Barbie for Obama!

Rumors are going around that Mattel, the makers of Barbie want Christina Aguilera’s head.  Apparently Dirrty Girl X-tina has a plastic enough face to inspire the new generation of Barbies.  According to Mattel, Aguilera has the perfect face for a doll.

Christina says she is thrilled to be the new Barbie, as Barbie was her favorite doll when she was a girl.  I just have to wonder, is Christina Aguilera really Barbie-material?  She looks very plasticky, but is that enough?

What do you guys think?  Is Mattel out of their minds if they make the new Barbies look like Mrs. Pratt?

Happy Thanksgiving from Barbiefest! Eat lots of turkey, and count your blessings!

Photo by bugeaters

The latest Barbie in the Hard Rock Collection knows how to rock hard!  With her black and red color ensemble, this new Barbie embodies the goth punk spirit as imagined by a Pussycat Doll, or actually, even a Bratz doll.

The new Barbie is pretty hot in her corset, flared skirt with red ruffled tulle petty-coat, fingerless gloves, sexy bright red fishnet stockings and punky black boots.  She’s decked out in dangly earrings and a chunky metal necklace, this girl is fierce!  She comes with her own little guitar and a Hard Rock Cafe pin for you.

Barbie is really pushing the envelope with the new Barbies coming out for collectors.  The folks at Mattel recognize that girls my age, who have grown up in the MTV era have a taste for the edgier, more trendier looks.  And for any girl who fantasized about playing in a rock band, this is the Barbie for you.  Think mini- Joan Jett or Cyndi Lauper.  I love this new doll.

I couldn’t believe the news when I heard that Vera Wang will be designing a wedding dress for Barbie- and for humans!  How cool is that?

Mattel is going all out next year for Barbie’s 50th birthday, by enlisting the help of 50 designers to create real fashions for dolls and humans alike.  The legendary and chic, wedding dress designer Vera Wang has signed up to help celebrate the fashionista’s big day.

Another designer who has confirmed his participation is the über hip Jeremy Scott, whose fashions have been worn by the likes of Madonna, Cameron Diaz, and even Bjork(no, he is not responsible for that sad spectacle of a dress she wore to the Oscars in 01).

Mattel will also be releasing a make-up line inspired by Barbie. This just goes to show how Barbie is an icon of fashion.  Who wouldn’t want to dress the “It” girl of the last fifty years?

Barbie is still Numero Uno- according to the National Retail Federation.  Since 2004 Barbie has been at the top of the list in the girl’s toys categories, and this year is no different.  The Hannah Montana doll has somehow, managed to creep her way up to the number 2, squashing the Bratz on her way to the top.

But Barbie is not afraid of the teen pop-idol.  As I’ve metioned before, she has staying power, whereas Hannah Montana is a flash in the pan.  And like all of Disney’s teen stars, she’ll become another casualty of child-stardom, and will be forgotten except for her scandalous behavior.  Besides, look at that thing(left), she doesn’t hold a candle to Barbie’s beauty and galmour.  Enjoy your fifteen minutes of fame Hannah Montana, see you in Celebrity Rehab!

I ran across this commercial on the Barbie website.  It made me think of my first Barbie.  I got her when I was five years old, it was 1982.  She had long, dark-brown hair, and she wore an outfit like a cheerleader or majorette.  At the time, I thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world.  I wanted to grow up and be as beautiful as she was.  Eventually, I realized how silly this was, but for a girl in a war-torn country, Barbie represented an ideal of some sort.

I was never really allowed to play with her, except on special occasions and only under strict supervision.  But on those rare Sunday afternoons when my cousins would bring over their dolls, I was allowed to bring her out of my grandmother’s wardrobe.  I would undress her, change her clothes, braid her hair, talk to her, talk for her, it was endless fun.  I had to make the best of those moments because soon enough grandma would put her away until next time.

