Barbie

American Icon: Barbie

Arts, Culture & Media

How did the Barbie doll become such a powerful symbol and ubiquitous toy? For our ongoing series on American Icons, we look at how Barbie started, how she endured, and what her future may hold. Produced by Studio 360’s Leital Molad with production help from Sarah Birnbaum

American Icons: Barbie

Arts, Culture & Media

American Icons

Arts, Culture & Media

Five Things You Had To See Online This Week

Arts, Culture & Media
A 'Becky' barbie doll on display at an exhibition in Madrid, Spain.

Becky, Barbie’s friend who uses a wheelchair, was discontinued.

Culture
Barbie dolls are seen in a window of a toy store.

Barbie typewriter toys had a secret ability to encrypt messages — but they didn’t think girls would care

Culture

When Barbie released a typewriter “for girls” — they decided the girls wouldn’t care about its cryptographic capabilities.