The uses of immortality
Barbie and popular culture
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19224014 |
|---|---|
| Authors | J Hartley (0000-0001-5987-8190, The University of Sydney, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 719-738 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-09 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Cultural Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1367-8779 • E-ISSN: 1460-356X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/13678779261455909 |
| OpenAlex | W7164012995 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
This article examines how popular culture and play deal with the fear of death and supersession of humanity by technology. Barbie is corporeal, but immortal. Her persona allows devotees to project wishful-thinking into the unknown, populating the world and the future with humanoid hallucinations. Barbie has not turned to religion; she supplants religion. If she becomes mortal, she’ll die. If she becomes digital, she’ll be coming for you
Consumer Culture · Fandom · Humanity · Neoliberalism (international relations) · Persona · Popular culture · Popular media · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Media, Religion, Digital Communication
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |