A closer look
Barbie creator Ruth Handler was originally inspired to design the iconic American children's doll after discovering a risqué, adult-oriented gag gift in Europe called the Bild Lilli doll. The original German toy was based on a comic strip about a high-class call girl and was typically sold in tobacco shops as a raunchy joke for men. Handler brought this inappropriate figurine back to the United States, slapped a wholesome coat of corporate paint on it, and marketed it to millions of innocent little girls. The ultimate symbol of traditional feminine perfection and wholesome Americana is literally just a rebranded European sex toy wrapped in pink packaging. Mattel built a multi-billion dollar empire and launched a massive feminist movie blockbuster, all while completely ignoring the fact that their flagship character was born in a dusty German cigar shop as a joke for businessmen. God bless the relentless sanitizing power of American marketing
