Both fair and perilous

[pegkerr]

Barbie as Galadriel. Urk. Somehow, this makes me cringe; can't quite explain why.

Edited to add: heinous_bitca has informed me of this, which is equally as bad. *Shudder*

Second edit: I am, of course, rather a howling hypocrite to object.

Comments

[stinaleigh.livejournal.com]

I feel the same way. I think it may be because I don't think Barbie would ever read Tolkien. It may also be that there were those who played with Barbie and there were those of us who read and never the twain shall meet.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Oh, nonsense. I read, I read SF, I read Tolkien when I was 11 years old, and I played with Barbie dolls.

K.

[alisgray.livejournal.com]

Awesome.

The appeal of Galadriel is supposed to be so etherial and spiritual, while Barbie's massive powers stem largely from her being overdeveloped and small enough to fit in the hip-pocket -- a perfect material girl.

However, they are the Lasting Beauties, the archetypes, and have that semireal sexy/unapproachable quality.

God knows that if Galadriel has ever been portrayed, it was as a super femme enchantress. Just. Like. Barbie.

[silme.livejournal.com]

Well, I read Tolkien at ten and played with Barbie dolls then also. Of course, I gave them all butch haircuts and made my mother very angry. ;) I personally still think Midge looked great that way.

I'm waiting for Barbie as Eowyn the Warrior. ;)

[aerden.livejournal.com]

Yes! I'd love an Eowyn Barbie.

*slaps self* What am I saying???! (g)

Chantal

[aynjel.livejournal.com]

Ditto...

[stinaleigh.livejournal.com]

Well, I played with her a bit too. I was more thinking along the lines of those who had a dozen dolls and all the acruments. The girls I am thinking of from my childhood would not have read Tolkien, or would not have admitted it if they did. But it does take imagination to do both so I am sure that this is just a broad sterotypical generalization I am making.

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

Hell, I read, I read SF, I read Tolkine (when I was 13...), and _wanted_ to play with Barbies (and have somewhere around $500.00 worth of "action figures" , not to mention _TWO_ versions of "Barbie's Friend Becky In The Wheelchair"...)

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

Ew. Urgh. Filled with nausea now.

[ajodasso.livejournal.com]

C'mon, though. You knew it was coming.

[sraun]

I'm not certain which is worse - Barbie as Galadriel, or Ken as Legolas! I would have expected a Ken as Aragorn, for some reason.

[alisgray.livejournal.com]

You're right. Barbie ought to play Legolas too.

[vass]

I'm surprised it wasn't Barbie as Arwen and Ken as Aragorn.

[heinous_bitca.livejournal.com]

Been there, done that.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005BM41/102-6346835-6466512

[heinous_bitca.livejournal.com]

Umm...they did that already.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005BM41/102-6346835-6466512

[alisgray.livejournal.com]

Why? In a word, Kitsch.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

*tight lips* So. Wrong.

Almost makes me want to acquire a Galadriel Barbie and turn her into Evil!Galadriel.

And I agree with sraun. Ken is nowhere near svelte (is that the word I want?) to be Legolas. Aragorn would have been more apropos. And then Barbie could have been Liv Tyler Arwen.

[heinous_bitca.livejournal.com]

See my comments above.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

*headdesk* Of course. I forgot.

Still wrongest of the wrong.

[innerslytherin]

Ha! Evil!Galadriel. Paint her skin silver-blue and give her a breastplate. I can see this. ^_^

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

Uh... I just noticed that there are "Airy-Fairy Barbies (not the real name) and one of them has pale blueish-lavender wings.

And wings, of course...

Oh, and the reason why I was out toy shopping was that I was looking for a Barbie in an 18th Century costume for the stop motion epic I want to do titled _Jane_Austin_(sp?)_vs._Godzilla_.

I blame Peg Kerr...

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I groan now, but I must admit at age ten I would have swooned with joy.

[beadslut.livejournal.com]

At least someone had the sense not to turn Ken into Aragorn. Oh! Wait - he could be one of those average guys that fell asleep in the forest and woke up in Lothlorien.

