Barbie Trivia Quiz Questions
Who or what is Barbie?
A: Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy company Mattel,
Inc.
When was it launched?
A: In March 1959.
Who is credited with the creation of the doll using a
German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration?
A: American businesswoman Ruth Handler.
Barbie is the figurehead of a brand of Mattel dolls and
accessories, including what?
A: Other family members and collectible dolls.
Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion
doll market for how long?
A: For over fifty years.
It has been the subject of numerous controversies and
lawsuits, often involving what?
A: Parodies of the doll and her lifestyle.
Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it
the company's what?
A: Largest and most profitable line.
However, sales have declined sharply since when?
A: 2014.
The doll transformed the toy business in affluent
communities worldwide by becoming a vehicle for what?
A: The sale of related merchandise (accessories, clothes, friends of Barbie,
etc.).
She had a significant impact on social values by
conveying characteristics of what?
A: Female independence, and with her multitude of accessories, an idealized
upscale lifestyle that can be shared with affluent friends.
Starting in 1987, Barbie has expanded into a media
franchise, including what?
A: Animated films, television specials, video games, and music.
The first Barbie doll was introduced in March 1959 with
what color hair?
A: Both blonde and brunette
Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara play with
paper dolls and noticed what?
A: That she often enjoyed giving them adult roles.
At the time, most children's toy dolls were
representations of what?
A: Infants.
Realizing that there could be a gap in the market,
Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to whom?
A: To her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company.
What did he think of the idea?
A: He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors.
During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children
Barbara and Kenneth, what did Ruth Handler come across?
A: A German toy doll called Bild Lilli.
The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in
mind, so what did she do?
A: She purchased three of them.
She gave one to her daughter and took the others where?
A: Back to Mattel.
The Lilli doll was based on what?
A: A popular character appearing in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin
for the newspaper Bild.
Lilli was a blonde bombshell, a working girl who knew
what she wanted and was not above what?
A: Using men to get it.
The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955, and
although it was initially sold to adults, it became what?
A: Popular with children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were
available separately.
Upon her return to the United States, Handler
redesigned the doll with help from whom?
A: Engineer Jack Ryan.
The doll was named Barbie after whom?
A: Handler's daughter Barbara.
Where did the doll make its debut?
A: At the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959.
This date is also used as Barbie's what?
A: Official birthday.
What did the first Barbie doll wear?
A: A black and white zebra striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail.
The doll was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model,"
with her clothes created by whom?
A: Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson.
Where were the first Barbie dolls manufactured?
A: In Japan, with their clothes hand-stitched by Japanese homeworkers.
How many Barbie dolls were sold during the first year
of production?
A: Around 350,000.
Ruth Handler believed that it was important for Barbie
to have an adult appearance, and early market research showed that some
parents were what?
A: Unhappy about the doll's chest, which had distinct breasts.
Barbie's appearance has been changed many times, most
notably in 1971 when the doll's eyes were what?
A: Adjusted to look forwards rather than having the demure sideways glance
of the original model.
Barbie was one of the first toys to have a marketing
strategy based extensively on what?
A: Television advertising, which has been copied widely by other toys.
It is estimated that how many Barbie dolls have been
sold worldwide in over 150 countries?
A: over a billion.
Mattel claims that three Barbie dolls are sold how
often?
A: Every second.
The standard range of Barbie dolls and related
accessories are manufactured to what scale?
A: Approximately 1/6 scale, which is also known as playscale.
The standard dolls are how tall?
A: Approximately 11½ inches tall.
Barbie products include not only the range of dolls
with their clothes and accessories, but also a large range of Barbie branded
goods such as what?
A: Books, apparel, cosmetics, and video games.
Barbie has had a media franchise starting in 1987, when
she began appearing in what?
A: A series of animated films.
Barbie's direct-to-DVD animated films have sold how
many units worldwide, as of 2013?
A: over 110 million.
In addition, the brand has had two what?
A: Television specials, Barbie and the Rockers: Out of This World and Barbie
and the Sensations: Rockin' Back to Earth.
What hit song did Barbie have in 1997?
A: "Barbie Girl" by Aqua.
She is also a supporting character in what Pixar films?
A: Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3.
