9 February 2006 (Thursday)
just in time for valentine's day
Barbie and Ken are back together:
In February 2004, as every 5-year-old knows, Ken and Barbie called it quits. According to Mattel, which says it relies on customer feedback on its Web site to shape the Barbie-Ken narrative, Barbie was wooed away by an Australian surfer named Blaine.Ken, heartbroken, traveled the world in search of himself, making stops in Europe and the Middle East, dabbling in Buddhism and Catholicism, teaching himself to cook and slowly weaning himself off a beach bum life.
Look, if this is the level of marketing you need to keep your brand alive - if you are reduced to concocting sappy soap operas about the lives and loves of anthropomorphized hunks of molded plastic - then perhaps it's time to retire the dolls and move on. Or, at least, market them to sadistic aspiring hairdressers.
perhaps it's time to retire the dolls and move on. Or, at least, market them to sadistic aspiring hairdressers.
Maybe someone already has - my daughter has a "boy Barbie" (that's what she calls him) who, according to her, "stinks!".
Translation - pre-purchase, someone stuck his head in vanilla scented hair gel, and a thorough wash & overnight soak in the sink hasn't removed the um, aroma. I originally thought someone was playing with my vanilla scented soap, but the ones in the store faintly smell through the plastic box! Eeew. And I *like* vanilla.
I take it you heard about the British study that came out in December about how girls habitually mutilate Barbie dolls? Here and here if you missed it. Interesting, but they only studied 100 girls so I have no idea if it means anything.
Hey, I take umbrage at that. When I cut my sister's barbie's hair, I really thought she would look *better* afterwards...Trouble is, my sister certainly didn't think so, and my parents went with her opinion...
