Barbie goes to France

When I was around 8 years old we went on a family vacation to visit relatives in Minneapolis. While we were there, we visited the largest department store I had ever been to up to that point. It had a full toy department which was a candy store to my doll-loving eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen limited edition Barbie dolls and Parisian Barbie captured my imagination. I was smitten!! But as much as I begged and gave puppy-dog eyes to my parents, I didn't get Parisian Barbie that day. I bought the doll pictured below on the secondary market a dozen years later (and yes, I paid siginficantly more money that it originally sold for) But I love this doll and would be hard pressed to sell it.

Over the years, Mattel released more French and Parisian Barbies including these two:

Released ten years apart, the second edition Parisian Barbie is an obvious recreation of the 1980 doll. The French doll came seven years later in 1997. These two versions never held the same fascination for me as the original Parisian doll.

Fast forward and I have been a French historian for the past twenty years. Over the years I have spent time in France as a student and as a scholar. I do wonder at the excessive stereotyping that suggests French culture is the equivalent of Moulin Rouge-style can can girls. But, an analytical analaysis of the stereotyping by Mattel is a very different type of post.

Every time I go to France, I make sure to stop at the toy stores in the department stores. The Parisian department stores - like the one in Minneapolis - are pop culture feasts for the eyes. They are luxurious and elegant and worlds away from most American shopping experiences. I still scope out the Barbies and see what is the same and different in Europe as in the US. This is one of my favorite French dolls because she is not just a repackaging of an American doll. Naf Naf is a French brand (that had a similar vibe to Benetton) so these dolls reflect 1990s French culture. Stereotypes, yes, but a far cry from pink-tulled, black-chokered can-can Barbie.

Comments

Time to Let Go

I got my first Barbie doll when I was two and half. I asked Mrs. Claus for a "Boobie doll" for Christmas and never looked back. By the time I was in late high school I had accumulated more than 150 dolls of all stripes. Through the years my family was happy to support my doll love and bought me the 1970s Barbie Townhouse, the Barbie airplane, a Barbie McDonald's... You name it, I had it. During high school and college my mom and I became diehard Barbie collectible fans. I got the first Mackies when they came out and began to collect the limited edition dolls in earnest. A family friend who was cleaning out her parents' house found her 1960-61 dolls and gave me the chance to add them to my collection. That led me down the rabbit hole of vintage dolls and outfits. When I went to college my mom continued to grow my collection and we would scope out rare dolls at doll shows across the state. After college I worked for a short time at a local historical society and got th...

If you cross-promote it, they will buy

I spent my childhood as a die-hard Barbie girl. I played with Barbies throughout my childhood. I collected Barbies into adulthood. I have boxes of Barbies and Barbie clothes in boxes. I have at least three Barbies currently displayed in my house. However, the current generation of cross promotion has reached new levels. I get the girl power, hot pink items. But some of what I have seen lately belies my understanding. Naturally flavored gummy candy at Whole Foods: Yes, this year is Barbie's 65th Anniversary. And yes last year was the juggernaut Barbie movie. And yes femcore is in. And who doesn't love hot pink, nostalgic roller skates, and pink lemonade gummy candy. But, Barbie in every grocery aisle is a new phenomenon. The peaches and cream flavor on this one seems fitting, but they could have at least incorporated that 80s doll on the can. Plus, I'm not excited by the artwork here: This was the other food co-pro that made me...

I am Ken-in-Roller-Skates Years Old

This weekend a friend and I went through the clothes and the dolls that I played with as a kid (and she has an amazing memory on the clothes. This website is quite the resource if you're interested: BarbieWorld.it ). I had A LOT of Barbies and accessories. There was the Barbie pool, the piano, the three-story townhouse. I had an RV, an airplane, and a boat. And then there were the dolls themselves. Yes, I had lots of Barbies but there were also Skippers and Midges and Christies. But today, we have to talk about Ken. This is my first Ken Doll: Roller Skating Ken c.1980. The short tight shorts, the shiny purple jacket, the Addidas style roller skates. He's so retro, what's not to love? I can't pretend to remember why six-year old me needed a Ken doll at that point. I was never as gung-ho about the guys because for me Barbie was about Fashion shows and climbing mountains, and sleepovers. But there were definitely days Ken was part of their entourage. I didn't have Ro...

Search This Blog