Ruth AND Aliot Handler / "Mattel", Barbie

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Barbie

Hendler - not so known surname in the world of brands that at one mention of it associations were born. Where couple Hendlerov, and their daughter is more known not. More correctly, her name - Barbara which has been reduced by liking parents to diminutive-hypocoristic-Barbie - and is successfully transformed into the trademark. Since then eternally young tiny girl Barbie named in honour of the prototype - Barbaras, remains young and desired already some generations successively. Similar, it remains such for ever, despite the 46-year-old age that is a lot of even for a doll.

Handler - not so known surname in the world of brands that at one mention of it associations were born. Where couple Hendlerov, and their daughter is more known not. More correctly, her name - Barbara which has been reduced by liking parents to diminutive-hypocoristic-Barbie - and is successfully transformed into the trademark. Since then eternally young tiny girl Barbie named in honour of the prototype - Barbaras, remains young and desired already some generations successively. Similar, it remains such for ever, despite the 46-year-old age that is a lot of even for a doll.

In 1945 in the city of Hotorn of State of California Rut and Eliot Handler together with Harold Matsonom have adjusted manufacture of children's toys and have based company Mattel Creations. First as the main office and a unique industrial premise of the company the house garage served. Soon Matson has sold to spouses the share, and affairs Hendlerov unexpectedly have gone uphill. But even then company founders hardly assumed, that later 20 years it will turn to the world leader in the market of children's toys. And the glory to it will be brought by the one and only doll by name of Barbie who is considered nowadays as one of symbols of America.

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The idea of creation of a doll superpopular all over the world has come from a silent family life. As well as all little girls, daughter Hendlerov Barbara liked to potter with dolls. Then were especially popular so-called fashion dolls - flat cardboard figures of a doll with a figure of the model which could be dressed in the dresses which have been cut out from a paper. They were let out also by company Mattel. Right at the beginning 1950 Rut Hendler has paid attention to how her daughter loses various social roles with a doll, dressing its that in an evening dress, in a kitchen apron, in a business suit. Since that moment object of game it has been decided from two-dimensional to make three-dimensional, that is volume and copying the real girl. But careful mum has provided also that the toy should be something big. Let she will learn the small daughter to watch herself and the clothes, imparts to it necessary skills of behaviour etc. For this purpose it is necessary to make a doll not small Barbara's contemporary, and is more senior. Let it becomes a good example for the future women. According to most Hendler, such doll «will prepare the girl for its inevitable future, but on safe distance from it - at that age when still play dolls».

Ideas of the progressive mother first have not called colleagues of the big enthusiasm. There have passed some years. During a trip to Europe Rut Hendler has bought a German doll Lille - an embodiment of its own idea. To within «decadent perversity» Lille the heroine komiksa for adults in newspaper Bild was which prototype, - typical «a thunder-storm of men». Having thought, Hendler has found «the asymmetric answer» German vamp. Barbie's named in honour of the daughter the doll, represented the young American - pure, opened and optimistical, but at the same time attractive and sexual, how much it was supposed by moral standards of America of that time. The principle of plurality of dresses of a paper doll has been transferred and on a doll volume. For this purpose Rut that has employed professional fashion designer Charlotte Johnson, and first time individually dressed Barbie.

This time the company board of directors has unconditionally believed in idea Rut, and in 1958 Barbie have patented. Henceforth and forever the doll needed to be long-legged, harmonous and attractive.

Barbie's debut has taken place on February, 16th, 1959 at annual New York fair of children's toys. However the expected triumph does not happen: wholesale dealers toys more than have cool met a novelty - probably because all of them as one were men. But already to the beginning of next year when Hendlery have started to offer a doll to toy shops directly, Barbie has interested girls and their mothers, and in Mattel orders have begun to flow. Time went - the number of orders grew in a geometrical progression. In the first year it has been sold more than 350 thousand dolls.

It has appeared in the market as the innovative business project - a doll-model with constantly updated clothes, that with inevitability involves purchase of all subsequent versions. Calculation was exact: here already the third generation of the American girls and their contemporaries all over the world does not climb down from parents, begging at them the new plastic girl-friend.

