Where is Barbie?

Picture courtesy of ourmuddyboots.com

MISSING

Barbie Millicent Roberts

Age   55 but looks 20
Eyes  Blue

Hair   Blond
Distinguishing feature
          Controversially unrealistic body proportions
 

Barbie has been known as a fashion icon since the 1960s. She was created by Ruth Handler for her daughter Barbara, whom Barbie was named after. Ruth wished to make a doll that little girls could dress and engage in pretend play with, much like how the paper dolls that were popular at the time were used. The concept of Barbie was inspired by the German doll Bild Lilli.

Barbie has been seen over the years with many different friends and family members. Her one true love, however, continues to be Ken.

Barbie’s occupation is ever changing. She has had as many careers and jobs as she has had outfits. In addition to fashionista, Barbie has been architect, astronaut, computer engineer, and the U.S. president.

Barbie has had her share of controversy. She has been widely criticized as being a bad role model for young girls and society in general for her influence in setting unrealistic body standards in women. The recent emergence of Lammily, a doll created to celebrate the average sized female body, has been seen as a reaction to Barbie. Lammily has been referred to by many as the anti-Barbie.

Barbie has been noticeably absent in doll reviews on YouTube. She was not among the top toys listings of 2014 that appeared during the Christmas season. Among retailers such as Toys R Us, her shelf space has shrunk in half over recent years.

Why? Where is Barbie?

According to an article from The Daily Beast, “Barbie is out, Monster High is in.” This article from October 21, 2014 describes how Barbie sales have been declining and that the young girls who once were Barbie’s core demographic are gravitating towards Monster High dolls and digital toys.

Many theories for the fall in Barbie’s popularity are presented in “Barbie is Out, Monster High Is In”. One theory is that parents may be making a conscious decision to steer their children away from Barbie due to “antiquated, sexist, and unrealistic representation” and that she sends “mixed messages” to girls, telling them to “be whatever you want to be” while also holding up a “ridiculous body image.” Barbie collector and dressmaker Nikeeyia Howell opines that the lack of diversity and progressiveness is a problem. She notes that, “the black version of the doll” she regularly encounters on store shelves has “very light skin [and] if you want a darker skin, black Barbie, then you have to get one from the S.I.S. line.”

While some may say that Barbie is losing in the toy wars because of the lack of realism in her image, I have a different take. Since when have kids been concerned with reality when it comes to play? Elements of reality definitely come into it, of course. Kids are often imitating what they see adults do. But along with the “real”, there also needs to be some aspects of creativity where imagination is stimulated. Barbie is missing the fantasy science fiction ingredient that Monster High has.

In the last decade, popular culture has seen a growing fascination with monsters, vampires, and the supernatural. Adults love to immerse themselves in the paranormal world. Case in point: television shows and movies such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead, and Supernatural. Kids also love this otherworldliness.

Oddly enough, while working on this blog post, there seemed to be a sudden resurgence of Barbie appearances on YouTube. It seems that there was an unveiling of new varieties of dolls from the Barbie line at Toy Fair 2015 in New York. What was noticeable was the diversity among Barbie and friends. The Mommy and Gracie Show posted a video on YouTube of their visit there with the comment, “Holy Diversity Batman … They have so many new skin tones and hair textures.” Among those seen were an Asian character, bi-racial character, and even a character with semi-shaved head. I have also seen reviews of dolls with articulated ankles so that Barbie and friends can now wear flat shoes and take a rest from their high heels. It appears that Mattel is attempting to respond to some of the criticisms and complaints.

Here’s a look at some of these new dolls in the world of Barbie:

Bi-racial doll from Barbie Fashionistas line on “Jason Robert Keef” YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3sdoWQtJC4

Check out Barbie’s friend with semi-shaved head in “Doll and Playset Reveals from Toy Fair 2015” on “Mommy and Gracie Show” YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuNotI6xiFk

My Little Pony

My Little Pony is a brand that I have referred to in previous posts but have not discussed in much detail. The My Little Pony phenomenon is huge. Almost every YouTube toy channel I have visited seems to feature these colorful ponies. There is an annual convention called BronyCon, where fans come together to celebrate these ponies. Not only do the attendees purchase huge amounts of My Little Pony themed merchandise at this gathering, many of them also dress as their favorite character. There is even a term for adult men who enjoy My Little Pony: Bronies.

If you frequent toy review channels on YouTube, it is hard to not know something about My Little Pony, even if you are not a fan. I am one of these people who fall into that category. I have watched many videos featuring these toys, out of curiosity and also wondering if someday it will just click on why this craze exists.

