Why Is Barbie Everywhere?

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By Andrea Delbanco Editor in Chief, TIME for Kids Neither my daughters nor I played much with Barbies. My oldest, a tomboy who only enjoyed “boy toys” (her words), had a few Ken dolls. Though we accumulated a few hand-me-down Barbies, I’m not sure I ever purchased one. But none of that seemed especially relevant when we were walking into the Barbie movie, which we were all excited to see. My kids loved the aesthetic, the soundtrack, and the star-studded cast. I loved all of that too, though not as much as America Ferrera’s monologue about what it’s like to be a woman. TIME did a deep dive into why Barbie has hit such a cultural nerve and scored so big at the box office. We’ve rounded up those stories below. Side note: I also thought Oppenheimer was phenomenal, but I didn’t bring the kids. Did you see Barbie? Has Barbie played a role in your life, or in the lives of your children? Write to me at andrea@time.com. Best, Andrea

More Stories The first live-action Barbie movie hit the big screen last week. Here’s everything you need to know about the frenzy surrounding it. It’s Barbie’s world: We’re just living in it. Barbie star Margot Robbie and writer-director Greta Gerwig take you behind the scenes of the summer’s most-anticipated movie. Are you seeing pink lately? Mattel and Warner Bros. have licensed Barbie for a dizzying variety of merchandise, allowing everything from clothing to food to pool floats to be reimagined in Barbie’s favorite color. The real secret to Barbie’s success has less to do with pink products than its subject and intended audience: very few movies manage to cater to women without condescending to them. More than a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide since her debut in 1959. Here’s why it took 64 years to make a Barbie movie. Barbie and Oppenheimer coming out on the same day will boost the summer box office. But Barbenheimer’s collective success won’t be nearly enough to solve Hollywood’s myriad problems. There’s been plenty of buzz about Barbie’s star-studded soundtrack. In an interview, producer Mark Ronson describes finding musical collaborators like Nicki Minaj and Billie Eilish. Margot Robbie's press tour looks for Barbie have taken inspiration from actual looks worn by the famous doll over the years.

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