Let me confess—I’m a Blockhead. For those of you who don’t know what that means, it simply implies that I am a fan of New Kids on the Block. Jon, Jordan, Donnie, Joey, Danny, and I go way back to the summer of 1988 when their second album, Hangin’ Tough, dominated the pop charts. I had posters (over 200 of them in my bedroom), pillow covers, beach towels, T-shirts, ten-inch-diameter buttons, videos, dolls, action figures, scrapbooks from their concerts, […]
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So Many Careers, So Little Time
Since March marks both Women’s History Month and Barbie’s official 50th birthday, it seemed like the perfect time to combine the two and talk about Barbie’s many careers.
It’s a common assumption among people who follow societal trends that the average person has about five career changes in a lifetime. Barbie, however, definitely skews the data. Although she was originally designed and marketed as a teenage fashion model, Barbie has moved far beyond the catwalk. In the wake of the women’s movement of the 1960s and 1970s, Mattel began […]
Calling all Barbie Play Sets!
Feeling nostalgic for your old Barbie dolls? Well, 2009 is the year for you because Barbie is turning 50! Barbie sure doesn’t show her age (we should all be so lucky), even though she’ll be old enough to qualify for an AARP card. And Barbie certainly hasn’t lost her taste for fun over the years. There’ll be Barbie fashions and Barbie reissues in 2009, just for a start. And, of course, Strong National Museum of Play is planning an exhibit and celebratory programming in her honor. After all, […]