Danielle DiCicco

The progression towards dolls that represent humans of specific moments of time in America is a key method in this business. Generating a toy that will fit in with the norms of the present is essential. Predispositions are the bases of doll’s designs that the public gravitate towards. Racial differences, in particular, have played a major role in the development of American dolls. The period after World War II was discriminatory and failed to integrate morality into society. Minority children were directly exposed to segregation in all aspects of social environments. Ruby Bridges was sixteen years old when she was the first black child to attend an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960.(5) Regardless of her efforts, and many others in the postwar period, racial stereotypes continued. Given this, the lack of adversity was fused into the production of dolls in the early twentieth century. Black little girls were only exposed to white dolls if given the chance and it altered their perception of their role in the world.  In fact, most toys in general were not made available to black children and those who couldn’t afford their high prices. In 1940, the Clark doll test confirmed the presence of racism in America. The results concluded that when given the opportunity to choose between dolls with yellow hair and white skin, or dolls with black hair and brown skin, most three to seven year old black children picked the white dolls.(6) This demonstrates that the desired race is learned at an early age through objects that promote societal prejudices. This outcome led to the ruling of the supreme court case, Brown v. The Board of Education in 1954 that deemed racially segregated schools unconstitutional.(7) Nonetheless, few neighborhoods and communities adapted antiracist views. Even the most Afrocentric and vigilant self-affirming parents were no match for these persuasive, larger-than-life media images, which children start to become aware of at the age of 3.(8) Cultural and political barriers restricted those without the desired white skin from being represented and celebrated in dolls, hindering the expansion of acceptance and integration in America. 

The doll industry excelled with new innovations of the second half of the twentieth century. Dolls that could be dressed in baby clothes, move their plastic limbs, and even ones that use their mouths to talk were made. Baby Alive, introduced in 1973, was the first doll that could “eat” packaged foods and digest them, and eventually its diaper was to be changed.(16) Due to being a one-of-a-kind toy, Baby Alives were of much popularity. One child recalls their experience: I was so delighted and always fascinated at the noise she made when her moving mouth sucked on her water bottle.(17) The domesticity that young girls learned was directly through this doll, allowing them to act out motherly duties and care for the figure, later for their own babies. Advertisements show small girls kissing and calling their doll their “baby”, hindering the line between playtime and considering a toy a part of reality. 

Barbie, Mattel’s most popular doll produced in 1959,(21) has forever altered the doll industry and gender presumptions. She can be accessorized and styled in so many different ways, from bright clothing to her sparkly high heels. Her style, shown to girls at a young age, swayed them into growing up and reaching womanhood fast. In fact, Barbie was first marketed to children aged six to ten years old and shortly changed to three to five year olds.(22) Barbie’s physique became and has continued to be an aspiration to young girls everywhere. Her slim figure and petite size is exposed to adolescents, motivating them to have the same. Mothers were fond of her because of how she wasn’t like other distorted, grotesque, and flat chested dolls, rather embellishing how a woman should look.(23) Although this has been of concern for other parents, her maker, Elliott Handler, says otherwise. She blames a child’s lack of self-esteem on their parental figures.(24) Elliott Handler fails to recognize the direct correlation between the appearance of Barbie and the direct support of the unrealistic portrayal of the female body.

Barbie’s image has been passed down into the twenty-first century, particularly due to a mother’s desire for their children to play with such a sentimental doll as they had.  Her clothes are still pink, her corvette is still fast, her diamonds are still shiny, and most notably, she is still thin. Her attributes glorify quintessential European ideals of beauty: blue eyes, flowing blond hair and an hourglass figure.(25) Mattel has made more diversified figures, such as the Black Barbie in 1968 and the Hispanic and Asian Barbie in the 1980s.(26) Even so, the iconic skinny, perfect skinned European doll remains the face of the product. 

Dolls don’t only apply to females, as males have faced controversy over their interaction with the toy. It has been deemed unacceptable for boys to play with dolls, as they are a “girl” toy. Since most dolls are female and represent feminine tendencies, such as caregiving and companionship, boys are discouraged from using them at a young age. Boys must have trucks and play with guns which are used to instill manliness during play time. If not interested in these toys, it is common for a boy to receive criticism.  A father recalled his son’s experience and how he has been humiliated by friends, leaving him in tears because of his admiration for dolls.(27) A “good boy” was defined in the twentieth century as self-restrained and upright, restricting oneself from desires that aren’t socially tolerable.(28) Films and media have assimilated this ideal into their work, forwarding inflexible standards. Ross’ son is seen playing with a barbie and Ross disapproves, then encouraging his son to interact with the monster truck and dinosaur, aggressive and macho objects. This episode came out in the late twentieth century, conveying the consistent gender concepts.(29) Another instance occurs during an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air when Will says he has a doll of the host of popular show “Soul Train”, though emphasizing that he plays with an action figure, not a doll.(30) Despite Will being a man in his early twenties, the notion of playing with dolls, despite who it may portray, is still discouraged. 

To integrate change, America started to produce dolls that displayed masculinity. With America taking over the doll industry after Europe’s halt during World War II, it produced a wave of patriotic dolls including many which were dressed in accurate military uniforms.(31) Military men were the prime selling models for boy’s dolls. Boy dolls couldn’t have feminine features in the twentieth century, making it clear that it was strictly for one gender without plasticity. One of the most popular boy dolls, G.I. Joe, brought a new toy to the market. Labeled an action figure, the very first combat doll made by Hasbro had gained fame quickly.(32) Unlike Barbie’s Ken, dressed in bright attire and always attending to Barbie, G.I. Joe was the epitome of a manly man. The president and CEO of DML Associates Inc. expressed how the action figure was created for boys to play with something that was acceptable, as girls played with Barbie.(33) 

Danielle grew up in the small town of Rocky Hill, Connecticut. As an only child, taking care of and spending time with her pets and animals was a popular hobby. She often had funerals for her fish, hamsters, and hermit crabs, all of them buried in the backyard of the house she grew up in. At a young age she was certain that she wanted to become a military psychologist, helping disabled veterans with her interest in PTSD and war stories. Her aspiration to become a Boston University student began as a child when her dad would bring her to Celtics games, still attending them and enjoying the sport today. Though transferring her sophomore year of college to this institution, she hopes to earn her bachelors degree in clinical psychology.