Description
The political sentiments surrounding Barbie have always been varied and intense, spanning from fears regarding her sexualised appearance to her censorship by cultures deeming her a socially destructive force. Considering her apparently “apolitical” origins as a doll marketed as a teenage fashion model, Barbie enjoys a surprisingly intertwined history with one of the most politically charged and controversial institutions of contemporary life: the US military. Having served in every branch of the army, a material record of close collaboration with commercial and cultural implications challenges Barbie's ultra-femininity and political neutrality. I propose that this consumeristic form of 'Mattel Militarism’ is promoted from the top down, presents militarised female roles within established cultural bounds, and always operates in the service of dominant institutions. Through a series of object-based interviews, the relationship between Barbie dolls, uniform dress and representations of femininity are explored to understand how these toys reflect and shape our expectations and understandings of gender, security and the military.
