Monday Morning Mirth
Just because we fancy ourselves totally stylin’ over here at Chez Chic, we had to laugh when we saw that a toy company is now promoting kiddie tattoos on a perrenial favorite, the Barbie Doll! It’s all to celebrate the 50th Birthday of what is surely one of the world’s favorite toys!
Now Barbie has spawned her share of controversey in her day (she would be my first pick for the winner of that très vulgaire reality show: The Search for the Next Doll!) Her slighty red-light looks have probably been making male-dominated board meetings and sales reps happy for years.
My instincts made me dig a little deeper and we find this in the annals of history: “”Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll,” by M.G. Lord tells the German inspiration for the American Barbie, the Lilli doll. The Lilli doll was modeled after a popular post-war cartoon, which first appeared in the West German tabloid “Bild Zeitung” in 1952. In the cartoon, Lillie was a clever, endearing floozy. The Lillie doll, first produced in 1955, was sold — in liquor and tobacco shops — as a toy for men.” (see this Salon article).
Youza! Maybe the tattoos are cleaning up the act a little! Happy Birthday, Barbie!
Great tats for BArbie. I’m doomed. :) I have to admit I played with them, my daughter plays with them. Is it Barbie’s fault I have poor body image? Somehow I’m not sold. Thanks for the monday smiles!