Tiffany Duong

Space Oddity

Barbie as a very American space colonizer.

“Barbie was produced in 1959, ten years before the moon landing. But five years before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left footprints in moon dust, Barbie was already an astronaut. She had a a white space suit on, and under the helmet, her bangs were intact.Barbie, like all toys, embodies the culture of its respective time period. Even as time trudges on, Barbie is a reflection of the American colonial and patriarchal culture that made her. Her maker's decision to put her in that astronaut suit, then, was a result of America’s desire to reinforce itself as a leading power in competition with Russia, who were also working towards space missions to the moon. Of course, soon came the Vietnam War, the Cold War, Afghanistan…even more opportunities for America to show the world their brutishness. It never really ends.”