By all accounts the Barbie movie is a huge success, not to mention apparently hitting on themes related to female empowerment and toxic masculinity that are resonating with audiences. Its getting some pushback, but the claims of it being “woke” and anti-male are being largely being drowned out by the film’s audience.
I’ve not yet had the opportunity to see this film (I do intend to), though I been intrigued by it since its first trailer: it looks fun and hilarious!.
One theme that Mattel’s doll has always championed is that of female empowerment. The toy line has placed the doll in all manner of careers and positions, allowing girls (and women) to imagine themselves in roles that go far beyond housekeeping, cooking and baby-minding.
And one of those roles is being an Astronaut.
In fact, Barbie actually made it to space before her male counterpart (no, not Ken,) G.I. Joe did.
G.I. Joe didn’t get his spacesuit (and Mercury capsule playset) until 1966.
But that, as they say, is not all.
Barbie has had a series of Astronaut-themed introductions over the years. In 1985 a Black Barbie astronaut was introduced. Later, Barbie went to Space Camp and in 2021, Space Discovery Barbie was introduced.
Not only that, as they say, but Space Discovery Barbie, two of them in fact, one Black and the other White, took a trip to the International Space Station aboard an Antares rocket, where they participated in Mission DreamStar.
The two Barbies toured the station and were then returned to Earth. They now reside among the Smithsonian’s Barbie collection.
Here’s a gallery of some of Barbie’s Astronaut Adventures!
