Will They, Won't They?

"Barbie, we may be plastic but our love is real."

Ken wants Barbie back. And honestly, he's being a little stalker-like in his advances, but maybe that works for some gals.

The two broke up in 2004, and it seems as though the dating scene hasn't been that great for either of them, since they each are using Match.com. (The Match.com You Tube video actually is pretty funny. Check it out.)

Ken also designed a cupcake for Barbie at New York's infamous Magnolia Bakery, because nothing says "I love you" like baked goods and frosting.

Is the reconciliation campaign for real? Or is it a marketing ploy for Mattel? Read about the wooing here and here.

You can also vote on whether or not you think the two should get back together here.

It probably helps that Ken has a new persona: Sweet Talkin' Ken - The Ultimate Boyfriend for Every Occasion.

The new Ken doll features a built-in microphone, and people can record up to five seconds of sound by press the heart on Ken's shirt. While theoretically little girls will be recording the messages, they play back in "Ken's" voice.

Oh, not only does he say the right things, but you know he's the right boyfriend because his graphic t-shirt says "The Ultimate Boyfriend" in 10 different languages. That's not overkill at all.

(And does anyone else think of the Pillsbury Doughboy when looking at the picture of Ken getting poked in the chest? Hoo-Hoo!)

Landmark Collection New Edition

Kudos to Mattel for the Landmark Collection. The 2010 editions were good, but 2011 looks even better with Sydney Opera House Barbie.

Outstanding.

Her dress is a wonderful representation of the opera house's sail-like architecture. According to Mattel, the blue skirt represents the water surrounding the building. Even her hair is sculptural and wave-like.

And check out the detail on that clutch! I wouldn't mind having a version for myself.

The opera house doll is more conceptual in its design than the others in the collection (Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, and Big Ben). They were more literal in their interpretations of the landmarks, especially the Eiffel Tower, which really just had a picture of the tower stuck on the dress.

Read the Daily Telegraph review here.

The dolls in this collection are great examples of how Barbie can be art, and designers can use her form to create beautiful shapes. I like that the Sydney Opera House Barbie is beautiful and at first glance, maybe someone wouldn't immediately associate her with the landmark. But the more one looks at her, the more apparent it becomes.

Barbie Blogs

You're reading this, so I can assume you like Barbie-focused blogs.

I can also assume that you are hanging out on the Internet to avoid the mountain of paperwork that people keep piling on your desk. What? Oh, maybe that's only me.

Here's a site that has rounded up 35 Barbie blogs and presented the links for you. (The site itself has nothing to do with Barbie, but I found some Barbie sites on the list that I had not visited before.)

Enjoy!

Get The Video Camera Ready

Any of you handy with a video camera? If so, your skills and love of Barbie could come in handy. 

A project centered on the Barbie "I Can Be..." campaign is looking for short videos that bring fresh approaches to campaign. "The goal is to have a video that resonates with consumers," according to the project site. The total prize package being given away is $20,000!

Check out all the details here. 

Phase 1 is complete, but the deadline for Phase 2 isn't until Feb. 21.

Barbie's Carbon Footprint

I like to think of myself as aware of "green" issues. I bring reusable bags to the grocery store. I only purchase local, organic meats. I take public transit instead of driving 99.9% of the time.

Unfortunately, it seems that most of my efforts may be cancelled out by my Barbie collection.

A student study determined a single Barbie doll consumers 3.2 cups of oil or 1.127 Watts of energy.

DAMN.

So, if I have roughly 350 dolls in my collection, that's 1,120 cups of oil or roughly 394.5 Watts of energy.

Read about the study here. It's pretty interesting and something I had never considered, not that it will get me to stop collecting.

Geniune Ken

I'm not a huge watcher of reality TV (unless it's on Bravo), and I don't spend a lot of time watching shows online, so I don't know that I'll be keeping up with "Genuine Ken: The Search for the Next American Boyfriend."

Do you think you'll be watching?

This show begins Jan. 18.

From the teaser clip, it appears one of the qualities of an "American Boyfriend" is to have awesome abs. Who knew?




The series includes eight 22-minute episodes. In them, eight male contestants ages 21-30 compete for the title of The Great American Boyfriend: a Genuine Ken.

The contestants must endure a series of elimination challenges to determine if they have the qualities of an ultimate boyfriend, including a surfing competition, a talent show and a fashion challenge.