Seeing Double

Patricia Day, the lead singer for the bad HorrorPops, claims the Hard Rock Cafe and Mattel created a Barbie doll that is an unauthorized recreation of Day's image.


Read about the lawsuit here.

The doll in question, a recent Hard Rock Cafe Barbie, features a 50's pin-up look, tattoos and a tattooed upright bass--all things Day also has.

According to the article, the lawsuit states: "Day has provided no authorization to defendants for the use of her likeness in any manner, let alone for the creation and sale of a Barbie doll." The suit also claims that fans have approached Day regarding the resemblance between herself and the doll.

What do you think? Is there a resemblance?

Barbie Calendar Irks Mattel

::This post and its links may not be suitable for youngsters or those easily offended::

A 2011 calendar created by a pair of Argentinian artists features a nude Barbie in a year's worth of provocative poses. If that weren't enough to get Mattel's legal dander up, several of the images feature Barbie in suggestive poses with another nude doll.

Mattel is vowing to take legal action against the calendar's creators. (This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, as Mattel and artists who use Barbie have butted heads before.)

Read more about it here. And see all the calendar images here.

FBI Oopsie

Recent reports about FBI concerns about the Barbie Video Girl Dolls that have been splashed across the media were not intended to get out, according to new information from the organization.

Read about the initial concerns here, here and here.

But it was all a mistake.

According to this article, "The alert received media coverage after being sent to some news organizations by mistake. An FBI spokeswoman downplayed the report and said it was for use by law enforcement. 'There have been no reported incidents of this doll being used as anything other than as intended,' Washington-based FBI spokeswoman Jenny Shearer said, reading from a statement."


The FBI's admission that the memo was released mistakenly even made my local morning news program, likely because the combination of Barbie, pedophile and FBI was too good to resist for inclusion in morning headlines.

Janet Jackson Charity Barbie

Janet Jackson helped create a one-of-a-kind Barbie in her likeness to raise funds for Project Angel Food, an organization that delivers food to families dealing with life-threatening issues in the Los Angeles area.

Interested Barbie collectors and/or Janet Jackson fans can bid on the doll at Charity Buzz. Here's the link.

Bidding stops on Dec. 15 (it started Dec. 1), and the estimated value is $15,000, according to the site.

The doll is inspired by an outfit Janet wore during an American Idol performance in 2010. Mattel Designer Jackeline Gonzalez designed the black gown and cat suit underneath, according to the site. The outfit and her mic are decorated with hand-placed Swarovski crystals.

The doll Janet includes a certificate of authenticity and a unique display case.

Read more about the doll here and here.

The Barbie is a pretty good likeness to Janet, don't you think?

Technology Fail

The New York Times has included the Barbie Video Girl Doll among its list of promising ideas that didn't work.

Though some may find the toy clever, parents may loose their cool trying to replace Barbie's batteries, which requires a tiny screwdriver and the ability to fit AAA batteries into her thin legs. (My mother, who possesses a set of rather large hands/fingers, would have found this task impossible.)

Kids also may find frustration in the fact that they must hook Barbie up to a computer to hear audio on their videos. Playback on the screen embedded in Barbie's back is silent, according to the article.

(Read the whole article here.)

I still think the whole thing is creepy.