The first Barbie was on sale in a box on which appeared: Basic Barbie Doll Fashion Set («the Base set of clothes for Barbie's doll»). It became the brilliant marketing decision for company Mattel and personally Rut Hendler. Thus, in a camp of buyers of a toy the Grecian horse was started: was to parents to buy to the complaining daughter a doll with the clothes complete set enough, and the end to new purchases was not to see.

Barbie has been made of the vinyl plastic providing mobility of hands, feet and a neck. The head was decorated by a reddish horse tail in style Brizhit Bardo, the forehead has been covered by a bang «under Odri Hepbern» from popular then «Roman vacation». The doll clothes were made by the striped closed bathing suit of a fashionable fabric of jersey, at present more than chaste though and definitely hinting that at all was absent at all dolls-predecessors (the German Lille nevertheless was not absolutely children's toy) - Barbie represented quite generated maiden.

The complete set of linen of Barbie from the very beginning included lacy brassieres with shorts. Anything especial they, the truth, did not cover … It is possible to present, what howl differently numerous adherents of public morals would lift. With the advent of a doll at once there were the "well-wishers" saying, that Barbie's imitation in all is fraught with real problems in an adult life.

So the challenge has been thrown down to century representations about that, in what it is necessary to play the small lady. The architect of a modern mass culture Andy Warhol has transformed Barbie into a cultural icon of America of second half of 20 centuries along with Merilin Monroe. Founders of a doll in all followed stereotypes which in that country and at that time were considered as sexuality and appeal signs. The first Barbie had the pulled out eyebrows, brightly made up lips, a porcelain skin, a wasp waist, harmonous legs and, of course, a bust. More modestly, than at Merilin Monroe, but and it seemed to much too. «Siski in the childhood world!» - the bright heading not differing restraint of newspaper The Village Voice precisely reflected an essence of the inflamed disputes.

Someone was not too lazy to count: if the doll was in growth of the person, traditional dimensions (volume of a breast, a waist and hips in centimetres) at Barbie would make 97-58-83. Difference from reference 90-60-90 and with open years considerably: under 50 Barbie's American standards was the girl a little cachectic, but with a breast all was good.

The first Barbie has set at once new tone, having counted on individuality and independence. It not pity helpless pupsik which sing lullabies and nurse, and the adult girl who has an own life, and even a full name, a surname and the address: Barbara Millisent Robert living in the city of Uillouz, the State of Wisconsin, and left in the same place school.

About this being monographies have been written. Barbie became a subject of researches and dissertations. Aesthetes contemptiously name as Barbie «the queen American kitcha». Aggressive feminists are ready to break off it in shreds. Whether social psychologists conduct to this day hot discussions on a subject «the doll as a role model for development of the person Can serve?» But all these logomachies for the market of toys mean nothing. Barbie's to manufacturers where that the real audience consisting of their small daughters thinks is more important than opinions of adults.

For first ten years of dolls of Barbie it has been sold more than on half-billion dollars. Would be more correct to tell - dolls with corresponding complete sets of clothes and accessories because from the very beginning of Barbie it has been positioned in the market as a doll-model, a doll-model assuming infinite clothing-undressing.

Rut Hendler, died in 2002 at the age of 85 years, quite deserves a monument before an input in the main office of the company: under magazine Forbes version, thanks to Barbie the modest firm of toys Mattel for five years was included into the list of 500 largest companies of the world.

Today about one million dolls is on sale for a week, that is on the average on one and a half doll every second. The average American girl from 3 till 11 years fills up the collection with three dolls in a year and owns approximately vosemju. In total for 45 years it is sold more than billion copies of Barbie, its doll relatives and numerous friends, and hundred millions parents in the world annually enrich Mattel approximately on $1,5 billion

Poor thing Barbie often compare to a big-poppy, and it is not unreasonable. The American symbol it is possible to consider both these as indicators of stability of national economy. And on firm sandwich McDonald’s (in big-poppies measure consumer prices of the different countries), and on Barbie the price if varies it is extremely rare. As to Barbie the first doll model cost $3. The followed inflation has prevailed, but last years Barbie's retail price in the USA is stably kept at level of $9,99. It includes manufacture cost ($0,35), materials ($0,65), expenses on transport and management (on $1,0), on marketing and advertising ($0,80), payments to owners of the trade mark ($0,40), a share of trading intermediaries ($0,90). Remained $4,89 - net profit Mattel.

