Well, did you know Barbie was based on a sex toy?
I came across this information while at a toy museum a few years ago. The museum was having a special Barbie exhibit, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the doll.
Imagine my surprise, when I discovered Barbie was well...a rip-off.
This is the original Barbie Doll from 1959.
This is the Lilli doll, a popular German sex toy, in 1950.
Lilli was an immensely popular cartoon character in Germany during 1950s. The blonde, baby-faced 20-something-year-old secretary was sassy, brazen, materialistic, and vain. She slept with men for expensive meals and handbags. She played dumb when challenged by authority. Male readers loved her.
The magazine which ran the Lilli comic strip decided to make a doll out of its famous sex symbol. The doll was created with a racy hour-glass figure and a sexy red pout. She wore cute little night club clothes. The sex toy was sold at adult stores and tobacco shops as a gag gift.
But the lecherous men who enjoyed the comic strip could have cared less about the doll. To the magazine's astonishment, the Lilli doll became a sensation among little girls. They adored buying new clothes for Lilli and brushing her golden locks.
But parents didn't like going to sex shops to buy their daughters' favorite new toy, so the doll started being sold everywhere. Accessories, clothes, and doll houses were also made available.
In the mid-1950s, Ruth Handler, the wife of a Mattel co-founder, took a trip to Germany with her daughters. She spotted the Lilli doll and bought a few to take home. In 1959, she debuted her new teenage fashion doll Barbie to the American public.
It would become the most famous toy in the world.
Did you know about Barbie's German predecessor, Lilli?
This is my worst nightmare.
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Twitter: @GlamKitten88
Who knew?! I sure didnt.
ReplyDeleteI knew about the dolls history except for the comic about the doll...sheesh didnt know that but it reminds me of Betty Boop who was actually a dog first LOL Then a sex vixen...ahhh men and their need for visuals...sigh hehe xox
ReplyDeleteI had no clue, but I'm not surprised.
ReplyDeletehahahahahahahahahahahaha why doesn't this information shock me hahahaha ofcorse the might i say stupid people stupidly let their child play with that stereotypical doll hahahaha why not hahaha realizing it was a adult toy would mean they would have to say no to the screaming child, (why the child was in the sex shop in the first place i don't know hahaha) but ways the parent would have to say no to the screaming child and that would take actual parenting, which would take the remove of their heads from their asses hahaha im sorry im ranting hahaha, its does sadden me though that a vain, lets just face it whore of a doll (her original character in Germany) became the most idolized symbol for little girls in the world, but its sad how its has effect generations of girls if you look at the girls around today they dress in extremely revealing clothing (cleavage, short shots/skirts, that whole mess) even little girls in like kindergarten are wearing little skimpy out-fits just last week i say a little girl no older the 6 in the shortest dress i ever did see!! i was appalled! i cant believe parents let their childern they their kids dress like that, and it doesn't shock me either because look at the new barbies the stupids Bratz dolls wholly crap those things are slutastic! just slutterific!!! its sad to see all the sexual influence there is on young girls/children these days, its disgusting, but for some reason the public allows it to continue, blind to the influence it has of feature generations. that being said i just loved this post hahaha i learned something new that i had no idea about and it made me thing haha i always love your posts, you have so much heart in what you write and it really comes out in the final post :) they are fun to read and they are always on a great subject! :) i always cant wait for the next one hahaha i check like everyday hahahaha you are a great writer! :) keep up the amazing work!!! :) and thank you so much for you sweetest comments on my blog deary! :) they make my day!! :)
ReplyDeletewishing you a lovely day,
TheRitzyFlapper (Alicia)
I've never even heard of Lill, so crazy! I guess even Barbi has her secrets. ;)
ReplyDeleteOMG....I certainly did not know that.....awesome information.....you are truely the best blogger i have in my blog list soo far....thanks for the post :)
ReplyDeleteNo I did not know about this! I can't believe that Barbie is a rip off. It's proof that Americans can copy an idea from somewhere else in the world and somehow manage to make it insanely popular!