It still hasn’t happened yet. I no longer watch the videos, as readily available as they are.

Monster High is another brand that I knew was popular but did not “get”. However, after watching a few episodes of Monster High with my niece, I clued in a bit about the appeal. The characters, personalities, and relationships between these monsters in high school are what captivate viewers. The monster appearances and qualities of the characters add unique elements which create special twists to their storylines.    

I know bits and pieces about My Little Pony: There is Pinkie Pie, Scootaloo, Big Mac, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. Cutie marks are symbols located on the pony flanks which indicate something about the pony personality. There are also ponies called Cutie Mark Crusaders.

As you can see, my knowledge is limited and scattered. I don’t know what the storyline is, having never seen one episode of this cartoon. I figure that maybe this would help me gain some understanding as it did with Monster High.

I decided I needed to delve a bit deeper into the world of My Little Pony. I heard that “Friendship is Magic” is the slogan for BronyCon so I started by watching some clips on YouTube which I found by googling “my little pony friendship is magic”:

·       May the Best Pet Win https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SLQ5XqcEU8
·       Hula Hoops https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfycnX9dZcg
·       Twilight sees how Celestia banished Luna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy7jyw7WABw
·       Fluttershy`s Rainbow Reflection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moDjmDzfNko
·       Bats Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8uFbzbtyJg
  

From watching the clips, I learned the ponies have child-like characteristics. They seem to be in the equivalent to elementary school-aged in humans. They are presented as very cute with high voices. Cutie marks represent talents that have to be searched for and discovered. The ponies are not born with them. The episodes contain a lot of teaching moments when it comes to morals and kindness and this makes it seem like it is geared towards younger children. I am not really into cartoons so each of the clips I chose to watch was under ten minutes long.

This is what I learned about the overall storyline and plot from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Little_Pony:_Friendship_Is_Magic#Equestria_Girls_film_series :

“The show follows a studious unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle as her mentor Princess Celestia guides her to learn about friendship in the town of Ponyville. Twilight becomes close friends with five other ponies. Each represents a different face of friendship.”

The "Mane Six"
Picture courtesy of http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/303/e/e/my_little_pony___mane_six_by_caycowa-d5jghz1.png
 

This is what I learned from Wikipedia about the Equestria Girls, a related line of dolls I have seen reviewed on YouTube:

“A companion film, titled My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, premiered on the FamilyDay of the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 15, 2013 ... the film follows Twilight Sparkle on a mission through a magic mirror to recover her stolen crown. She ends up in a world populated by humans while being transformed into a teenage girl herself, and must overcome the difficulties of her new body and interacting with students of the nearby school as she looks for the culprit.”

After the above bit of research, I’ll say this: I still don’t get it. First of all, I am not really into cartoons. The only reason I ever watch one is because I am with my niece and she wants to watch it. Second of all, unlike Monster High, the storylines for My Little Pony seem geared towards very young children. If the love for the ponies is due to enjoyment of the cartoon, then I guess I will not be a part of that group. All the dolls that I have liked were not due to a cartoon or movie. They may have storylines associated with them, but I do not really follow any of them. My enjoyment is mainly based on the appearance and details of the dolls themselves.

In conclusion, although I have learned a bit more about My Little Pony, I still do not have insight about why there is such a big fan base. It still remains a mystery to me. Does it really matter though? To each his own.

Candy kits

Candy kits seem to be a uniquely Japanese concept. At least, I am not aware of North American versions of it. These are “do-it-yourself” candy kits that create edible versions of miniature foods.

I became aware of these candy kits while watching videos on the YouTube channel “studiolorien”. This is one of a group of channels hosted by a young Japanese couple. On these channels, they introduce elements of Japanese culture such as toys, foods, and crafts. The primary host is Abi, the female of the duo.

On “studiolorien”, Abi posts videos of cooking and food. Playlist titles include “Tasting”, “Culture & Vlogs”, “Candy Lab”, “Cooking”, “Japan & Kawaii Lovers Group”, and “Cooking Toys”. Most of her videos are under the category of “DIY Candies”, many of which involve making edible doll-sized foods. These kits contain labelled pouches of powder which contain the ingredients and plastic trays in which the candy foods are made.

The process involved in making these candy kits is pretty simple. Water is added to a specific powder in a specific compartment of the plastic tray. The water-powder mixture becomes a mushy substance that is pressed into the molded compartment so that it is formed into the miniature food shape of the mold. Each water-powder mixture is in an appropriate color for the particular food item. The plastic tray contains many compartments that are molded for different parts of the food items being made and often has a corner that can be cut out to form a scoop to measure the water in. Sometimes the tray has been designed to contain mixing or molding utensils that can be cut out of it.

