In 1956, the only dolls available to girls were baby dolls that let them pretend to be mothers. Ruth Handler, one of the founders of the Mattel corporation, had a different idea: a grown-up doll that could let girls imagine themselves as career women. When Handler first presented the idea, the men in the company mocked it; she had to fight hard for Barbie, which has since become an iconic figure in American culture and a mainstay of girls’ play everywhere.
Renée Rosen’s novel is really a roman à clef, using mostly real people to tell the story of the conception, production, release, and many variations of the doll that Mattel would come to call Barbie. The cast includes Jack Ryan, a brilliant engineer who struggles with alcohol and manic depression, which he writes off as moodiness; designers Charlotte Johnson and the fictional Stevie Klein, both of whom initially believe that designing doll clothes and accessories is a step down from their dreams; and Seymour Rosenberg, a financial wizard who is brought in to save the company in a time of crisis and who nearly succeeds in running it into the ground.
The book goes into detail about the process that went into making Barbie Mattel’s bestseller. It examines the intricacies of the publicity campaigns and focus groups, which were new at the time. But most of all, the author looks deeply into the life and trials of Ruth Handler, who had to strive against resistance every step of the way. When Barbie runs afoul of the women’s liberation movement, Ruth has difficulty understanding why; she sees Barbie as a doll that will allow girls to imagine something more for themselves than just being housewives and mothers. The women’s movement, however, sees Barbie as an embodiment of materialism that focuses on a woman’s looks rather than her capabilities. Ruth’s personal and professional travails over the decades form the core of the book. Through Ruth, Rosen explores the difficulties of being a career woman as well as a wife and mother — challenges that still resonate today.
Let’s Call Her Barbie is a lively book with fascinating characters. Rosen has written an inspiring story, perfect for any woman who has ever played with Barbie.
Jill S. Beerman grew up in New Jersey and attended Montclair State University. She has a doctorate in American Studies from New York University. She taught high school and college for twenty-five years.
