Barbie Nation

Who is the biggest female icon in the world? A host of names come to mind, from pop stars to movie stars to historical figures, but one eclipses all the rest. With only 2% of people anywhere unaware of who she is, Barbie takes the prize. Not bad for someone who is 64 years old and only 11 inches tall.

First released in 1998 and now enjoying a 25th anniversary rerelease, boosted by the wave of excitement around the upcoming Greta Gerwig movie, Barbie Nation is an unofficial biography which tells the unvarnished story of the legendary doll, holding nothing back. From her secret connection to German sex doll Lili to the scandals over her looks, her career choices and her appearances in art, it takes in sexism, Satanism, cannibalistic perversion and, of course, that whole thing with Ken. Continually reinvented not only by Mattel but her hundreds of millions of adoring fans, Barbie nevertheless has an iconic presence which shines through it all.

The film opens at an official Barbie festival, a convention hall swathed in pink and stuffed to the gills with collectibles. The first thing you’ll notice is that there are few little girls there. The stall holders, customers and presenters are mostly adults, of all ages, unabashedly enthusiastic. Susan Stern’s documentary makes room for many of them to tell their stories, but is centred around an expansive interview with ‘Barbie’s mom’, original creator Ruth Handler, who wanted to create a relatable (“not too unachievable”) adult doll who could help girls to adjust to the process of growing up. The extraordinary success of that doll would change Ruth’s life, but Stern doesn’t shy away from the troubled times in her later years. The consummate way in which she ultimately reinvented herself is a perfect complement to Barbie’s journey.

A short but densely packed film with a lot of energy, Barbie Nation takes on all the big issues, from worries about the doll’s increasing prettiness and effect on girls’ body image to her status as a role model and gradual engagement with racial diversity. We see archive footage of men complaining that Barbie’s feminist career focus will create a nation of vipers, and that’s the least of it. “It’s like a cult activity,” says Ruth, as we see the spectacular worlds which fans have created for their idol. These include not just glamorous garden parties but also bdsm dungeons – but wasn’t there always an undercurrent of violence behind the scenes? “You’re a very boring prince,” says a little girl as she plays with her Barbie on her living room floor, and Barbie kicks Ken in the head.

It gets stranger. “Is deep frying a Barbie part of a Satanic ritual?” asks a newscaster in one of those concerned voices normally reserved for warning parents about secret messages encoded backwards on records or trying to persuade them that their children identify as cats. Medical imaging introduces us to one Barbie fan who ended up in hospital after taking the obsession too far. At a Barbie art show a Barbie in a wheelchair highlights the need for more diversity which Mattel only slowly got to grips with, but other exhibits may be a bit much for them: they include a skeletal Barbie, a crucified Barbie and a Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan Barbie play set.

Through this collage of wild ideas, Stern brings us closer to something which is difficult to pinpoint directly, to that elusive magic behind it all. Perhaps it’s a simple as permission. It’s okay to be feminine, says Barbie, whoever you are. It’s okay to play. “If you like something then there’s nothing wrong with it, no matter what the world tells you,” says one collector, whose own passion for the doll has helped him through some of the most difficult moments of his life. “Just do it.”