Certainly, collection curiosities on usages are more expensive. So, in 1998 one of early Barbie was sold by auction for record $26,5 thousand.

On maintenance of the star status of a doll considerable forces are thrown. At first it was simply the doll, though also supersuccessful. In the course of time she has outgrown the role taken away to it, having turned in the intimate girlfriend, the partner and the tutor of millions girls all over the world. Probably, therefore the world all is more promptly filled same Barbie - only live.

In Mattel to it in every possible way promote, regularly entering into a life of a doll elements of a real life of the small clients. Clothes and the things surrounding with Barbie, change continuously and supplemented. So, in 1964 the set «is made by Barbie arrives in college». In the world of hippie with their slogan «Sex, drugs and rock-n-roll» a decent doll to send for the clear reasons not steels, and in 1975 Barbie has gone in for sports. In 1984 in Los Angeles there have passed the Olympic Games, and Barbie has turned to the professional swimmer.

During the existence socially active doll has had time to master over 80 trades. Nevertheless, the American feminists did not stop to criticise Mattel. Aggressive supporters of female equality still considered, that the doll embodies sights of "muzhiks-chauvinists" to the place of the woman in a society. To beat off attacks of spitpoisons, Barbie in last decade-two even more often dressed in a strict business suit. There was it and in the police form, and in a space survival suit (in 1965, 1984 and 1986), and even in full equipment of the fighter of the American special troops. By the way, to Barbie's army has gone to serve in 1992, the nurse (but at once has got on front, having got «the Storm in desert»).

Right at the end 1980th years, giving a tribute to an epoch of the termination of cold war, Barbie «participated in the summits» and even "was present" at destruction of the Berlin wall. And in 1992 and 2000 the doll «stood in US presidents» - its electoral programme kept, as it is necessary, on three foundations: the equal rights for girls, education for all and protection of the rights of animals.

New politically correct times have demanded release black, yellow-skinned and red-skinned Barbie, and the expanded market - Barbie in the Japanese kimonos, in Indian sari, in Aleutian olenih fur coats. 49 nationalities are captured already.

In Barbie's each country has the national features and even own name (the first of the European countries in global "barbizatsiju" Italy has joined in 1963). Company Mattel saves the general licence for the American Barbie that does not prevent to let out, say, to Frenchmen the analogue - Karin Michel, and Chinese Ì&Ñ Toy Centre Ltd. To fill up counters of all world with the inexpensive, roughly executed production. Russia not an exception. Today here it is possible to buy "princess Irina" Chinese, however, manufactures, and also Veronica with accessories - domestic.

Despite the international status, Barbie remains first of all the American doll, expression of the spirit of America that has found acknowledgement during celebrating of the 200 anniversary of the USA: in solemnly put in pawn to "time capsule» along with a copy of the Declaration of independence and other national relics there was a place to a doll.

For hundreds millions small Americans of Barbie became an embodiment of Great American dream: in the future all should be not simple OK, but fine is concerns both private life, and health, and career. Whether probably to imagine Barbie jobless, lonely, spivshejsja or sat down on a needle, even simply got on a hospital cot because of accident? Never! Though the first call has already rung out: in 1997 Mattel has let out a doll in an invalid armchair. However, that has been cautiously named «by girlfriend Barbie - Bekki», that is clear - against the crippled girl-friend Barbie's happiness looks still zapredelnee.

