REALITY CHECK ARRIVING FOR REPROPORTIONED BARBIE.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. A less busty bust·y adj. bust·i·er, bust·i·est Full-bosomed. Adj. 1. busty - (of a woman's body) having a large bosom and pleasing curves; "Hollywood seems full of curvaceous blondes"; "a curvy young woman in a tight Barbie is on the drawing boards at Mattel Inc. in a makeover designed to give a more realistic profile to the curvaceous cur·va·ceous adj. Having the curves of a full or voluptuous figure. cur·va  ceous·ly adv. ,
best-selling doll that has rankled feminists while becoming an icon for
generations of young girls.
Barbie's new look also will include a thicker waist and slimmer hips. Changes above the neck will include a new nose and softer, straighter hair, Mattel said Monday. Some features of the new Barbie already are on store shelves. The ``Rapunzel Barbie,'' a long-haired variation based on the classic fairy tale fairy tale Simple narrative typically of folk origin dealing with supernatural beings. Fairy tales may be written or told for the amusement of children or may have a more sophisticated narrative containing supernatural or obviously improbable events, scenes, and personages , has a more refined nose and closed mouth - part of the new design, said Lisa McKendall, Mattel's director of marketing communications Marketing communications (or marcom) are messages and related media used to communicate with a market. Those who practice advertising, branding, direct marketing, graphic design, marketing, packaging, promotion, publicity, sponsorship, public relations, sales, sales . Other features will be introduced during 1998. By the end of next year, six of 24 versions of the 11-1/2-inch doll will have the new look. The rest will have the old face and body. The plastic surgery is part of a continuing evolution for Barbie, which got a face lift in 1967 and another in 1977, said McKendall. More than a billion dolls have been sold worldwide since Barbie was introduced in 1959. ``Barbie's kind of like Betty Crocker Betty Crocker, an invented persona and mascot, is a brand name and trademark of American food company General Mills. The name was first developed by the Washburn Crosby Company in 1921 as a way to give a personalized response to consumer product questions. . She gets updated to make her look more appropriate to the times. She is a fashion doll Fashion dolls are dolls designed to be dressed and redressed to reflect fashion trends or occasionally fantasy play. The dolls are typically plastic or vinyl, and are manufactured both as toys and as collectibles. They are enjoyed by many age groups. first and foremost,'' said Chris Byrne, an analyst with Playthings MarketWatch, a monthly toy industry magazine. Over the years, Barbie has come under sharp criticism from feminists and child advocates, who contend that her shape is unrealistic and creates the wrong ideal for young girls. MAKEOVER Mattel Inc. is giving Barbie more realistic proportions with a smaller bustline, wider waist, slimmer hips and a less made-up face. CAPTION(S): box, 2 photos BOX: MAKEOVER: Then and Now Photo: (1 -- color) Then: Olympic Ice Skater Barbie is one of Mattel's older dolls. (2 -- color) Now: Bead Blast Barbie will have a closed mouth, straighter hair and a finer nose. |
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