Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Video: Meet Commuter Barbie, The Ultimate MTA-Riding Millennial
By
Scott Heins
Published Apr 25, 2017
Modified Apr 12, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Scott Heins
Published Apr 25, 2017
Modified Apr 12, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
You've seen her everywhere: the NYC millennial woman decked out in leggings and Canada Goose, toting around the latest Zadie Smith novel and knocking out innocent bystanders with a yoga mat. This woman is a constant fixture in our subway system, and now local comedians Carina Hsieh and Claudia Arisso have given her a name: Commuter Barbie.
In their new three-minute mock ad for a product so esoteric it'd never make it out of a Mattel focus group, Hsieh and Arisso introduce us to a new Barbie inspired by their fellow MTA riders. The creative spark behind the video came during a late-night trip to The Strand, where the sight of a tote bag "set off a PTSD flashback to every canvas-lined rush hour commute we ever had. If there are 18 miles of books at The Strand, there must be double that mileage in stockroom totes," Hsieh said, "and every single one of them will end up being flaunted on the train."
Commuter Barbie is neither hero nor villain, she's a presence so ubiquitous she's now a subway staple. Stand clear of the closing doors and also the swinging tote and Unicorn Latte, please.
"We don't think we're Commuter Barbies, if only because we can't afford $800 Canada Goose jackets," Hsieh told Gothamist. "But aren't we ALL a little bit Commuter Barbie?"
Putting together their perfectly-on-brand Barbie was no easy task: Hsieh and Arisso designed and printed a tiny Starbucks cup, iPhone, Sing Time, Trader Joe's Bag, and New Yorker issue (which comes complete with an ad for Slack on its tiny back cover). And in the future, Barbie-style expansion packs might include Etsy knitting projects, and a Murray Hill Ken. He'll of course come complete with oversize loafers and suit flaps that sick out from under his crisp Herschel backpack.
When they're not busy hijacking anatomically incorrect toys for local satirical humor purposes, the duo host monthly comedy shows at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg that center around the ups, downs, and WTFs of modern romance and New York City life.
Tagged
Carina Hsieh
Claudia Arisso
commuter barbie
original
Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
NYC music in October: The Strokes, a Blink-182 cover band, and Polish experimentalism
An excellent and diverse month of concerts are in store for October.
By
Hank Shteamer
Published Oct 2, 2026
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
There is now an (un)official verification process for those who can claim the title of city resident.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
There is now an (un)official verification process for those who can claim the title of city resident.
By
Hannah Frishberg
In the mood for a pastoral autumn experience? Try Queens.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
October is spooky season at the movies in New York City
By
Emma Stefansky
At the Museum at FIT, an argument for dolls as the ultimate fashion influencers
By
Quinn Moreland
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .