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Podcast #4 Discovering Forever Barbie



 

On this podcast the panel discuss M.G. Lords book Forever Barbie 

 

Including: themes and theories regarding Barbie and her history

Barbie as Gender

Barbie the single girl

The Barbie Body

The Superstar makeover

 

ALSO a dose of Hot Topics including Integrity Toys retiring their Fashion Royalty body and doll yellowing; Fact or exaggerated?

Integrity Toys "Revamps" Fashion Royalty body makes it Square

 

(Scroll down past the kvetching for the pics of what fits)

 
It was a black, black day in my house.
An extreme high from receiving the announcement of the convention collection, to a spiraling downward plummet of sadness and disbelief.

Integrity toys made the announcement to their subjects....I'm sorry... customers, that they will be retiring the Fashion Royalty body in favor of the Fashion Royalty Squared body (FR2) Body.
It is their attempt to "keep things fresh" for their subjects...SORRY customers.

So, If you are one of their loyal customers that enjoyed having BOTH or just preferred the fuller figure of the Fashion Royalty body

TOO BAD.





 After a little over ten years the carpet was ripped from under you.

Have you ever heard of a company (especially a small business) lucky enough to produce a hit product that people clamor for, all of a sudden, on a whim, stop producing its winning product?

We were basically patted on the head and told: "It's for your own good".

It's like Coca-Cola decreeing they will no longer produce regular Coke, Just diet Coke, because after all its better for you and we want to keep things fresh.

Diet Coke fans won't care.

Regular Coke fans will just shrug, and move on to the competitors.

 



 So, I've spoken to many people about the subject. I needed counseling. There are a few who prefer the FR2 body.

Most liked having both.

The biggest complaint has been the shoe size difference.

The announcement implied there was a "revamping" of the FR2 body which led Integrity's descamisados to speculate if the company made logical improvements and produced this "New FR2" body with the same shoe and bust size and the Fashion Royalty body.

 

They did not.

 

 



Where improvements necessary? YES

Did they make any "improvements"? NO, Not really

 

Not really improvements, just replacing the Fashion Royalty body with the FR2 body.

As you can see below with the fuller figured brunette being Fashion Royalty, and the red head on the right a FR2, its a completely different body and psychological composition.

 

Both of these products can and have existed a part, harmoniously.

A true blending would to have been to keep the breast shape, abdomen, arms, and legs of the FR2 while keeping the breast and foot size of the Fashion Royalty body.

That would have been blockbuster!

That would have been innovation!

That would have been a decision made with integrity.

 

 

Fashion Royalty and FR2 body

 I can usually see the logic with Integrity and their past decisions but this is completely illogical.

No one complained.

No one asked for this.

If Fashion Royalty dolls didn't sell (Jet Set and Tropicalia Convention Collections) it was because of the clothes on their back NOT what was underneath!

If they wanted to give their disciples something Fresh and New how about offering products people have been pleading for:

Furniture

A coffee table book?

Replacement bodies?

Appearances of the Fashion Royalty characters on FR2 bodies?

OR

A New Fashion Royalty designer?

Finally,

People have given out many options for the future:

Rebody, trade FR2 bodies for FR bodies.

 

Stick with and invest with Mattel: Silkstones and Classic Superstar body era.

 

Shop cautiously with Integrity: too many "changes and inconsistencies", price point raises and offerings get smaller, body yellowing,  and after all...they're going to "Come for Poppy" next!

 

This is just a marketing scheme and "Classic Fashion Royalty body" will be back next year.

All of this made me wonder: Why are Tonner people (collectors) so happy?
They're always skipping around laughing, clapping, not a care or complaint in the world!

 

Why are people so hostile toward Integrity?
Why does the relationship with their customers

have to be so volatile?

I don't understand?

When they have staff  meetings, and say: "You know, people are going to freak out if we do x,y,z"
Is their response: "Who cares!? Do it anyway"?

Does Proctor and Gamble do that?
Does Pepsi Co. do that?
Does Mattel do that?

                                                                I'm going to try it out.

My podcast co-host Steven sent me a FR2 body to play with.

 

I don't like it.

But I'm still excited for the convention collection
It fits into more clothes and shoes than I thought it would have, but its just not as fantastic as the Fashion Royalty body.
It has an underwhelming breast size.

I have faith in Alain (though, you'd never get me to believe he liked the Jet Set and Tropicalia collection) as a packaging designer, story line writer, and hats off to him, he can throw a fierce convention.

The Fashion Royalty body is too special for me.
I came over from Barbie because Integrity offered a fuller body.
I love it clothed and I love it nude!

The "revamping" or "merging" would have been stupendous if it was done correctly.

Below are some items that I have in my FR collection that fit the FR2 body:

Dressmaker details did well and zipped right up, but its missing that pop from the bigger bust

Ginny O did ok because its a lace back!



This looked great except up top where the small FR2 bust couldn't fill the cups

This fit perfectly!

