Tag Archives: toys

The Soapbox: Of Little Girls And LEGOs

President Barbie
I Can Be President Barbie photo
Meet "I Can Be President" Barbie! Read More »
Remixed Toy Ads
Remixed toy ads tell the truth about gendered marketing. Read More »
Pink Photo Project
The Pink & Blue Project photo
A fascinating photo project captures little girls and their pink toys. Read More »

You can’t walk through my home barefoot without stepping on a colorful, sharp piece of plastic at least once. Yes, we are one of the families that helps ensure that Lego’s sales and profits continue to rise in an economy where many toy manufacturers are struggling.

And apparently, we’re not the only ones: Lego is crediting a recent boost in sales to a bunch of new customers — specifically, girls. The 36 percent profit seen in the first half of 2012 is being attributed to Lego’s newest line, Lego Friends, which is targeted towards little girls. Lego Friends  includes “Lady Fig” (lady figurine) characters that accompany a variety of sets from a beauty shop to a café, all heavily saturated in pink. Lego Friends are a departure in how Lego has marketed their building blocks toward girls in the past, despite the paltry representations of girls seen before. I can’t be the only one who remembers this ad from the 1980s? Keep reading »

11 Dumb Toys That Made Somebody Rich

A Farting Doll
Kong Suni is a doll that farts and poops. Watch »
Silly Bandz Pick Up
Silly Bandz are being used as pick up lines. Read More »

Silly toys may be child’s play, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t big business. Here are 11 of the dumbest items that, in the hands of children, turned into pure gold for the people who sold them.

Silly Bandz
These goofy wristbands are just silicone rubber, formed into shapes. That’s it. A pack of 24 sells for around $5 and was invented by Robert Croak, who told CBS news in 2010, “I definitely feel like I’m one of the luckiest men alive.” Seeing that this invention has led to a fortune estimated at $15 million, we’d say that sounds about right. Read more …

Every Kid Deserves To Have A Farting, Pooping Doll

HPV Vaccine Doll
lil poundcake photo
Meet Lil' Poundcake! Watch »
A Pooping Doll!
Kong Suni farts on command!

I’m of the opinion that the sooner kids figure out how the whole eating/farting/pooping cycle works, the better. Kong Suni, the gassy baby doll sweeping South Korea, does just that. Designed to help with the potty training process, this apple-cheeked doll eats cereal, farts when you press her tummy and eliminates waste in a tiny commode complete with an adorable little poo poo. Because poop is cute in Korea! Best part is, Kong Suni passes gas on command (a skill I have yet to master). I would have killed to have a doll like this when I was a kid. My Cabbage Patch Kids didn’t do anything on command. But I suppose that was what my little brother was for. [The Stir]

Who Knew An Etch A Sketch Could Be So … Erotic?

This is a “Playtime Belt Buckle” that’s currently for sale on Etsy. It is composed of a totally functional Etch A Sketch, and I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve never been so keenly aware of the erotic qualities of those little nobs before. Damn. [The Daily What]

Weird Childhood Games
Match Frisky staffers with their weird childhood games. Read More »

Sweet Or Creepy? Put Your Daughter’s Face On A Disney Princess Doll

Yet Another Princess
Sofia the First photo
Oh, yes, there's another one. Read More »
I Want To Be A Princess
Disneyland photo
This woman auditioned to be a princess at Disneyland. Read More »
Morning Quickies
High School Moms
God help us, pregnant teens get another TV show. Read More »
  • Mommy gets a 3D sonogram — and a couple years later, your precious bundle of joy can place with a Disney princess doll with her own face on it. For $99, Disney will graft the likeness of your child’s face on a seven-inch Disney Princess doll. Parents who want to make the sweet/creepy gesture can choose from Belle, Cinderella, Tionna, Snow White, and several others. Interestingly, the age restriction for D-Tech Me dolls is from 3 to 12, but there doesn’t seem to be a restriction for girls-only. [Mommyish]
  • Kristen Cavallari from “The Hills” and “Laguna Beach” has gaven birth to a little boy named Camden Jack Cutler with her Chicago Bears QB fiance Jay Cutler. [Celebrity Cafe]
  • Shirtless Cristiano Ronaldo photos! Shirtless Cristiano Ronaldo photos! You’re welcome. [Socialite Life]
  • Kristen Stewart has pulled out of the premiere for “On The Road” so she doesn’t have to answer questions every six seconds about cheating as she walks the red carpet. [Perez Hilton]

Keep reading »

Karl Lagerfeld As A My Little Pony & Other Celebs In Pony Form

men who love mlp
Men who love My Little Pony are called Bronies! Read More »

Suddenly I see what it’s all about, bronies! I totally understand how you could love My Little Pony as grown-ass adults. It’s no secret around here that Rachel and I are obsessed with weirdo Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld but he is even more adorable in pony form. My Little Karl is a piece of artwork by German sculptor/graphic artist Mari Kasurinen, who has created My Little Ponies in dozens of pop culture incarnations. Many of them are sold on her site … possibly to bronies. Check out my favorites — and yes, it was hard to whittle it down to just 20! [Mari Kasurinen]

Photographer Dina Goldstein Imagines Barbie’s Life If Ken Liked Men

Back in the day, Ken was always a hot commodity whenever my friends and I fought over whose Barbie would be the lucky lady that day. Turns out, Ken might not even be into plastic boobs, anyway. In a four-room set she built in an art gallery for a piece called “In The Dollhouse,” photographer Dina Goldstein captures Barbie and Ken’s failing marriage as Ken tries to sort out his own sexuality in an unseen lifestyle within the Dream House walls. [DinaGoldstein.com]

How Badly Do You Want These “Mad Men” Barbies?

Joan's Choice
Debating Joan's decision to sleep her way to the top on "Mad Men." Read More »

“Mad Men” may be almost done for the season, but fret not! Here’s a whole mess of “Mad Men”-inspired Barbie dolls to keep you entertained. No, Mattel hasn’t suddenly sanctioned LSD and sex out of wedlock. Artist Michael Williams of MyLifeInPlastic.com dressed each and every one of these old Barbie and Ken dolls (plus a Skipper doll for Sally!) himself. Their accessories are even funnier than the dolls themselves!

We can’t wait to convert the old Barbie Dream House into Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and play. We just have one question … where’s Don?!  P.S. If you are a few episodes behind, spoiler alerts ahead. [My Life In Plastic]

Just In Time For Passover! A Bag Of Plagues!

The Chosen People among us (Kidding! Kidding! You’re all beautiful chosen people to me) know that part of the Passover celebration involves reciting the 10 plagues that befell the land of Egypt while they held the Jews in captivity. Typically, Jews acknowledge the plagues during the Passover ceremony by reciting each one of the plagues (which are, for the record, blood, frogs, lice, flies, murrain, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and slaying of the first born) and pouring a little wine out for each one. Enter this helpful BAG OF PLAGUES, which offers plastic representations of  each plague instead. So when you’re like, “What’s murrain?” you can reach in the bag and see that it’s “a virus that affects cattle and eventually kills them.” Thanks bag of plagues!

But even if you’re NOT Jewish, a bag of plagues could be helpful. Pesky roomate? Drop some locusts on her bed. Annoying coworker? Leave a couple of gnats on her desk chair. They’ll get the picture real quick.

“I Can Be President” Barbie Has Awesome Shoes, Outfit, Hair

Barbie Vs. Reality
kate halchishick photo
Katie Halchishick depicts Barbie vs. reality in O Magazine. Read More »
I Can Be President Barbie photo

But what is her policy on drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge? Inquiring minds want to know, Mattel. [Racked]