Barbie in the mirror of culture: social burden and transformation of the modern doll

Abstract

The functionality of a children's toy is changing along with the changing world for which it was created. Her orientation to the requirements and interests of a child is relative. First of all, a doll is an object of the adult world. One of the most popular dolls of our time is no exception in this case. The prototype of Barbie was a toy that conveyed the forms of an adult girl, attracting the attention of men. The first Barbies made according to its format won the hearts of children, and, as practice shows, for a long time. The article discusses the algorithm of retaining this attention, the “secrets of success” of Barbie on the example of the development of her specific model — Barbie Fashionistas. The sequence of subjectification of the doll's image, the goals pursued by this process, and its consequences are considered in the work. The result of Barbie's evolution is not only the development of the child's consumer taste, but also the emergence of a separate subculture in the adult world (the doll could not leave this world), which indicates the initial close connection between the doll and the human world. These relationships are devoid of a sacred gloss, which is mandatory for a doll, according to ethnographic and anthropological observations. The axiology of this image is ambivalent — it both brings relief to suffering and forces us to abandon the natural nature of the body (which is hardly possible without pain and final dissatisfaction). The instrumental character of the doll's imagery is considered, which turns out to be important for both the world of children and the world of adults.