Ita Buttrose made chair of ABC and Barbie doll ‘Shero’ in same week
Within one week, Ita Buttrose has been made the chair of the ABC by the prime minister - and immortalised as an honorary Barbie doll. See what the Aussie icon looks like in plastic.
Within one week, Ita Buttrose has been made the chair of the ABC by the prime minister — and immortalised as an honorary Barbie doll.
Speaking for the first time about her new role since the announcement, she told The Daily Telegraph she considers being hand-picked by Prime Minister Scott Morrison for the ABC job to be the pinnacle of her 62-year-long career.
“Right now I’d say being selected as chair for the ABC (is my proudest achievement),” she told The Daily Telegraph.
She refused to be drawn further on her new ABC gig, but said she was not bothered by criticisms stemming from her selection being a captain’s call, outside the recommendation of the independent selection board.
“I’m not really giving interviews on the role because I haven’t been briefed yet but criticism often comes with a top job, it wouldn’t matter what job it was,” she said.
In juxtaposition to the seriousness of the top job at Auntie, the media maven was this week turned into a Barbie doll “Shero” — She hero — for her contributions to Australian media.
“This honour is about my accomplishments in media and, coincidentally, (Barbie parent company) Mattel approached me last year before (the ABC) was even a possibility of happening.”
Given her achievements and contributions to Australian media and society, Buttrose’s main goal in becoming Barbie was to show little girls they can be the boss, however unfortunately the Buttrose Barbie will not be sold in stores.
“I’m very pleased to be a role model, that’s what it’s all about, for little girls to see women in top jobs,” she said, “bearing in mind you can’t be what you can’t see.
“As they grow older girls lose confidence in the way they think. It’s something we need to be aware of and make sure girls believe in themselves.”
She was also unconcerned by people who think Barbie promotes unrealistic body expectations on young girls, saying the doll’s 60 year journey has been an inspirational path.
“She has evolved as women have evolved,” she said.
“She has embraced women’s liberation and she’s all sorts of shapes and sizes now.
“She’s had more than 200 careers — even President.
“Nothing is impossible for Barbie.”
Buttrose secured her first editor role at The Telegraph, as it was known then, at 23 years old.
In 1972 she founded Cleo magazine, which pushed the envelope on promoting sexual health and which she edited until 1975 when she she became Editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly.
Six years later she returned to her roots, becoming Editor-in-chief at The Daily and Sunday Telegraphs and was appointed to the News Limited board.
When she was 47, she formed her own publishing company and created Ita Magazine, targeted at older women with the slogan “For the woman who wasn’t born yesterday.”
She was awarded an Order of the British Empire and Order of Australia in 1979 and 1988 respectively and was named the 2013 Australian of the Year.
She also spearheaded the National Advisory Committee on AIDS during the 1980s epidemic, making historical decisions such as the Grim Reaper campaign.
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