03.09.09
Happy Birthday, Barbie
It’s Barbie’s 50th birthday today! Growing up with two sisters you can imagine the mess of Barbie accessories and doll parts that scattered our basement.
I remember one of my family’s *real* Barbies (we have three, in this case, my aunt) taking me to a toy store for my 4th or 5th birthday and I got to pick out my first Barbie. She had a sparkly, shiny dress and a matching shiny boa. The doll was snazzily dressed, too.
We didn’t have a Ken doll but my sister Monica somehow ended up with a Michael Jackson one – complete with the lone sparkly glove and Thriller-era hair molded into his head – so he had to date all the Barbies. No dream house for us, but an upside-down chair was mansion enough for me.
My all-time favorite Barbie memory, though, is one that Monica reminded me of a couple weeks ago. In her words:
When Rachel, Laura and I were little, we had the Wheel of Fortune home game. When we would finish the game we would always do the showcase part, where the winning contestant bought things from the show room. We would pull the head off of a Barbie doll and float it around saying things like, “I’ll take the couch and the refrigerator, Pat.”
Now, I couldn’t end this post without some gratuitous photos from the fabulous 1980s, could I? Behold:
Dad’s Ph.D. graduation in 1984.
The Big Rock, in our front yard when we lived on Long Island.
1986. Me: 2nd grade, Monica: kindergarden, Laura: 3 years old.
The Christmas of the Cabbage Patch Doll.
A Florida Christmas in 1988 (correct me if I’m wrong?).
I think the pink socks really dress up those moccasins.
I hear feathered bangs are back in style. What about jogging suits with pastel hearts?
Jeff said,
March 9, 2009 at 10:13 pm
The Michael Jackson Triller doll! One hand had the shiny glove and the other was shaped to hold a microphone; he even had a greasy curl hanging on his forehead. My final memory of that doll was at the annual neighborhood rummage sale. A woman came to our house holding a potty training chair that she bought from another neighbor’s sale. She appeared interested in buying my Michael Jackson doll, who at this point was missing his shoes, glove, microphone and had a torn red leather jacket. I was busy with our lemonade stand and saw this woman walk past. The last picture in my head was of Michael face down in the potty with his bare feet sticking out….an end of an era.
Monica said,
March 9, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Opps, I was logged in as Jeff! That was actually me writing that.
Monica said,
March 9, 2009 at 10:28 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kyUZ64w-Jc&feature=related
Fast forward to about 6 minutes.
Grace said,
March 9, 2009 at 10:52 pm
What is it about headless dolls?
My first Barbie was Western Barbie in 1981 or 82. My family and I watched the TV show, Dallas, every Saturday night. We were big fans of all things pseudo Texan and over the top. She was glorious. There was a button in the back that you pushed and she would wink her eye at you. She had a hat, boots, and a shiny cowgirl shirt and pants. I would use my sister’s Malibu Barbie as the “Ken” so that Western Barbie would have her very own Cowboy. So I removed Malibu’s head and Western Barbie and all of the subsequent Barbies dated a headless woman until a real Ken could be purchased with saved up allowance money.
Other Barbies that I had (and who also dated headless) and of which can remember the names:
Day n’ Night Barbie
Twist n’ Curl Barbie
Pink n’ Pretty Barbie
Barbie and the Rockers Barbie… there was a tape that came with her. I can still sing along…
there were so many others. I loved changing all the outfits more than playing Barbies.
rachel said,
March 10, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Monica, I love your stories from our childhood! I am so glad you were there to remember everything. I’m still laughing about the Michael Jackson in the potty.
Grace, I forgot about Barbie and the Rockers! Yup, that tape. I still remember the song.