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I've noticed that Barbie is one of those names that's perceived as quintessentially American by non-Americans, but hardly ever used in the US itself. The only American I've heard it on besides the doll's namesake (the doll was named after creator Ruth Handler's daughter) was Barbie Ferreira, and she's of Brazilian descent. (I've actually seen Barbie used in Brazil sporadically, and it also seems to be used in the Philippines.) I feel like Americans regard Barbie as too heavily associated with the doll to be considered usable, much like how Elmo, Grover, and Kermit are heavily associated with Muppets.

This message was edited 1/22/2024, 3:57 PM