But NOT Aragorn.

[ladylisse.livejournal.com]

Weren't there Barbie and Ken versions of Aragorn and Arwen at some point? Or was that just a nightmare I had?

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Alas, no, not just a nightmare. heinous_bitca has informed me informed me of it.

[heinous_bitca.livejournal.com]

Sorry to rain on the parade, Peg!

And I tried to find the Arwen & Aragorn on Barbie's official site (the collector one), but they weren't find-able. Might not be on the collectors site, but I figured it the best place to find it. Outside of Amazon, of course.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I edited my original entry to note that I'd be rather hypocritical to object.

[heinous_bitca.livejournal.com]

No, see comments above. :D

[diatryma.livejournal.com]

Barbie can't be Arwen. Arwen is a brunette. Midge is Arwen.

[whumpdotcom.livejournal.com]

"I will go to Toys'R'Us, and diminish, and remain marketable."

[pixelfish.livejournal.com]

LOL.

...

As for me, I suppose the Galadriel Barbie annoys me because she still looks like Barbie, and Barbie is...a pretty shallow representation of "beauty".

Whoever said that it was because Barbie wouldn't read Tolkein is also right on. We are talking about the doll that says, "Math is hard."

Alternate Barbies

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

I have a sketch for an upcoming episode of our community access televison program about "Theortical Physicst Barbie. One of the things she says is "I've just solved the Holmberg Eincertainly Quandry. Let's go to the mall!"

Oh, and math _IS_ hard!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

*howls with laughter*

[marykaykare.livejournal.com]

this makes me cringe; can't quite explain why.

Because Tolkien's characters are real and Ken and Barbie aren't.

MKK

[aerden.livejournal.com]

Whoa! O.O Ken as Legolas looks awesome!

Barbie as Galadriel, though, looks too much like Barbara Eden from I Dream of Jeanie. And what is this stretch-mesh stuff her dress is made out of? I'd expect the real Galadriel to be wearing something made of soft wool or silk.

Still, I agree with sartorias--when I still liked playing with Barbies, I would have gone into transports over the dress the Galadriel doll is wearing. I would have been begging my parents to give these dolls to me for Christmas--or even Thanksgiving. (g)

Chantal

Well, how about...

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

...Harley Davidson Barbie & Ken. They're dressed in full leathers, and for some reason Ken has chest hair (but I'm assuming still only has a "genital bump.) According to the guy I talked to at Toys R Us, they were having trouble keeping them in stock. (I have seen Madame Alexander Harley Davidson dolls, which are _really_ way too much wrong.)

In my opinion the most "What Where They Thinking??" Barbie was the Civil War Nurse Barbie (which did not come with severed, gangrenous limbs as accessories).

It reduced me to utter, hysterical laughter in the middle of F.A.O. Schwartz...

alternatively...

[splagxna.livejournal.com]

as bad as this is, i have to say i think that barbie and ken based on romance novels are worse.

look! let's encourage our daughters not only to have unattainable ideals of 'beauty' and thus nurture low self-esteem, but let's also teach them to only want arrogant, controlling men who can't seem to keep their sexual urges under control (and who have powerful thighs).

ahem. yeah. i mean, legolas ken might at least encourage them to pick up tolkien. and if young girls obsesss about him, they're at least obsessing about someone with honor and integrity and who knows how to be a nice guy. raider ken...? not so much.

not that i've read the deveraux novel, i must admit. but i've read my share of bodice rippers... i don't like the stereotypes they all seem to include. as i have no doubt made more than clear already. =)

Re: alternatively...

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Thanks for a terrific belly laugh! That article with tips on becoming a romantic leading man was great.

Re: alternatively...

[splagxna.livejournal.com]

it's one of my favorites to revisit. the author was my greek tutor at stolaf... she's pretty impressive.

You Probably Don't Need To Know This, But...

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

...the Suncoast store in Southdale has their 20 inch Aragorn _and_ Legolas (sp?) action figures marked down 20%.

Don't know if either has any "special action" features...