Tuesday 25 October 2011



It's as embarrassing as your mum getting a tattoo.

Shock horror: Barbie has got a tattoo. If this is an effort to look like a Bratz doll then Galt (or whichever plastic conglomerate makes either one or both of the dolls) are failing miserably.
Barbie with a tattoo looks like Essex mum who got carried away on a spa day. When I worked on Pantene we had a word for the Pantene target market: perfectionistas. Barbie is the archetypal perfectionista. Bratz are just dirty girls.Wouldn't it be great to make up some really new dolls: Cheryl, the judge, Vicky the aids worker, Mandy, prime minister, Wendy the astronaut, or something really aspirational: Gilly with a job and a happy marriage.

I would hate X to have a tattoo, they are such a cliche. I would especially hate her to be Babie's age and have pink flowers and hearts inscribed. It would be as rediculous as me getting one. Luckily that won't happen for a million reasons including the fact that my skin is too wobbly - the needle would skate all over the shop.












1 comment:

Hederia said...

With all due respect, a tattoo is not a bad thing, IMO, it is a choice on looks. It had bad connotations in times where they'd mark the prisoners or pirates, and sometimes, to date, it is used by gangs to exacerbate the sense of belonging to a group, but in many cultures it is a sacred practice. In occidental culture nowadays it is something close to using too much makeup, only forever.

This lines:
"I would especially hate her to be Babie's age and have pink flowers and hearts inscribed. It would be as rediculous as me getting one. "
I don't think they are universal truth, you, regardless of your age (seems to be little more than 50) or skin condition (he he), can get a tattoo whenever you feel like it and it shouldn't be ridiculous to other human beings.
I personally think Barbie looks pretty in pink hair and "painted" skin ;-) But yes, her stereotype kind of sucks, I wonder if you have tried to use kickstarter for a project like Cheryl the judge or Vicky the aids worker. Who knows? you could improve the offer of dolls for your daughter :-)