In her 59 years, Barbie has become a fashion icon, a lightning rod and a target for feminists. Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie, featuring newly discovered footage and unprecedented access to the inner workings of a toy giant during Barbie's biggest reinvention, surveys 60 years of women in popular culture through the lens of this 11.5 inch, Zelig-like plastic icon. Featuring interviews with Gloria Steinem, Roxane Gay, Peggy Orenstein, Mattel insiders and cultural historians, the documentary follows the progression and regression in women's recent fight for equality by weaving six decades of shockingly sexist media with fly-on-the-wall insight into Barbie's invention and reinvention.
Director Andrea Nevins follows the Mattel team that implemented a major change in the Barbie doll's emblematic body. My commentary runs through the film, largely providing historical context and a personal sense of how children connect to dolls.