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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Barbie and Ken if you poor

142 replies

TkkkOnMe · 30/07/2023 19:28

So, I just had 2 x generic barbies, a skipper and a Ken.
We didn't have the money for all the 'sets' to make her doctor, showjumping, lawyer or whatever, so she was just a perfect blonde. Mum and I made her clothes and it was fun.
Ken was a love rat in my house who was shagging all 3 of them.
AIBU to see that it is only about money for Mattel, not the fricking 'mission for female empowerment' Helen Mirren is bleating on about on the film, and they didn't have a clue about how lots of girls, especially in the 80s, played with her?

OP posts:
Hillrunning · 30/07/2023 19:33

You are only just working out that businesses primary aim is to make money?

Justcallmebebes · 30/07/2023 19:33

Of course it's "only about the money" for Mattel. They're a money making busy, answerable to their shareholders, that's what corporate business is.

YABU to think Mattel are trying to promote any sort of affirming feminist message. That's a mere by product and not to be taken seriously

whatdidshedotogetahillnamedafterher · 30/07/2023 19:40

ah you see life was never this complicated with cabbage patch kids!

AuntieStella · 30/07/2023 19:47

I had two hand-me-down Sindies from my DSis's

2 Barbies a skipper and a Ken? Wow - you had loads

gogomoto · 30/07/2023 19:50

Didn't even have a real sindy I had one from the market

Blahblahgingerbreadlady · 30/07/2023 19:52

Huh? I think most people only had one if that, but we all have the memories of the different ones and what we wanted. Also it’s a 12A!

xPeaceXx · 30/07/2023 19:54

Yeh I only had two Barbies, never had a ken. I used to spend all my time making houses for them out of shoe boxes, I didn't really need the barbies I guess, but they motivated me to make the houses /beds et cetera

tinytemper66 · 30/07/2023 19:56

We had Sindy and PIppa!

kitsuneghost · 30/07/2023 20:00

whatdidshedotogetahillnamedafterher · 30/07/2023 19:40

ah you see life was never this complicated with cabbage patch kids!

You were very definitely middle class if you got a cabbage patch kid though. They were the same kids that had the barbie dream house.

Original poster
TkkkOnMe · 30/07/2023 20:04

I'm not just working it out. I was hoping for some more stories about how real girls played with them

OP posts:
Original poster
TkkkOnMe · 30/07/2023 20:05

tinytemper66 · 30/07/2023 19:56

We had Sindy and PIppa!

I had a sindy and she was very much a non-player-character and last choice if you had to have her

OP posts:
LolaSmiles · 30/07/2023 20:07

Of course it's about money.

Look at how much pink and Barbie themed tat is in the shops at the moment.

It's also a very superficial nod to female empowerment, which seems to boil down to "you go girl" rather than anything of substance.Same old pretend feminism that presents women fitting in a box as empowerment, just different packaging.

Issuefroth · 30/07/2023 20:07

I can’t believe they have brought out a massive range of film merchandise aimed at kids from a film not for kids

WhatAPalaverer · 30/07/2023 20:07

I had a market knock off cabbage patch kid. Was so upset- it didn’t come with any of the adoption stuff. And a Sindy because barbie was a tart.

Original poster
TkkkOnMe · 30/07/2023 20:08

I also had a really cheap doll given as a birthday present from one of my friends.
The worst hair, and backwards bending arms and legs.
Her name was Bendywrong.

OP posts:
Titicacacandle · 30/07/2023 20:09

Issuefroth · 30/07/2023 20:07

I can’t believe they have brought out a massive range of film merchandise aimed at kids from a film not for kids

They do that with all the Marvel and DC films to. Even bloody IT had kids toys for it.

I don't understand why they make toys for films that aren't for dc.

user64827771 · 30/07/2023 20:09

I had 2 Ken's and about 30 Barbie's, a convertible car, a 3 story Barbie house, all the house accessories like bed etc. At one point I even had a hammock amongst two plastic palm trees for my barbies to "go on holiday to".

Born in the 80s, played with barbies in the 90s. I was an only child and spoilt Blush

Titicacacandle · 30/07/2023 20:10

I had a cabbage patch doll, did have a few barbies ans a sindy sports car but I just had them shagging my cousins action man 😂

I was very jealous of my friends sylvanian families 😠 and did love a polly pocket!

Curseofthenation · 30/07/2023 20:16

My parents bought us so, so much Barbie stuff from bootfairs in the 90s. They beat the system 😂.

I loved my Barbies!

user9630721458 · 30/07/2023 20:17

I suppose the film was meant to target parents, since they buy the toys! The pseudo feminist marketing may be to reel in mothers of young children who aspire to vague ideals of social justice, rather than the burn your bra/stick it to the man feminists of yore.

CoffeeRevelsForever · 30/07/2023 20:18

I never had Ken; the movie was spot on in sidelining him! I had zero interest in him. I liked changing Barbie's outfits and making up stories for her, mostly inspired by Sweet Valley High books. But I saw tons of adverts for all the different Barbies you could get, so I was well aware that Barbie could have all those other roles. She's a big cultural icon and you didn't have to have a Barbie at all to absorb the messaging - which was problematic in terms of beauty standards but was also a new direction of a doll being not a domestic/mothering role-play toy for girls.

The movie is written and directed by Greta Gerwig, who definitely does have a feminist message. It's clearly a Mattel project, but she's taken all the ideas around Barbie and the different things she represents in order to make a movie exploring feminist ideas. The meaning of Barbie doesn't begin and end with Mattel's intentions or with how any individual girl played with them.

WhatAPalaverer · 30/07/2023 20:18

By the way DD had loads of barbies but most of them were from the charity shop! The ones she really wanted were bought new 😂.

ChocolateCinderToffee · 30/07/2023 20:23

I didn’t have a Sindy or a Barrie because they had breasts and my mother was a bit funny about them. I got an Amanda Jane instead.

PeanuttyButter · 30/07/2023 20:25

My Barbie didn't have a Ken.. she had my brother's action man haha

HerRoyalNotness · 30/07/2023 20:25

My brother had a GI joe kind of character with this amazing camping jeep. I did not have a Barbie or any toys at all really. My aunt felt sorry for me and bought me a cloth doll one year. Bless her.

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