This Barbie is from Philly

Philadelphia appears to have Barbie on the brain.

This weekend, Barbie — the first live-action film interpretation of the iconic Mattel doll, starring Margot Robbie — will premiere in theaters. Locally, there’s a cluster of events being hosted in celebration, like a roller skating party and a super pink-washed menu at a Manayunk Bistro.

Historically, Barbie has some loose ties to the Philly region. In 1996, the city hosted the National Barbie Doll Collector Convention. Penn State Barbie would drop that same year, donning the school’s cheerleading uniform. By 1998, 76ers Barbie would be included in the brand’s licensed NBA collection. Republican National Convention Barbie — a souvenir from the 2000 Philadelphia event — was next (Democratic National Convention attendees received the same Barbie dressed in the same outfit; the only difference was the color of the box).

But it’s been awhile since we received a local Barbie. To commemorate the movie’s release, we’ve created a new set of Philly Barbies. Here’s what we came up with:

1. Comcast Executive Barbie

Dressed in her exec best — which she obviously purchased from the women’s department at Boyds — Barbie commutes to work at the Comcast Center, where she has a corner office sprinkled with pink accessories. She has her cell phones (one for work, one personal, obvi) glued to her hands at all times, along with several copies of industry and fashion magazines. She happy hours at the JG Skyhigh Lounge where she always drinks an extra dry vodka martini.

2. Eagles Superfan Barbie

Her favorite lot is Lot K and she can shotgun a beer with the best of them. She’s been a season ticket holder for years and treats tailgating like a military operation. Barbie’s vintage jersey collection game is strong, but she also loves supporting local “hot girl” Eagles merch sellers. She always knew Taylor Swift’s “gold rush” was about the NFL team and not the band. She’ll be the first to start an E-A-G-L-E-S chant at an unrelated event and ends every text message with “go birds.”

3. Temple Student Barbie

She’s studying business management — one of Temple’s most popular majors. When she’s not cramming late at night for her next exam at Club Tech, you can find Barbie hanging out near Beury Beach listening to music with friends. She uses the hashtag #TempleMade in her Instagram posts, but strictly ironically. She’s on a first-name basis with the owners of the Crepe Truck for her regular order: the Granola Crunch. For extra cash, she pulls shifts at Maxi’s.

4. Local Music Fan Barbie

She makes zines in her spare time and you can always catch her at someone’s West Philly basement show or crate digging at Common Beat. Her playlist is full of local favorites, ranging from Hop Along and Soul Glo to Sweet Pill and Snacktime. She remembers when Tigers Jaw was just a two-piece and went to Michelle Zauner’s book-release party. But Barbie never gatekeeps her scene: She’s the first one to make custom Spotify playlists for her friends and will buy a cassette from every local artist to make sure she’s supporting everyone equally.