Black Squirrel Club

Profs and Pints Philadelphia presents: “The Life of Barbie,” on a plastic icon and her cultural legacy, with Emily Aguiló-Pérez, an associate professor of English at West Chester University of Pennsylvania who has extensively researched Barbie as a scholar of childhood, media, and popular culture. Few toys have shaped culture quite like Barbie has. From her debut in 1959 to the billion-dollar success of the 2023 film bearing her name, Barbie has been a mirror of society, a lightning rod for controversy, and a symbol of transformation. She often has found herself at the center of society’s evolving conversations about