Barbie

The dreams and disappointments of India's Barbie

4:36pm July 28, 2023

by Kamala Thiagarajan

The doll is very popular. But an Indian version of a dark-haired, sari-clad Barbie was not a big seller. And one woman has written a poem about what it felt like to grow up unable to afford a Barbie.

Mattel reported financial earnings on Wednesday. In the company's earnings call, Barbie stole the show.

Economy

Mattel tried to report financials. All anyone wanted to talk about was 'Barbie'

10:21am July 27, 2023

by Erin Kenney

Mattel reported financial earnings Wednesday. Impacts from the Barbie movie remain to be seen, but she still stole the show.

Arts

Is Barbie a feminist icon? It's complicated

7:54am July 27, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

The Barbie movie is being celebrated (and slammed) as a feminist film, with its themes of female empowerment and critiques of the patriarchy. Can the same be said for the doll at the center of it?

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It's not every day that an exuberant comedy about a Mattel doll goes head-to-head with a brooding drama about the father of the atomic bomb, but both Barbie and Oppenheimer deliver. Above, Margot Robbie as Barbie and Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Arts

Go see 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' in theaters — doubleheader or not is your call

2:38pm July 21, 2023

by Justin Chang

It's not every day that an exuberant comedy about a Mattel doll goes head-to-head with a brooding drama about the father of the atomic bomb, but critic Justin Chang says both films deliver.

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Barbie and Oppenheimer will duke it out on the big screen when both films premiere this Friday, July 21.

Music & Culture

In search of tunes for your 'Barbenheimer' pregame? Look no further

11:21am July 20, 2023

Whether you're heading to the cinema to watch Barbie, Oppenheimer or both back-to-back, these themed playlists will set the mood.

Based on one of America's most emblematic pieces of intellectual property, Greta Gerwig's Barbie starring Margot Robbie, above, was never going to be just a movie, because Barbie was never just a doll.

Arts

Is 'Barbie' corporate propaganda or Malibu Metacommentary™? Why not both!

1:31pm July 19, 2023

by Aisha Harris

Based on one of America's most emblematic pieces of intellectual property, Greta Gerwig's Barbie was never going to be just a movie, because Barbie was never just a doll.

Margot Robbie poses on the pink carpet at a Barbie event in Seoul on July 2.

Arts

'Barbie' is pretty in pink — but will she also be profitable?

1:29pm July 11, 2023

by Mandalit del Barco

Warner Bros. and Mattel set out to create a movie marketing machine — including more than 100 brand collabs and viral social media campaigns — to build excitement for the film's July 21 release.

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Dua Lipa in the "Dance the Night" video, seated in the Barbie car.

Music & Culture

Dua Lipa, 'Dance the Night'

3:16pm May 26, 2023

by Hazel Cills

Who better than to capture Barbie's existential dread than Dua Lipa? Her disco-pop number is the first single off the Barbie The Album soundtrack.

Mattel Inc. announced a new Barbie doll with Down syndrome. It was created to give more children an opportunity to see themselves in Barbie, the company said.

Mattel unveils a Barbie with Down syndrome

7:06pm April 25, 2023

by Jaclyn Diaz

The company has been moving to diversify its doll collection. It has so far made other Barbie and Ken dolls with wheelchairs, vitiligo, hearing aids, and prosthetic limbs.

Mexican fashion designer Benito Santos said the Barbie doll's design is inspired by traditional charro outfits.

Arts

Mattel releases three Barbie dolls for Día de Muertos

9:23am October 29, 2022

by Giulia Heyward

One of the dolls, a collaboration with Mexican fashion designer Benito Santos, has already sold out.