Is Barbie a negative female stereotype? Or is she a toy that encourages imagination? Countless artists have played with Barbie's image, sometimes defiling the doll as a form of commentary, and the Mattel company has at times responded with lawsuits.
For our ongoing series on American Icons, Studio 360's Leital Molad looks into how Barbie has endured and what her future may hold. (Produced with assistance from Sarah Birnbaum.)
Studio 360's American Icons is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: great ideas brought to life.
Studio 360 is a co-production of
Public
Radio International and
WNYC New York Public Radio, and is funded in part by
Ken and Lucy Lehman, the
National Endowment for the Arts, the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, and
DK Eyewitness Travel. Studio 360's American Icons series is supported in part by the
National Endowment for the Humanities. Our series on creativity and science is supported in part by the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Our series on Underground Heroes is supported in part by the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. 
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
