The following passage is about ‘Barbie’, the iconic doll that has evolved to keep up with the times.
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
She is turning 60 this year and still doesn’t have a single wrinkle. Blonde or brunette, slender or curvy, black or white, princess or president, Barbie is a forever favorite for young girls. The iconic doll has evolved to keep up with the times. And despite fierce competition in the toy industry, 58 million Barbies are sold each year in more than 150 countries.
In an industry where success today is three to five years, 60 years is a huge deal. Around the world, Barbie is as universally known as Coca-Cola or McDonald’s. In all, more than one billion Barbie dolls have been sold since she made her debut at the American Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. She was invented by Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, a toy company. She was inspired by her own children to create the doll. Her daughter Barbara was limited in the choices of her toys – the only ones were baby dolls. The only role she could imagine through that play was caregiver, mother, whereas Handler’s son could imagine being an astronaut, cowboy, pilot, and surgeon. Barbie is, of course, a shortened version of Barbara. The doll was supposed to teach girls that they had choices, that they could be anything. In 1959, it was a radical idea. Barbie was an instant success. In the first year, 300,000 dolls were sold.
From the start, Barbie’s pinup measurements didn’t immediately seem all that feminist and would spark criticism for decades to come. In 1959, her body structure was exaggerated to match the aesthetics of the time and the fabric available. Since the blonde beauty first hit stores, and after a torrent of complaints about what was seen as unrealistic proportions, Mattel has made many changes – introducing multiple body types and dozens of skin tones. MG Lord, author of “Forever Barbie,” also argued that the original criticisms were unwarranted. “She is what the child wants her to be. How a child sees the Barbie doll is often framed by how the mother of that child feels about the idea of femininity,” Lord told.
The problem here is not an 11.5-inch plastic object. The problem is the larger culture and the idea of femininity. In 1965, four years before Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon, Barbie became an astronaut. In 1968, the first black Barbie doll, a friend named Christie, hit store shelves. Lisa McKnight, senior vice president, and global general manager for the Barbie brand said that today, 55 percent of the dolls sold around the world have neither blonde hair nor blue eyes.
Barbie is not only a toy store success – she has a massive social media presence, and is something of an “influencer,” with millions of followers. So, does Barbie have it all as she hits 60, but remains forever young, still single and without kids (so far)? “The narrative of the Barbie brand is that she’s a young woman and she’s independent and pursuing careers,” McKnight said.
(Source: The Guardian)
Q.1. According to the passage, what is the main cause of Barbie attracting huge criticism throughout the globe every now and then?
(a) The larger differences in culture and the idea of femininity in different parts of the globe.
(b) In 1965, four years before Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon, Barbie became an astronaut.
(c) In 1968, the first black Barbie doll, a friend named Christie, hit store shelves.
(d) Even after 60 years, Barbie remains forever young, still single and without kids.
Q.2. What was the chief idea behind inventing Barbie?
(a) To teach girls the role of caregiver, mother.
(b) To change the idea of femininity.
(c) To become the world's largest toy selling company.
(d) To teach girls that they had choices, that they could be anything.
Q.3. In all, how many Barbie dolls have been sold since she made her debut?
(a) 300,000 dolls
(b) 58 million
(c) More than one billion
(d) Not mentioned in the passage
Q.4. From where did Barbie get her name?
(a) Barbie was named after a famous female astronaut.
(b) It was kept on the name of Barbara.
(c) Barbie is a famous character in a book named Forever Barbie. Doll has been named after her.
(d) Barbie was named after a famous model who had a massive following.
Answers & Explanations:
1. (a); Barbies are sold in more than 150 countries with a difference in culture and idea of femininity. Therefore, some looks of Barbie are not acceptable in some countries giving rise to controversies.
2. (d); Ruth Handler was inspired by her own children to create Barbie. She did not want them to get confined and imagine the limited roles of people. The second paragraph clearly states that the doll was supposed to teach girls that they had choices, that they could be anything and not merely caregiver, mother, astronaut, cowboy, pilot, and surgeon.
3. (c); It is clearly mentioned in the second sentence of the second paragraph of the passage.
4. (b); Barbie was named after Barbara who was the daughter of Ruth Handler. Barbie is a shortened version of Barbara. This is clearly mentioned in the second paragraph.
Important Vocabulary:
(i) Slender - (of a person or part of the body) gracefully thin.
Synonyms: Delicate, Fragile, Lanky, Frail
Antonyms: Chubby, Heavy, Fat, Plump
Sentence Examples:
(ii) Radical - (especially of change or action) relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.
Synonyms: Profound, Basal, Cardinal, Intrinsic
Antonyms: Minor, Unimportant, Secondary, Superficial
Sentence Examples:
(iii) Exaggerate - Represent (something) as being larger, better, or worse than it really is.
Synonyms: Amplify, Distort, Fabricate, Inflate
Antonyms: Compress, Lessen, Abridge, Reduce
Sentence Examples:
(iv) Torrent - An overwhelming outpouring of (something, typically words)/ a strong and fast-moving stream of water or other liquid.
Synonyms: Deluge, Cascade, Outburst, Spate
Antonyms: Lack, Insufficiency, Want, Discouragement
Sentence Examples:
Verifying, please be patient.