The Life of Barbie

by Emily Aguiló-Pérez, The Great Courses

Barbara Millicent Roberts was born in 1959. Her image is instantly recognizable almost anywhere in the world. She has held hundreds of jobs across the last six decades, from teen model to astronaut to movie star. She’s been adored, criticized, mocked, reinvented, memed, protested, and celebrated—sometimes all at once. Who is this remarkable woman? Well, you might know her better by her Barbie.

In the six lectures of The Life of Barbie, Professor Emily Aguilo-Perez uncovers the history of a toy that took the world by storm and transformed from a product to a persona, changing the way we look at dolls and imaginative play forever. Barbie was the product of a company—and a marriage—built on experimentation and risk. Her story is one of trial-and-error, innovation, social upheaval and, ultimately, imagination. These lectures will take you on a deep dive through Barbie’s remarkable journey, from her emergence in post-war America, through her many transformations across the decades, all the way to her current, unique place in pop culture. As you will see, once an icon is born, she does not stand still; she evolves.

Barbie permanently changed the landscape of children’s toys, specifically toys created for little girls. She became much more than a fashion doll; playing with Barbie isn’t just about outfits and hairstyles, it’s about trying on different identities and building stories around a beloved character and her many friends. She has become a symbol of childhood, a commentary on womanhood, and an astonishing barometer of social and cultural change across several generations. In watching her evolution throughout the years, you’ll find we are really watching ourselves.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

Audible Audio

Published June 18, 2026

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Life of Barbie
By Emily Aguilo-Perez
This is a great history of how the doll Barbie came to be and to grow into what it is today. The author follows the changes to the doll, the changes due to society, and the additional dolls added along the way.
It's very informative and interesting.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this was way more interesting that i thought it would be. Very well researched and presented. Recommended

[Siv30 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Life of Barbie מאת Emily Aguiló-Pérez בוחן את ברבי כמוצר מסחרי, טקסט מגדרי וסמל תרבותי. קורס חכם על גזע, מעמד, ייצוג, קפיטליזם והיכולת להפוך כל ביקורת לקו מוצרים חדש. לסקירה מפורטת בעברית ואנגלית, קישור לבלוג שלי -

https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/the-...

[Bella🕯️🌙☁️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nonfic read of June 🙌🏼 Loved Barbie growing up so fun to learn about the history of Barbie

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audio lecture was more than just about a doll....
Facts I learned about the American toy icon for girls:
- based on Bild Lilli doll, a German doll
- Lilli was post-war, sassy, and ambitious, "a golddigger, exhibitionist, and floozy"
- both dolls gave the original "SIDE EYE" & smirked before Mattel changed Barbie's face appearance in 1971
- made in Japan because conservative America didn't want a doll that was a grown-ass woman
- made in Japan because conservative America didn't want a doll with boobs
- made in Japan because it was cheaper, Japanese women at home stitched the first clothes...
-Barbie & Disneyland have an initial history; Mattel sponsored Disneyland at opening, both debuted in 1950's
- 1965 Barbie came with a scale with the weight set at max 110lbs & "How to Lose Weight" book
- Japan invented the modern fashion doll machine technology - to make those boobs and fingers & toes
- Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel and creator of the Barbie doll, faced a turbulent later life. She was forced out of Mattel in 1975. Surviving breast cancer, she went on to pioneer artificial breast prostheses
- Barbie is and always will be iconic, problematic and revolutionary!

L1 - The Birth of an Icon: Barbie in the 1950s and 60's
L2 - Plastic Progress: Barbie and the Culture Wars of the 1970s
L3 - We Girls Can Do Anything? The 1980s Reinventions
L4 - Contested Beauty: Barbie in the 1990s
L5 - Cracks in the Dreamhouse: Barbie from 2000 to 2015
L6 - Barbie Today: Reinvention, Resistance, and Reflection

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this — I like these ‘lectures’ and ‘talks’ that give you good non-fiction reading vibes, but are delivered as exclusive audiobook content. BUT, this felt quite AI generated in its delivery, which feels weird to say, given it’s written by an academic. But yeah, the phrasings, the lines, they’re just infiltrating everyone’s work. A style is emerging, and it’s not great.

[Gabriella · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 feels fair? Not bad, not great.

[Panagiota Pasch. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting audiobook about a doll that's been adored (or not) throughout many decades. Definitely recommend to pass the time!

[Ellen Tarbox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really learned a lot from this book. The first Barbie came out when I was 6. I loved my Barbie

[Laila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this really interesting, I was a Barbie lover as a child so learning about Barbie and what she stood for over history was great, and informative. I enjoyed this audiobook.