Between 1990 and 1991 photographer David Levinthal did a series entitled "Desire." In it, he photographed six-inch plastic figurines of Caucasian women in bondage. His intent was two-fold. First, his use of the "toy figures" (actually figurines geared towards adults, from a Japanese mail order business) was a motif he had explored previously with toy soldiers and cowboys. Levinthal was examining the toy figures as icons for society's issues. Secondly (and specifically for this series) Levinthal was deliberately provoking the viewer with sexual, pornographic imagery. He was aiming the iconic power of dolls right at the proliferation of sexually charged media. Perversion, or titillation? The photographer provided the scene, the viewer provided the interpretation.

Levinthal's series inspired me to use what is probably the most widely know, widely revered icon in our society…Barbie®. I too wanted to blur the boundaries between simple plaything and powerful sex object. I wanted to force viewers, by shocking or even offending them, into looking at Barbie® as a representation of our deeper sexual feelings and responses. Levinthal pushed it with women in bondage; I pushed it further with lesbians in bondage.