Barbie (3/9/06)

Ah, Barbie. Loved and tormented by millions, Barbie's not a doll to be confused with any of her various imitators, but she was, in fact, adapted almost 50 years ago from an infamous German doll. Barbie made her debut on March 9, 1959, and since then she's had as many careers as she's had outfits. She's been an ice skater, an astronaut, a doctor -- and almost anything else that doesn't require math. Of course, any celebrity as big as Barbie is bound to generate strong feelings -- both positive and negative. Some groups have criticized her for giving girls a poor body image, but at least one woman has been inspired to emulate Barbie to the nth degree. Barbara Millicent Roberts, along with her friends and family will likely spark emotions of all kinds in little girls and boys, for as long as parents buy toys.