Exclusive: Barbara 'Barbie' Handler Interview

Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara at play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. Sparked by this, Ruth wanted to create a doll that would show little girls they could be anything they wanted to be and that a ‘woman has choices’.
On a trip to Europe in 1956, Ruth saw a doll that looked like an adult woman, vastly different from the baby dolls most little girls owned, including Barbara. Ruth was inspired. Three years later, on March 9, 1959, at the American International Toy Fair, Mattel's version, Barbie Millicent Roberts, was born. Barbie quickly became a global icon and consistently remains among the most recognizable personas in the world.
This is an exclusive interview recorded for the BCMA panel Back to the Future of Branded Content With Mattel at Lions Entertainment

[@Deva7]

Barbara Handler even looks like an older version of Barbie, such a beautiful, elegant lady.

[@preciouspayne723]

Yes she's beautiful

[@MatteoGiombetti]

So SHE is the real Barbie

[@moraimanicole1609]

Yup and her BROTHER is Ken. 🥴

[@elinbird00]

@@moraimanicole1609 her brother is dead 😣

[@moraimanicole1609]

@@elinbird00 now he is but her brother is ken.

[@androidgames1927]

​@@elinbird00😞

[@preciouspayne723]

She's beautiful inside and out

[@funheartl1567]

A movie needs to made of this women and her family that would be epic!

[@wannabe1me927]

*people trying to look like the Barbie doll* me: try all you want, but you’ll never look like her because she already exists

[@DonnaLichvarcik-e1w]

If there was a biopic movie about Ruth handler I think that Meryl Streep would be perfect for the role and Tom Hanks as Elliot handler the creators of barbie

[@Aisha.The.Traveler]

I’d watch that! ❤

[@lancedukel3436]

Thanks for posting this. I grew up loving Mattel toys. I still love them today and have a sizable collection of a variety of vintage items. The quality and attention to detail that Mattel had is astounding.

[@disneybarbiegirl615]

Omg Sheryl looks like Ellen 😮

[@michellexlawless]

I think Ruth would absolutely love the older silk stone barbies that’s are classic barbie

[@srikantthapa7118]

Mr Handler, thank you for Hot Wheels sir...

[@PerrieHovden]

We need a barbie that looks like her

[@gio_ser5120]

They where very opened to everybody including skin color & sexual orientation… uhhhh, they weren’t a big piece of shit as most ppl back there, i guess…

[@muqadasminhas466]

I though that this was ellen

[@leenelson4169]

I have never seen eyes that the pupil cannot be seen except by a narcotic addict. If she wants to hold her cause up, get off the drugs.

[@miiiriamm4936]

Ikr

[@blackbarbie1409]

Great video! Thanks for posting!!!!!

[@Snowbearkay]

Mattel makes awesome good quality toys. Thanks for posting this.

[@robloxcupcakel3vehehe969]

Is that barbie?

[@GemCB7]

yeah

[@ChristinaJohnsFarouk]

Yes save Christmas

[@Curls105anarm]

Barbara Handler. She has a lot of play potential. Even though she’s out of her box.

[@ChrisB-mr4vj]

Amen what a Blessing

[@angelapatriciasilvasantana6852]

Alguém traduza por favor em português!

[@k-joseoliveirapop7130]

Isso pfv traduza

[@rcartecorpus]

Beatiful real Barbie Handler

[@androidgames1927]

HIIII BARBIE!

[@ScoobyDoo-bx8vr]

3:23 - Bild Lilli dies, Barbie is born

[@AnimalLover--]

Barbieeee!! love you

[@SaritaBarbiegirl]

Barbie Seagel are a wonderful woman, lovely lady

[@stephenindc9102]

You can tell it's Mattel ... It's swell.

[@uhuruboykins7842]

💜🦄🎶

[@bleucremers9337]

I am sorry but that is not Cheryl Seagull that is Ellen Degeneres

[@AnimalLover--]

she knows who she is . dont compare that nasty gaybo to Cheryl

[@yrs-ie9tg]

So where is barbies brother ken

[@Adv18]

He died

[@marileeann8399]

Dead

[@SaritaBarbiegirl]

Ken died because a tumor in his head

[@souchan6974]

Dude died in 1995

[@rachellefranklin2325]

​@@SaritaBarbiegirl he dies from HIV complications

[@philhuston9426]

The amount of skew and spin never ceases to amaze me. Jack Ryan, Mattel employee for over 20 years, including a stint as VP, was the designer behind Barbie. I'm sure the Handlers were generous, kind, open minded (they had to be based in Ryan's lifestyle) but they were the owners, not the designers or marketers. Jack Ryan (no, not that one) held patents on Barbie, Hot Wheels and Chatty Cathy. He sued Mattel for understated royalties and won. But it's nice to see someone furthering the now defunct image of a Norman Rockwell America.

[@itsdrea2353]

Barbie was copied by a German doll made for adults, Bild Lilli. The only “design” made between the original Lilli and 1st Barbie was that they made Barbie with lighter skin.

[@SubjectDelta9]

@@itsdrea2353 It is true that most of Barbie was "created" based on Lili. Jack Ryan is the one who Molded the Lovely Face of the one and only true Barbie, which nowaday is referred to as "Nostalgic Face" (1059-1966) though I am not sure about his involvment in the creation of the TNT and Malibu dolls (1967-1972). Regardless of the many narratives floating around, in my opinion, I will always consider him "Barbie's Father" - Everything else is Business and Politics.

[@Curls105anarm]

Barbara Handler. Who else wants to collect her.

[@reverendsob4008]

And again Bild Lilli Hausser, wasn't even mentioned. Lilli the real name of Barbie.

[@Deva7]

Ruth reinvented Lilli for little girls because back then nobody believed it was a good idea. Mrs. Handler saw the potential in Lilli, not even her original creator could see, hence she created Barbie.

[@lancedukel3436]

Lili has a name it's Lili. Barbie is Barbie.

[@ScoobyDoo-bx8vr]

@@lancedukel3436 Barbie is just a cheap copy of Bild Lilli

[@Adv18]

Actually the Lilli doll was an adult doll that was used as an exotic/funny gift by Germans. It was an adults toy. Barbie was invented to be Child friendly. She’s not the same doll, she’s just inspiration for the Barbie doll.

[@NovaLunar997]

@@Adv18 except there look Nealy identical

[@WTSA2]

Here's evidence that blurring the role of a woman from her traditional purposes of being a wife, mother and keeper at home will produce lesbianism... It certainly appears that Cheryl is a lesbian, especially since she's wearing a man's button down shirt. So Ruth's Barbie doll that that "never married, never had children" came to pass with her granddaughter. Compare that to Rachel (Jacob's wife) who greatly desired to have children. Be careful as to what you set forth to being the new standard as the saying goes: "If it's true then it's not new and if it's new then it's not true." Barbie, It's better to stick with the Torah. Shalom

[@samblackside]

Shut up. You’re weird to assume How someone lives their life based on appearances. Who cares if she is a lesbian and who cares if that’s the way she dresses?