I wonder many times, whatever happened to that Barbie, with her tall white boots and pleated gold skirt?  She was in perfect condition the last time I played with her, more than 25 years ago.  I always say that I never played with Barbies, because after moving to the US and leaving my Barbie behind, I never had another one.  Maybe that’s why I am so intrigued with this skinny doll, secretly I always wanted a Barbie, but I had to act as though she was unimportant.  Not only unimportant, but I had to see her as the enemy.  She was the cause of so many girl’s low self-esteem, and weight issues, right?

I had to hide my love for Barbie! Maybe that’s the reason why I decapitated and maimed my neighbors Barbies. Who knows?  But do you remember your first Barbie?

Hey everybody, Barbie has an assigment for you.  Our good friends at Goodbye.us need your help!

As you know, Barbie has been quite political lately.  And now that the elections are over and the Bush administration will soon be out, you have the unique opportunity to let your voice be heard.  Now is your chance to tell Mr. Bush exactly how you feel about him and the work he has done on this country the last eight years.  Barbie is inviting you to write the President a letter of farewell(and good riddance) by visiting the website Goodbye.us.

“We are here to gather your thoughts about our departing President in the format of an open letter. We are not here to tell you how to feel, but rather to give you a place to make your feelings known. “

We hope you make a stop at Goodbye.us!  Look for Barbie’s letter!

Mattel wants to put an end to the production of Bratz dolls, made by MGA Entertainment, forever.  They are also seeking to confiscate all Bratz dolls, and banning them, forever.  The two toy companies will get a chance to duke it out in court next week.  This comes after MGA has been ordered to pay Mattel $100 million for a copyright infringement lawsuit.

Sounds like Mattel is afraid of a little competition.  But Barbie has no fear!

The puffy-lipped, doe-eyed, big-headed doll is no competition for die-hard doll lovers, and Barbie will continue to RULE!  History has proven that their have always been immitators, copy-cats, and wanna-bes, but Barbie has stood the test of time.

Barbie will be celebrating 50 years in ‘09, take that Bratz!

Hello Kitty meet Barbie.  This year Mattel released this limited edition Hello Kitty Barbie and girls the world over rejoiced with a squeal of delight.

“Barbie® doll celebrates the charm and whimsy of the Hello Kitty® brand in this adorable brightly colored ensemble. Blue capri pants, Hello Kitty® print tank top and accompanying red crop jacket have a slightly rockabilly look. Awesome accessories include stylish sunglasses, funky bracelets, hoop earrings, and a fantastic Hello Kitty® clutch. The doll’s platinum blond hair has been pulled back into a ponytail, accented with a red ribbon with white polka dots. Rooted eyelashes and puckered red lips capture a sweet expression.”

This baby is on my Christmas list.

This year Mattel out-did themselves again by releasing in their Gold-Label Collection this marvelously beautiful doll Barbie as Medusa.

“Barbie doll as Medusa wears a green corset and chiffon fish-tail skirt.  She has long auburn curls, golden snake arm-cuffs and necklace, foretelling of what she is to become.”

You can admire this magical doll all you want, this beauty won’t turn you to stone.  And I doubt Perseus would want to decapitate her in this lovely state.  But keep her away from the little girls who might want her head, she is expensive!

This is a fine example of how Barbie is more than just a rubber doll with big boobs.  This collectible Barbie is a work of art. I love that this one makes a reference to Greek mythology.  It’s an intriguing juxtaposition when you think about it.  Barbie is the epitome of vacuous femininity and Medusa is the ultimate expression of female fury and it’s power in the world.

I find it interesting that Mattel would choose such a controversial character from literature to embody their glamour girl.  Is it possible that the makers don’t know the story?  Don’t they know that Medusa, who was a priestess at the temple of Athena, was raped by Poseidon?  And that Athena, angry that Medusa had been raped in her temple, punished her by transforming her beautiful hair into serpents and made her face so hideous to behold that a mere look would turn a man to stone.

Whatever their reasoning for putting out this doll, she is nonetheless beautiful.  A great addition to any serious Barbie collection.