Forever in Kente: Ghanian Barbie and the Fashioning of Identity

Dolls of the World Ghanian Barbie 1996

 The author of Forever in Kente: Ghanian Barbie and the Fashioning of Identity is Carol Magee, who specializes in African contemporary art with an emphasis on photography. She has curated so many journals and articles which is “Experiencing Lagos through Stillness” Evental Aesthetics 1, no.3 (Fall 2012), 41-49, “Spatial Stories: Photographic Practice and Urban Belonging” Africa Today 54/2 (Winter 2007): 108-129, “There is a There There” Photography & Culture (March 2014), 41-62, and many more.

Ruth Handler is the creator of the Barbie doll. He stated that he got inspiration by his young daughter Barbara’s fascination with teenage life and love for fashion dolls. The inspiration came when he saw Barbara playing with paper dolls. Meanwhile, in Carol Magee’s book, she emphasized that the Barbie doll represent of many of the world’s cultural. The Barbie doll represent the world’s cultural based on the costuming. It also act as an object that bring back nostalgia for childhood memories of favourite fictional worlds and or / bygone eras. Also, as cultural interchanges, imperialism and identity. Barbie doll represent worldwide culture based on 50 countries from Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America.

The Ghanian Barbie doll is symbolic of African heritage. Ghanian Barbie doll must remain in the costume to represent it culture and country – kente. With this kente outfit, Mattel acknowledges an African-American connection with Africa and African heritage. Mattel is the name of manufacturer company, Mattel Inc. that launched its Dolls of the World Collection in 1980. Carol stated that in her book that the Ghanian Barbie target market is for adult, these dolls are not intend to play more likely as an personal collection. She also mentioned that Ghanian Barbie is a part of the ‘Dolls of the World Series’. Barbie dolls successfully sold in over 150 countries around the world. The 2003, worldwide sales for Barbie totalled US 3.6 billion (Mattel, Inc, 2004).

These products convey messages beyond their immediate and intentional meanings. The author is concerned with how cultural products convey, reinforce, or subvert imperial values. She cited the Carol Ockman (1999), identities the spreading of a cultural gender ideas as one indication of the role culture plays in the processes of imperialism. Based on comments that Barbie has ‘colonized’ the world.

However, she also wrote the positive aspects of the Ghanian Dolls which is to educate the owners about Ghanian culture and establish authenticity for this doll. On the bright side, Barbie dolls can educates new generation about the difference of cultures. First of all, I think the author should introduce the history background of the Barbie and the Ghanian Dolls first then she can wrote the arguments about the ideals that Barbie exemplifies an­d promotes. Second, I think she does quite a good job in explaining and detailing the statement that given and she find something to support with brilliantly. Thirdly, I personally think that it is not necessarily to write many note because it is irritates for me as a reader. Overall, I think the context of this book is full of information, ­­­­­­interesting text and worth the read.