This year, the iconic American doll Barbie and her male counterpart Ken are celebrating their fiftieth anniversary. Never the types to miss an iconic event, SMITH Six-Word Memoirists distill what it meant, and still means, to grow up with Barbie, for better and for worse. Click on each writer’s name for more of his or her stories.

Ragdoll living in a Barbie world.
—EternalRose

I’ve become my own Barbie doll.
—Katy Reinsel

Barbie doesn’t look fifty like me!
—HerminiaB

Still have all my Barbie dolls.
—L2L3

Got shot over a Barbie Doll.
—calvinseen

—Botox Barbie comes with Viagra Ken
BanjoDan

Really wanna play in Barbie’s dreamhouse.
—lgp120

Voodoo Barbie makes a great pincushion.
—Loon

Barbie grew up. Me, still short.
—midwestsensibily

Can’t Barbie get real for once?
—columbina

Beheaded my Barbies–accidentally, of course.
—RaineeRose

Writing is like playing Barbies again.
—euterpe

Photo: courtesy of Flickr user foxgrrl.