What kind of environment did your Barbies live in?

"Some lived in the half put together Dream House. One lived with the Power Rangers. One lived in the tub. Superhero Barbie lived up high on a shelf. Everyone else was either homeless or lived with the My Little Ponies" 

-Maggie, 23, Caucasian pansexual female from The Bible Belt, USA

How did other people influence how you played Barbies?

"All of my friends but one enjoyed playing the "normal" way--having them run the supermarket or do stuff in the dream house. The one friend who didn't liked playing the same way I did--rough. Our Barbies cursed, insulted and fought each other until one doll ended up flying across the room."

-Nita, 23, Caucasian lesbian female from the United States

What kind of Barbie accessories did you own?

"I had a lot of clothes, shoes, and brushes. I had a supermarket, too. But I played with that myself; I didn't have Barbies play. I wasn't interested in cars or the Dream House or stuff like that. I made all of my Barbie houses. The majority of my play consisted of fabricating their environment. I liked to dress them up, make their homes, imagine what kind of person they were. But I didn't act out scenes. Once I'd exhausted my imagined life for them-- I was done. I had to start over or do something else."


-Melinda, 23, multiracial (Hispanic/Caucasian), bisexual female from Indianapolis, IN, USA