So my sissy sent me the following article which discusses how beloved childhood characters from the past are being given up-to-date, modern makeovers to make them more relevant for children today. In addition to Strawberry Shortcake's tween makeover and giving the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles steroids, American Greetings will soon be creating Carebears with less belly fat and longer eyelashes. Admittedly, Strawberry Shortcake looks outdated (I think she evens wears a pinafore). However, the Carebears are bears and do need fat in order to hibernate in the winter so I think it would be fine for them to stay lovably chubby. Also, who cares about a bear's eyelashes? No one looks at Knut, the famed German polar bear and goes "aww, look at those lashes!" My one friend joked that with this trend, soon we will see that "the Glow Worms have switched to environmentally friendly LED lights"!
One of the highlights of the article included this description of a past makeover that fell flat on its face: Gay Ken.
Reinventing these beloved characters without inflicting indelible damage is one of the entertainment industry’s trickiest maneuvers. Go too far, as Mattel did in 1993 when it gave Ken a purple mesh T-shirt, a pierced ear and the name “Earring Magic Ken,” and it can set off a brand crisis on a global scale.
This is awesome. I need to find and purchase this doll. It's nice to know that Mattel interpreted that look to be trendy in 1993. And here I thought it was more grunge with plaid shirts and ripped jeans.
1 comment:
When those newsboy hats go out of style (and they will), Strawberry Shortcake is going to need another updated look. What then?? When does it stop? Did anyone stop to think that maybe the universe in which Strawberry Shortcake resides thinks that pinafores are a fashion must?
As for trimming the fat on carebears, I am appalled. You are absolutely right, bears need fat to hibernate in the winter! Not just that, who wants to hug a bear with no tummy? you could crush the poor thing!
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