Skirt fit jacket AWFUL

Silkstone dress fit perfectly just missing that POP a bigger bust would give

This fit OK, a little pinning would do well

Any of Fley's sets should work!

Porcelain Beauty pants fit but didn't buckle 



Scene Stealer coat worked well

More Ginny O looks GREAT!

This fit like an absolute dream!

This fit well too!

This Dynamite Girls Sized Dress By Clear Lan also works well

 

 

 

 

Don't know who shoes their are but they worked, zipper back

These shoes from a Asian eBay sell work perfect!

Monogram shoes are good



Style counsel Adele shoes worked

Dania shoe's worked also!

Also Clothes my Famaka, Yoko, Karen Kolkman , and Mio designs fit ok but I'm sure all will have FR2 special fit products!



NEW Martha Stewart Celebrations Collection at JC Penny



Finally the Martha Stewart Celebrations collection is available at your local JC Penny (hopefully).
It took a while in coming, perhaps as a result of the bickering between Stewart and Macy's.
Once you visit the section however you'll be quite puzzled at the reasoning for Macy's call of foul regarding Martha's decision to distribute products on their competitor's shelves.

As you can see in the photographs these items have very little similarities to those offered at Macy's.
Actually, they're small delightful finishing touch items that were offered by Martha Stewart through Kmart, that fans have missed since their partnership ended.

I truly missed the simple elegance and classic style the Martha Stewart designers brought to accent items such as: wrapping paper (particularly Christmas), ribbons, gift bags and paper decorations.

The highlight for me was the shelf of candy! Yes Martha Stewart candy!

The candy is offered as an accessory to the clear jars below. Glass jars of various shapes and heights filled with colorful candies have been a staple element on the covers and within the pages of Martha Stewart Living and was a regular fixture on her daytime talk show.

There are some items that of course Stewart and her most loyal followers would never use like for example paper plates:

But the mission of Martha Stewart products has always been to provide customers with items that reflect that clean New England classic style at a low price point. So you'll find the plates and napkins are paper, the glass jars are not really glass and the depression glass really depressing.

But for those devote fans who miss the Martha Stewart line of wrapping paper, ribbon and gift bags this should prove to be an enormous treat!

Please stop bye when you get a chance and don't forget to check in for new items as the seasons change!

Hot Toys The Rock as GI Joe Roadblock 1/6 Scale figure

I've been waiting for pic of this figure for a while!
I've also bee waiting for an opportunity to purchase my first Hot Toys figure.
I missed out on the Assassins Creed and Resident Evil Chris Redfield offerings.

So, This will be my first purchase!
The face sculpt is spot on...of what Dwayne will look like in ten years if he let's himself go.
The sculpt is a little to old and weathered.

The figure features 30 points of articulation
3 pairs of hands
and various weaponry

Item is do to ship 4th quarter

Retail Price: $219.00

Pre Order Here: http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HOT10448&mode=retail

Mommie Dearest Forever!

Item # 14025
Mommie Dearest™

 Official Collectible Doll Gift Set
Limited edition of 800 dolls
Suggested Retail Price: $150.00
Approximate Ship Date: Early July 2013



 FANTASTIC!

I am completely floored and absolutely THRILLED with this new release from Integrity toys!
My neighbors knocked to see what all the screaming was about!

The Mommie Dearest Gift Set is hopefully the first of many releases for this Paramount FIlms property.

She is fantastic and wonderful in every way.
This item also is the first release with the new quick release head system that allowss collectors to change heads among different body types with ease and without boiling to soften heads.

My only gripe is that the head mold should have had the frowning or angry Anges Von Weiss Face  mold.
I'm sure there is a senesable reason as to why it does not and I will ask an Integrity staff member when I get a chance. (see pics below)

I am also aware this does not look like the divine Joan Crawford or Faye Dunaway.
In the past Integrity has claimed their film properties represent the characters and not the actress.
In this case, (as with the other Integrity celebrity properties: Lana Turner and Josphine Baker) the face sculpt still  doesn’t resemble the star.
 

However, the design and presentation of this representaion of J.C. is eons ahead of the uninteresting offerings by Robert Tonner.
It is sheer brilliance to include the wire hanger and the changeable head!
It is simply a must have for any doll collector and Joan Crawford fan!

Click here to order from your local dealer:

https://www.integritytoys.com/page/dealers



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2013 Barbie Cocktail Ensemble Silkstone Video and Review

Just receiving my 2013 Barbie Cocktail Ensemble Silkstone.
The piece is just as wonderful in real life as she is in the promo pictures!
She is a classic screening with a simple and elegant presentation.
Glamorous, feminine and classy.
Very much a Barbie production.
Robert Best has done a phenomenal job with this new crop of ladies.
The only flaw is:
When you debox doll her cape will need steaming or ironing because of being tied to box.
Once you do this she opens up and looks just as she does in the promo pics!
So if you decide to iron or steam be very cautious.
I ironed outfit by sandwiching between a thick folded cotton towel!

Can't wait to see more from Robert!