Lifestyle

One of the reasons Barbies have been so successful is because people view Barbie as more than a doll. In the 1950's when Barbie was first created, she represented a high consumption lifestyle and materialism. She had a dream house, sports car, and neverending wardrobe. She was a symbol of how young girls wanted to look when they grew up. Barbie was the "perfect woman."

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/2009-barbie-dream-house-91406
http://otal.umd.edu/~vg/mssp96/ms07/cult.htm