Most of the time, the molded items are baked in a microwave to harden. Often pouches of sauces or jelly in the kit supply the finishing touches to these mini candy foods.

I’m not sure what these candies taste like. I suspect they all taste the same. I think that the appeal to these kits is not in the candy aspect but in the active creating process. In addition, the final product is usually very cute. It’s a satisfying feeling to have had a hand in producing the miniscule foods.

One kit that I have seen on multiple YouTube channels is the Happy Kitchen Hamburger set. This kit contains all the supplies needed to make two cheeseburgers, a package of fries, and a cup of soda. Individually created buns, meat patties, cheese slices, and ketchup sauce are put together to make the cheese burgers. Surprisingly, the buns seem be the texture and consistency of bread. According to the video posted on the YouTube channel “TheHollycopter” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3a_JzX3j6M&index=9&list=PLrjsoxEBAGvi3I6KFmr3uGPn8pXbfwXGY , the fries actually taste like potato and the burgers taste like the kids meal burgers from McDonald’s. The meat smells like meat and the cheese smells like cheese. I am very surprised by this. In addition to the food items, there are also plastic flags for the burgers, plastic cup for the soda, and a plastic sleeve that can be made for the fries.

I have posted the links to a few of these videos on “studiolorien”, including Abi’s video for the Happy Kitchen Hamburger set. Enjoy!

“studiolorien” videos:

DIY Candy Happy Kitchen Donut Kit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7tX7LZB1rg&index=53&list=PLdi_LrIRut1mMiL1zgFCqZxbavlJpi-Ly

Popin’ Cookin’ Waffle Café

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJnRDIB0-ug&index=61&list=PLdi_LrIRut1mMiL1zgFCqZxbavlJpi-Ly

DIY Candy! Renewed Popin' Cookin' Sushi!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWf3q4fGKK4&index=44&list=PLdi_LrIRut1mMiL1zgFCqZxbavlJpi-Ly

Happy Kitchen Hamburger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNt7MDhsyQM&index=77&list=PLdi_LrIRut1mMiL1zgFCqZxbavlJpi-Ly

 

 

Making doll accessories with polymer clay

In previous posts, I have described my collection of miniature food, re-ments, and how these forms of miniatures differ from one another. I recently learned that re-ments were what spawned the art of making miniature food using polymer clay.  A variety of tools can be used to apply many types of texture to polymer clay to design amazing details. When baked, these creations become permanent.

When browsing on Etsy, I always marveled at the different types of miniature items that were shown. The different food textures and amount of details were impressive. At first I wondered if these pictures were accurate portrayals of what I would receive if I decided to purchase them. How could such small items be created? I was delightfully amazed when I discovered that what I had seen was what I actually got.

I have viewed YouTube videos that demonstrated how to make different items with polymer clay. These included miniature candy, fast food, and drink items. It was surprising to learn that textures could be created using simple tools such as a toothbrush.

I recently did some research on how polymer clay works. I thought I would share what I learned here, as it is the basis of many doll accessories.

Polymer clay is a type of hardenable modeling clay. This is how it is created: a liquid, called a plasticizer, is added to dry particles called polyvinyl chloride resin (you will likely be familiar with the term PVC) until it achieves gel-like working properties.

Why do plasticizers make polymer clay soft? It has to do with how plasticizer molecules interact with PVC molecules. Think of the PVC molecules as a group of friends going on a holiday cruise. In its rigid form, the attractive forces between the molecules bring them closer to one another so they behave like a clique. They want to stick with one another and do the same things all the time. They are inflexible. Plasticizer behave like the activity directors on the cruise. The plasticizer molecules fit in between the PVC molecules and weaken the forces bonding them together. They encourage the PVC molecules to try new things and be more flexible. It is in this flexible, adventurous form that we can have fun with polymer clay. We can now play with this sociable group of molecules and shape this substance to create doll accessories.

Once we have finished forming the polymer clay into the miniature item we want it to be, we heat it to make it a permanent item. When you heat polymer clay, the number of plasticizer molecules is reduced so that the PVC molecules can once again move closer to one another due to the forces of attraction between them. We can view this as the end of the holiday cruise. The fun has ended and it is mostly the original group of PVC molecules that leave with one another. However, their experiences during their holiday has forever changed them and they are now in a different form then before they started their holiday adventure.

I hope you have enjoyed learning a bit about the science behind polymer clay. While we are creating art, it seems that science is also at play.