Barbie, the beloved blonde bombshell from our childhood, just turned 50, which makes her the hottest middle-aged woman ever. Here’s a look back at the past 50 years of Barbie.
1959: Barbie Millicent Roberts arrives on the scene in all of her blonde pony-tailed glory, with looks influenced by Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.
1961: Barbie meets Ken, and immediately falls for his perfect smile and hard head of hair. It’s love!
1993: Ken’s sexuality is called into question with the release of the “Earring Magic Ken” doll, which features Ken with a pierced left ear and a lavender mesh vest. Mattel denies the gay rumors, and Barbie stands by her man.
2004: Barbie dumps Ken two days before Valentine’s Day (the cruelty!) after a 43-year long relationship. Mattel releases a statement saying that Barbie and Ken will remain friends. Perhaps Ken was just as much of an accessory for Barbie as her beach house, Jeep and fabulous wardrobe (which includes clothes by designers Calvin Klein, John Galliano, Versace and Vera Wang).
2004: Soon after her split with the all-American Ken, Barbie opts for a more exotic beau, an Australian surfer named Blaine, who boogie-boarded straight to her heart with his tanned skin and long blonde locks.
2005: Barbie gets a job working at McDonald’s, one of the 108 careers she has held over the past half a century. She refuses to eat the fries in order to maintain her 39-23-33 measurements.
2009: “Totally Stylin’ Tattoos Barbie,” the latest doll in the series, is released, so that little girls everywhere can give Barbie her very own tramp stamp.