ReplyDeleteOMG really?? I had no idea!! :O
ReplyDeleteI had to snigger at the line re parents not wanting to go to sex shops to buy their daughters' favorite toy, although we are talking about Germany here.
ReplyDeleteWOW! I have no idea and this is so disturbing on so many levels! :P
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Great investigative reporting, Jenny. Now let's challenge you and bit more: Why don't you go and dig out some tories about Sponge Bob? Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)
ReplyDeleteHi there! Im just a newbie blogger & I need members.
ReplyDeletePlease follow me. I already followed your blog.
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alyssasaluta.blogspot.com
I can not believe a sex toy became so popular with young girls. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI also can't believe Barbie was a rip off. Well, as they say: there is no such thing as an original idea.
Awesome! I didn't know this either, but it doesn't really surprise me or that the idea was pretty much stolen by some American broad!! lol!! Trying to make it wholesome, lol! Strange parents let their girls play with a doll intended for other purposes. Really makes sense why so many grew up with warped conceptions of themselves and other women. Really rather funny!! xx
ReplyDeleteI had no idea!
ReplyDeleteUnsurprising, I suppose...
Fabulously written and researched post, darling!
xoxox,
CC
That Lilli comic strip makes me think of Valley of the Dolls for some reason. It's kind of cute! Though I had no clue that Barbie was modeled after that. Maybe Lilli was Germany's answer to Betty Boop, or something? :/
ReplyDeleteYou always teach me something interesting, JenFab. I had no idea there was a Lilli who Barbie was based on...or copied from, I should say.
ReplyDeleteBut like someone else said, I'm not surprised. What else has Mattel been lying about?
I knew about that, only because you told me that when I had a post about Barbie! :D
ReplyDeletei def didn't know but somehow it doesn't surprise me..
ReplyDeletehttp://cactusandcucumber.blogspot.com/
my daughter (if i ever have one) will never own a barbie!
ReplyDeleteI did know - but...hahahaha I had always thought she had been some sort of blow up doll. I didn't know about the comic strip either.
ReplyDeleteBut haven't you heard? Barbie doesn't need a man any more; she's now a doctor, dentist, a fashion designer...
I loved Barbie when I was little. They had this "mixed" Barbie that my mom got me. I loved her. My sister ripped off all their heads.
Amber
Ambersmouthwash
wow- kind of puts a new spin on the whole "bad marketers trying to make little girls want barbies" doesn't it? I mean, they were trying to market it for men and the girls decided for themselves haha!
ReplyDeleteWow! I had absolutely no idea! That's pretty interesting.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I had no idea, never would have imagined that. I also didn't know that Barbie had been around for quite so long.
ReplyDeleteMy bestfriend in high school was a male, and were perfect match. She met a girl but the girl's dad was not in favor for my best friend. So, every time we visit the girl, my best friend would beg for my help, by pretending i was his girl friend, holding hands together, and the father will allow us to enter their house.
ReplyDeleteInside, they will shoo me away so that they can talk sweetly. Lol those were the days. I miss my best friend, he's now living in China.
WOW! I had NO idea. No idea. Does this mean my childhood is now tainted and meaningless?
ReplyDeleteomg'sh!!! i didn't know about this! we've all been playing with SEX TOYS! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Omg'd i'm about to fall out of my chair. that is cray cray! great post jenn!
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@ TheRitzyFlapper ...Uhm..You sound like a damn lunatic...Seriously, you sound scary...Did you forget to take your pills before you wrote that asinine, un-informative and *draggingly-long* comment?..."hahaha are you hahaha just hahaha an over-weight hahaha woman hahaha who is hahaha bitter hahaha about hahaha it?...I sure hope not, because you make the rest of us women look bad /crazy...Who gives a damn where Barbie Doll came from, it's cute, isn't it?...Yes, she looks a little provocative, so what?...Can't you find a more important issue to act so friggin maniacle about?...Just sayin...I did find the above article interesting, though...
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ReplyDeleteNice post, thanks for sharing.
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