Created by Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler in 1959, Barbie was the first popular non-paper doll to be modeled after an adult. Thanks in part to a well-placed advertising campaign during The Mickey Mouse Club, the doll was an immediate success, eventually becoming the best-selling toy in the world. In 1997, Barbie products earned over 1.9 billion dollars.
Throughout her over four decades in the marketplace, Barbie's place as a role model for young girls has often been questioned, mostly owing to the doll's unrealistic body measurements and emphasis on superficial elements such as fashion, makeup, and material goods. However, Barbie fans point to her independence and wide variety of occupations as justification for her role-model status. Over the years, Barbie has been everything from an astronaut to a fast-food worker to a rock star to a doctor. During the 1980s, Barbie's advertising slogan was "You Can Do Anything."
Barbie first appearance in a computer game was a 1985 self-titled debut on the Commodore 64. But it wasn't until the late '90s, when Mattel Interactive released a series of Barbie-themed PC titles revolving around fashion and crafts, that the doll became a prominent part of electronic entertainment.
