Skipper (Barbie)

Skipper was created, along with Midge, to counteract criticism that claimed Barbie was a sex symbol. Midge's facial appearance was gentler than Barbie's, whereas Skipper was a response to requests that Barbie wanted to have children; however, instead of having a married, pregnant Barbie, which would make her too domestic, Barbie would babysit Skipper.[1] As Barbie's little sister, Skipper was Barbie's first family member sold. Since their introduction in 1964, Skipper dolls have changed drastically.[2]

In 1975 Growing Up Skipper was released. The gimmick of the doll, which led to much controversy in the newspapers, was that if Skipper's arm was rotated, the doll would become an inch taller and small breasts would appear on her rubber torso.[3][4] This concept was later used for Mattel's My Scene brand in 2007 with the "Growing Up Glam" line, which was also controversial.[5][6] In 1979 Skipper's entire appearance changed. She was advertised as "Super Teen Skipper". She had a new body mold which included small, permanent breasts, and a different head mold that made her look slightly older.[2] In 1985 Hot Stuff Skipper was released, which had another new head mold that included the addition of dimples and a longer face.[2]

Skipper changed again in 1988 with the release of Teen Fun Skipper. Her new body mold was taller and more graceful. Her waist was more flexible and her breasts were slightly bigger. Her eyes were also enlarged, giving her a cartoon-like look. At this stage she appeared to be somewhere between 13 and 15 years old. Later, Skipper had a new head mold with smaller eyes in a Pizza Party line, but with the same body mold.[2] Many collectors believe that the "Pizza Party" head mold was the most popular, if not the prettiest, version of Skipper. Dolls with the "Pizza Party" Skipper head mold or the 1960s head mold are the most sought-after Skipper dolls by collectors.

Finally, in 1997, Teen Skipper was introduced. She again had a new body mold and was now almost as tall as her sister Barbie. This was mostly because of her legs, which were now long and lanky. Most notable of all, however, was Skipper's new face mold. She no longer looked like a child, but more like a girl on the brink of becoming a woman. Teen Skipper's packaging revealed that she is now "16 years old". If she was nine when she was introduced (and she was), when Barbie was billed as the "Famous Teen-Age Fashion Doll", then Barbie could not realistically be considered a teenager any longer. Skipper also appeared to have larger breasts which continued the controversy over her sexualization that has dogged Skipper in the past.[2]

In 1994 the first vintage reproduction Skipper was produced specifically for collectors to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Skipper's introduction. Instead of the usual vinyl, the dolls were made of porcelain. She wore a blue reproduction ensemble from 1965, known then as "Happy Birthday".[7] In 2007 Mattel released its second vintage 1964 reproduction Skipper doll, this time wearing her "School Days" ensemble and sold in a gift set along with a reproduction of a vintage swirl ponytail Barbie doll wearing the matching "Knitting Pretty" ensemble.[8]

Skipper Madison Roberts was the original little sister of Barbie, and has been quite popular over the years.[9] When she first came out, she was an alternative for parents who did not approve of Barbie's adult figure. The first vintage Skipper dolls now have a value of US$195 MIB (Mint In Box). The brass headbands alone that came with these dolls have a value of $20. While vintage Skipper dolls, clothes, and accessories can sell for a lot of money, modern Skipper dolls usually only have a value of $10 to $20 MIB. If they have no box, the value may be only $5 or less.[10]

Skipper's friends at the vintage stage were Skooter (1965), Ricky (1965), Living Fluff (1971), and Pose N' Play Tiff (1972).[11][12] Skooter and Ricky had their own head molds, and both had freckles. Skooter was available with the same three hair colors as Skipper had, but Ricky was only available with molded red hair, similar to Midge's boyfriend, Allan Sherwood.[13][14] Fluff and Tiff shared a head mold which many collectors considered adorable, with a contagious smile.[15] Most of Skipper's first friends were never seen after the lines they were produced for, but another Skooter doll, called Fun Time Skooter, was produced for the European market. She had auburn hair, a Twist N' Turn waist, and bendable legs. However, she had the head mold of the oldest version of Skipper, not the older Skooter doll, which many collectors found strange.[5]

Skipper's friend for the controversial Growing Up line was the brunette Ginger, made in 1976. However, after this line, Ginger was never seen again.[11] Skipper's first boyfriend, Scott, was created in 1980, and was introduced the year after Super Teen Skipper came on the market. Scott sported puffy, brown 1980s-style hair.[11] Skipper gained two new friends after Teen Fun Skipper was first introduced. They included the reddish haired friend Courtney, made in 1989, and her second boyfriend Kevin, created in 1990.[11]

After Teen Skipper came on the market, her first African American friend appeared. Her name was Nikki, and she was made in 1997.[11] Teen Skipper was originally going to have a third boyfriend, Zach, who would have joined her in the "Totally Yo Yo" line, but for reasons unknown, he was never produced. Parents speculate that Zach would be too much of a sexual influence on Skipper and children. However, the head mold for the unreleased Zach Doll was later used for Generation Girl Blaine, the token boy in Barbie's "Generation Girl" Doll line.[16]

Acquaintances

• Chocho-Chan (1974, sold only in Japan)
• Pretty Teen (1991, a Kmart exclusive)
• Tori Burns, a Generation Girl Barbie friend made with the Teen Skipper body (first sold in 1999)
• Chelsie Peterson, a Generation Girl Barbie friend made with the Teen Skipper body (first sold in 1999)

Celebrity friends

• Jimmy Osmond (1978; same body mold later used for Skipper's boyfriend, Scott)
• Kristy McNichol as "Buddy" (1979)
• Mary-Kate Olsen (first sold in 2000)
• Ashley Olsen (first sold in 2000)

Disney friends

• Peter Pan (using the "Kevin" body mold; first sold in 1994)
• Wendy Darling (first sold in 1994)
• Tinker Bell (first sold in 1994; similar styling and several of the same accessories were used for Fairy Fantasy Skipper sold in India the following year)
• Alice in Wonderland (first sold in 1996)
• Ariel (first sold in 1997)
• Arista (1998)
• Attina (1998)
• Kayla (1998)
• Eric (male body mold sized as a counterpart to the Skipper mold used for Ariel; 1998)

Fantasy friends

Skipper's fantasy friends were all produced in 1993.

• Daisy
• Hadley
• Isla
• Lily
• Peppermint Rose/Rose Richards
• Violet

According to the Random House novels of the 1960s, Skipper is the second oldest child of the fictional George and Margaret Roberts of Willows, Wisconsin, their first child said to be Barbie. In these novels, she attended Baker Elementary, while the Marvel Comics of the early 1990s had her at Central Junior High School. The box of the first Kevin doll, Skipper's second boyfriend, that was sold, "Cool Tops Kevin", described Skipper as "the most popular girl in school". Like her sister Barbie, she has had numerous "acquaintances", celebrity friends, fantasy friends, and Disney friends that were produced at her size. Some of these other dolls include Chocho, sold only in Japan in 1974, made with the Quick Curl Skipper body;[6] Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, introduced in 2000, made with the Teen Fun Skipper body; the Peppermint Rose dolls from 1993, also made with the Teen Fun body; and numerous versions of Ariel from The Little Mermaid, sold in either the Teen Fun or Teen versions. The Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses line sold two dolls named Isla and Hadley who were the size of Teen Fun Skipper dolls, but with a new appropriately-sized "belly-button" body.

Skipper is also a character in Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse with her hair being brown and a small part of it purple. She is shown to be a person who loves gadgets.