Not many people know this, but "Barbie" was inspired by a German adult novelty called "Lilli", based on a racy newspaper cartoon of the 1950s. The "Lilli" of the cartoon was always going out with old rich men, hoping to get set up. Ruth Handler, the inventor of "Barbie", bought a couple of these awful things and naturally decided they would be suitable for the modern young girl. It starts to get weird when she involved Ernest Dichter, the father of psychological advertising. At that time, the late 50s and early 60s, advertising was becoming sophisticated and the consumer was seen as a difficult patient in the shrink's office, unable or unwilling to straighten out and buy unnecessary merchandise in a responsible fashion. Dichter was able to make a few helpful suggestions. For one thing, "Lilli" was a bit too saucy and obvious. What was needed was something more aloof and empty. Hence the completely vacant pout. However, Mattel was at that time unable to produce the dolls in the right kind of cold, hard plastic, so the work was contracted out to a Japanese factory; but the Japanese were put off by the very lifelessness of "Barbie's" expression. But in the end it all worked out.

Of course, "Barbie" can't take all the credit. But she did help.