Black Barbie: A Documentary – Hot Docs 2023

Black Barbie: A Documentary (2023)
Runtime:94 minutes
Director:Lagueria Davis
Country:United States
Actors:
Self - Writer / Director
Self - Mattel Employee, 1955 -1999
Self - U.S. Representative for California's 43rd District
Self - Television Creator, Author & Barbie
Self - Artist & Director at the William Grant Still Arts Center
Self - UCLA Professor: African American Studies, World Arts & Culture / Dance
Self - Principal Designer for Barbie Signature at Mattel
Self - Black Barbie Collector
Self - Community Coordinator & Storyteller
Self - Public Historian
Genre:Documentary
Writer:
Plots:
Tracing the origin of the first Black Barbie doll to the filmmaker's aunt, who asked why Barbie couldn't look like her, this documentary explores her quest for representation and diversity.

Table of Contents

The little-known history of Black Barbie is told in . For decades the image of Barbie was that of a slim white girl with long blonde hair. However, learns through her aunt , a former Mattel employee, that a special Black Barbie was released in 1980 and has become a rare collector’s item. Lagueria traces the history of Black Barbie, interviewing designers and , while also tackling the socio-political impact of the doll and how kids of all races and genders view the Barbie brand.

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Black Barbie: A Documentary Synopsis

Black Barbie: A Documentary is a film by director Lagueria Davis that tackles the titular Black Barbie and the general history of black representation in dolls. Before Black Barbie’s release in 1980, Mattel only released black dolls meant to be friends of Barbie, such as Francie, Christie, and Julia. It was a big deal for Mattel to release a doll that was branded as Barbie and sported a unique afroed appearance. However, Black Barbie quickly vanished from store shelves and despite later black doll lines, such as Shani and So In Style, Barbie is still viewed by most as a primarily white doll.

My Thoughts on Black Barbie: A Documentary

There is a point in Black Barbie: A Documentary when Lagueria Davis interviews her niece, who not only believed Barbie to be a primarily white doll but was also naive about the ratio of ethnicities in the world, claiming “most people are white.” Indeed, the titular white Barbie has become a rare collector’s item that few people even knew existed. Then there’s the fact that the original designers, Kitty Black Perkins and Stacey McBride-Irby, were not called for a 40th-anniversary doll released in 2020, designed by white male . Then there is a study late in the film showing some shocking assumptions children made about the Barbie brand. Ultimately, Black Barbie: A Documentary is a film meant to give this doll the recognition it deserves.

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