Companies Mattel it is necessary not only to provide Barbie's cloudless youth, but also vigilantly to protect its maiden honour. It is a question as of attempts of illegal use of the registered trade mark, and about feeble efforts of other sort. For example, in 2001 in a number of the American and world mass-media there has passed a wave of articles which authors sounded alarm: game with a cachectic doll turns around imitation it more often, and it threatens with problems with health. Influential newspaper USA Today wrote: « Many girls consider, that to have friends, job and to use attention of a society, it is necessary to be Barbie similar to a doll. As a result at the age of 17-25 years four girls from hundred necessarily suffer a bulimia. They not in forces to refuse plentiful meal, but after it exhaust itself, calling vomiting or swallowing without a measure laxative. The nervous anorexia (disgust for meal) meets at each 100-th girl ». Among the main originators of hobby of girls-teenagers starvation the American experts name TV, fashionable magazines and Barbie's doll.

But if the alarm of concerned physicians Mattel managed to be dipped somehow on other front the company comes off second-best behind defeat. Speech about incessant attempts to "vulgarise" the American maiden ideal created almost half a century ago.

In 2002 Mattel has brought an action against Danish pank group Aqua, having considered, that its song «Barbie Girl» gives «excessive erotichnost to an image of a doll on which generations» were brought up. That time business has ended with anything. Musicians managed to prove, that they meant not a doll, and the real girl by name of Barbara. As a result scandalous process has only increased sales of disks. And autumn of 2003 at theatrical festival in Dresden the opera of Irish Dzhennifer Uelsh «XXX Live Nude Girls» has done noise. On a plan of the composer, the opera should «explain to girls, that actually occurs, when they play from Barbie, and what gloomy depths disappear behind their attachment to a doll». Also has explained: on a scene decorated under the doll house, two Barbies by means of men-puppeteers strenuously are engaged in "self-knowledge", understanding under it exclusively unisex love. After success in Dresden the opera was put in London and in Vienna, and now any judicial claim from party Mattel, obviously, becomes for doll pornotheatre additional ÐR-àêöèåé of which directors could not and dream.

And in the USA company Mattel all is more difficult to avoid answers to some delicate questions connected with private life of a doll.

In 1961 Barbie has got bojfrendom by name of Ken, named so in honour of the son of couple Hendler. However, in 1968 its release has been temporarily stopped not to excite the public with a question, than Ken when its country is at war in Vietnam is engaged. Susalnyj blue-eyed krasavchik - a embodiment of a healthy way of life, success and the American optimism. Each issue Barbie contains the history devoted to mutual relations of young men. And though on pages of the same edition hints that Ken not Barbie actually interests flash, and its cousin Lula Bell, small readers do not doubt, that Barbie and Ken waits the big doll happiness. What there will be at Barbie with Ken? While Ken is courageous and sexual exactly so, how much it corresponds to representations of a live American doll at the age from three to eleven. Thus its anatomic "problem" in Mattel have delicately bypassed, having supplied Ken not removed cowards. At Barbie's many girl-friends children already are - but only not at it. Doubtfully even that Barbie and Ken's accessories were added with tiny tampaxes and contraceptives - after all that dolls could use, not avoid them constructive changes in base models. However to promise too it is dangerous: in 2000 Barbie had a navel, and already it is possible to buy dolls with a tattoo and piercing.

The raised imagination draws following succession of events: tiny diapers, diapers and dummies for Barbie's daughters.

However Mattel does not hurry to cut a bough on which with such comfort it was arranged half a century ago. So the question on Barbie's marital status in the foreseeable future will be hardly solved unequivocally. Not to torment clientele incompleteness of the doll world, the company has found a way out: not fixing attention to a matrimonial subject with reference to Barbie, inquisitive maiden thought have withdrawn aside. In 1963 «the best girl-friend» debuted Barbie - freckled green-eyed Midzh, then younger little sister Skipper, then the friend to sister Ricky, friend Ken - simple-minded Alan … To the beginning of new century Barbie's doll world have been occupied by 72 friends and girlfriends, 8 relatives, and also 43 animals, including a parrot, a chimpanzee, a bear a panda, a giraffe and a zebra. What next? apparently from company Mattel activity, founders of a doll and its friends copy a real life, transferring it in the world of dolls. Events and the phenomena of this world give rise to the new ideas embodied in a doll. It is not known precisely, demand advances the offer or on the contrary, but we understand, that dolls will be more and more while ours with you the present life is not necessary on a place.