Podcast Corner: How Barbie was inspired by a German sex doll
Barbie has a fascinating history.
There’s no escaping Barbie this summer as the long-awaited film opened in cinemas last Friday. And while you might have fond memories of playing with the dolls, this three-part series tells the history of Barbie and how it became so iconic, after being inspired by a post-war German novelty sex doll. Season one of LA Made, Blood, Sweat & Rockets, tells the ‘hidden story’ of the crew who shaped the quest to outer space and ushered in the early days of space exploration; they were known as the Suicide Squad. Season two is about the Barbie Tapes; co-host MG Lord wrote the unauthorised biography of a real doll, Forever Barbie, and the podcast gets its name from her archive of interviews with the likes of Ruth Handler, who invented Barbie; Jack Ryan, who was responsible for her plastic body; and designer Charlotte Johnson, who created her wardrobe.
