The uses of immortality: Barbie and popular culture

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.