Category — Dolls

Not content simply to put their competitor out of business, Mattel is now seeking to impound and destroy all Bratz products.  Apparently, Barbie does NOT believe that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  This latest salvo in the war between the Barbie and Bratz camps seems like the official nail in the coffin for the Bratz, who still owe Barbie $100 million.

I am curious to see if, in some strange twist of fate, Bratz dolls become high-priced collectibles on eBay or the toy black market as a result of the soon-to-be excuted ban.  I am half tempted to buy one as a potential “investment”, but I don’t know if I can get past the fact that I really don’t like the Bratz’ “image.”

Should be interesting to see what happens, at any rate.

Don’t put the pink strollers away yet!  This holiday season, little girls may be dreaming of proudly taking these dolls out for a stroll around town:

Baby Alive: This updated classic eats, drinks and goes potty, but without the noises BABY Born makes, so it’s great for kids who already have a lot of noisy toys.

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It should come as no surprise that kids accustomed to toys like Elmo Live aren’t satisfied with run-of-the-mill, drink-and-wet doll.   Fear not, because BABY Born lives up to the rigorous standards of today’s kids by crying, squeaking, eating, and using a potty, in addition to just drinking and wetting a diaper.  BABY Born also has a ton of cool accessories that Betsy Wetsy never dreamed of, like:

BABY born Comfortseat: This pink car seat can be fastened in for road trips, and is the perfect gift for girls who already have a pink stroller.

BABY Born Mini Car:  Babies driving cars.  Umm, Yeah.

Food for BABY Born: I have not been able to figure out what this “food” is made of, but you apparently can buy it “used” on Amazon.  Fantastic.  I’ll be keeping the kids in my life far away from this alleged food.

OK, since I have been having some technical difficulties the past few days, I am going to take this opportunity to name the pink stroller today’s “Stroller of the Day” while I still have internet access.  Little girls everywhere know the joy that a pink stroller can add to a doll collection.  So, strap BABY Born in and proudly take it for a walk in that pink stroller, girls!

Strawberry Shortcake’s recent makeover is on full display in the recently released DVD collection “Strawberry Shortcake: Holiday Dreams.” The gift set includes 3 DVDs and 5 Strawberry Shortcake holiday greeting cards, for hours of berry berry fun times.

There are a couple of contests for Strawberry Shortcake fans who want to get their hands on a free copy of the DVD.  Check out:

• Parenthood.com: Strawberry Shortcake Holiday Dreams Collection Giveaway
• SAHM Answers: Win 1 of 5 Strawberry Shortcake: Holiday Dreams Collection

So apparently I have been a little behind on this trend: grown women buying incredibly realistic dolls called Reborns and treating them like babies.  There are even web communities and stores like Simply Reborn and Irresistables that sell dolls and offer classes for women who want to create their own fake babies.  I am a bit speechless, so I will let these videos speak for themselves:

Links to more information on Reborns:

• Angelic Reborns Forum
• Angels Unawares
• International Reborn Doll Artists
• Top 100 Reborn Forums and Guilds

On that note, let’s move on to today’s Stroller of the Day: the Combi Stroller.  Each Combi stroller is said to fulfill “the Parenting Dream”, and while that sounds great, I’d think I’d prefer getting my parental fulfillment elsewhere (perhaps a Reborn?).  But  Combi strollers will at least provide a safe and stylish ride, if not fulfillment.

I had no idea when I stumbled upon Teen Pregnancy Barbie last week that she was going to turn into an internet sensation.  Here’s what people have to say:

• Jezebel
• Feministing: Reappropriation or Just Offensive: Teen Pregnancy Barbie
• Choice USA : Coming to a Store Near You!

Looks like Canadians have had enough of the Bratz’ saucy attitudes and skimpy attire.  Parents and psychologists convinced Scholastic Inc. to stop selling Bratz related books and merchandise as of this school year.  This comes as terrible news for the Bratz, who are already in debt up to their eyeballs thanks to Barbie’s legal maneuvering earlier this summer.

(Source: Jezebel via Perez Hilton)

I didn’t know how right I was when I first said this has been a busy summer for Barbie.  Artist Nina M. Westerberg got straight to the point when redesigning Barbie as a commentary on 2008’s unexpected social concern, teen pregnancy.  This Barbie is a funny, ironic, yet painfully sad reminder of teen pregnancy’s current glamorized image.

The body used for Teen Pregnancy Barbie was that of Barbie’s oldest friend, Midge.  Controversial in her own right, pregnant Midge was pulled from Wal-Mart shelves for a while after parents complained about Midge’s key selling point: a curled up baby that pops out of her belly when opened, which many parents feel promotes teen pregnancy.

Yeah, I can see how parents might object.  The doll makes it seem like babies pop out pain free and with a bunch of adorable accessories.  Maybe Mattel should have taken this angle with Midge instead:

At any rate, these kids sure have fun with Happy Family Barbie and Midge:

This certainly has been a busy summer for Barbie. First the epic battle with rivals The Bratz, then the battle with a record-sized catfish in North Carolina, and Barbie has come out shining like a star every time. Barbie has also been reaching out to her fan base with the cloyingly cute site BarbieGirls.com. MSN calls it one of Web 2.0’s Most Ridiculous Sites for a good reason. Just click on the link to BarbieGirls. I challenge you. If you are over the age of 11 and that ceaseless music (with no mute button) doesn’t drive you completely mad in about 5 minutes, congratulations, you are probably in line to be the next Gandhi.

I have to admit that I am stunned that toys like the plastic Barbie fishing rods are so durable, yet I am also encouraged by that durability–and the fact that Barbie has outdoor gear for girls, even if all the products are only available in shades of Pepto pink. And I just found out that there are Barbie learning toys that actually teach numbers and math, so it seems like Barbie is slowly getting a little more substance beneath all that fluffy style. But don’t worry, there will always be plenty of fabulous Barbie dress-up games, too.

However, I worry for the future of Barbie and The Diamond Castle-related merchandise. Princess Barbie’s pink gown is in a shade very similar to Disney Princess Aurora’s gown; I’d hate to see Barbie on the receiving end of an intellectual property smack down like the one Mattel laid on The Bratz. Especially when they two worked so well together on the Disney Princess Barbies!

Breaking news: Looks like the ongoing battle between Barbie and the Bratz finally has a winner. “Queen Pimp” Barbie has been declared Bordello Madame and will be receiving a piece of all the Bratz’ earnings. Several of the Bratz are apparently very upset with the decision and are rumored to have already submitted their resumes to the Bunny Ranch.  Stay tuned for more info!