented round eyes well. Good point about the eyelashes - Mattel probably didn't want to waste hair fibers on eyelashes with the oil embargo and all.
Must have been a rough time for Mod Hair Ken
I love this channel
Do a history on Blythe
will they ever bring pj back?
Please do a video on the history of My Scene
Very nice video! Love Barbie ♥️ The company’s name is pronounced Ma-(Tell)
What happened to Barbie's cousin jazzy
10:55 Judy, a.k.a. Dyna Girl from "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl"
It was interesting to hear a pro -women's empowerment since for most feminists Barbie was a sexist toy that promoted unrealistic body images and focused girls on clothing and appearance. I think ultimately the truth was a mix of both perceptions.
The oil embargo info was really interesting.
I still have my Growing Up Skipper, the one where she got taller and "developed" with a flip of the arm.
Thanks for the video
Could you please do a My Scene history video?
adorei o video. Beijosss.
Busy Barbie was really delicate I read in a book
Yeah, those wrist and thumb joints look like they would loosen up over time, especially if they were played with frequently.
@@HaveYouHeardDolls Or abused by your brother
this video ate
I don't collect girl toys but I was wondering if you could do a video on Barbie in the 1990s
This was very interesting and gave us a LOT of information and reasons why the 70s Barbies & fashions became so cheaply made. They were doing the best they could! I had only heard about a manufacturing plant that burned down and that THAT was the explanation for the shift in quality.
*One thing you could correct* The female narrator of this video doesn't know how to pronounce MATTEL. Very annoying!
How about a video on JEM.
I have a couple of iconic Barbie dolls (and friends) from the 1970s that include: Ballerina Barbie, Malibu Barbie, Quick Curl Barbie/Kelley/Cara, Walk Lively Steffie, and Beauty Secrets Barbie!
PJ was very pretty. She was my favorite 🎉
Anyone know the name of this track from 12:24?
HERMOSA BARBIE LOVER
I love this history vid! I have the beauty secrets barbie!
“Continue to remain” is redundant
I'm an English major who gets fussy about language, and even I think this is a silly point
Can u do the history of paper dolls
I actually like that barbie song lol
I HAD BARBIE dolls when i was youger like 12 are 13 and 14 , i love barbie dolls ,
Is this a robot voice? Mattle? 😅
🤖🤖🤖
Per me le Barbie migliori rimangono quelle degli anni 70.❤
After seeing the Barbie movie I think you should do a documentary about Barbie dolls that have been infamous for controversial reasons. Even the ones that weren't in the movie like Oreo Barbie (Ritz Cracker Barbie is FAKE btw)
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Look how lucky in the 1970s kids have barbie doll like this the quality is fantastic the clothes etc. But now the modern day barbie have garish quality the clothes are painted on. Really boring I guess 😂😭
70s groovy
Could you please do a little history on Barbie's with a disability..I like Share a Smile Becky, in the MAUVE wheelchair 1997 ♿ Beach Blast Barbie 1989..I've seen a Barbie with an artificial limb..I like Snap N' Play Barbie 1995 ..And, the Flip N' Dive Barbie..she had Speedo swim suit.. :) 😉 thank you ❤👍 And, I miss Kelly and Tommy..& Shaving Fun Ken..bring back, little Kelly(please, do a history on her)..Really like this, it's interesting..😊👍
Where is Kissing Barbie from 1978. Golden Dream Barbie 1980. ???
Muh TELL
I can never tell if it's an ai or an actual person lol
A my little Pony (mlp) video please
Please so the 2010
I don't know if You have conttacts with Mattel. I really want to se reproduction on Sun Sensation Barbie 1991, and they to use the Indonesian or Malaysian type of face for the reprodcution. I live in Bulgaria and i can't find any conntacts. Give this idea. I miss the golden star earrings, the tune skin , tinsel hair, i thin that was the best Barbie doll. And to make barbie dance moves reproduction too. They made Totally hair in 2017 and it was awesone prodcut:)
What about the poor quality of Taiwan manufactured Barbie and friend dolls in the mid 70's. Limbs would fall off, and it wasn't easy to repair them.
It's so disappointing how cheap Barbies have become
1960's & 1970's Barbie dolls were the BEST Barbies produced not the garbage dolls produced today. These idiots that run Mattel today should be fired. Bring Carol Spencer back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can you please stop using the text-to-speech?
This mini documental fails and misses in some parts on real information more accurate about Barbie in The 70´s.....Where´s the information about the important Barbie participation at The Olympics and controversy about Growing Up Skipper???...sorry, but the information is not completed and informed.
Thanks for your feedback, Ferdinand. I wanted to cover Gold Medal/Olympic Barbie for a future video., as Mattel would make more Olympic themed dolls later on. Additionally, I wanted to limit the scope to Barbie only - even though Skipper evolved in this decade as well, which I feel deserves its own video. Thanks for watching!
the voice on this video is horrific - could not listen - guessing its AI
Amy Text to speech voice
Really dislike the AO voiceover. Please use a real person!
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