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The NEW! Barbie "Swan Lake"


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That's a good point, grace. I haven't had the pleasure of gazing upon Ballet Barbie, but she must be a de-busted version.

I hope you all picked up in that press release about the line of "My Size Barbie" clothes? What will those clever people think of next! Ballet Barbie is one thing -- it's probably fine to have the younger set running about in tutus. But much of Barbie's wardrobe seems to have been made by Victoria's Secret and appropriate for a nice dinner out in Las Vegas. THAT should perk up the third grade!

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No one has mentioned another possibility

Mother Teresa Barbie...

the possibilities are endless...

I guess this is one way to get the arts to the masses. In my neck of the woods, I actually know people who have finally taken their children to a REAL Nutcracker. Their kids have grown up only seeing the Barbie video, and they finally realized that the real thing may be worth the price...Is it possible that they would not have otherwise taken their kids to a REAL ballet?

Cristina:confused:

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Welcome, Cristina -- your Mother Theresa Barbie may not be far off, although it does rather limit the fashion possibilities! (Did you read about the Bejart Mother Theresa ballet? :) )

I hadn't thought about children seeing the video first before ever having seen a ballet -- I haven't seen the video, so can't make a comparison. It does seem a bit backwards. I'd worry that children will find the stage production lacking, especially if they see a very small town production. No special effects, no talking animals, no.....

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I just had the most horrible idea: Mary, Mother of God Barbie. Comes with a little baby Jesus and "Joseph Ken."

Worse idea: Wiccan Barbie.

Strange idea: Famous Ballerina Barbie Series! Fonteyn Barbie, Ulanova Barbie, Sylvie Guillem Barbie, Pavlova Barbie...the possibilities are endless!

Maybe the stress of four recitals in a row is getting to me....

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I had to read the original press release in three sittings - I kept on running to the bathroom:p I don't understand why anyone would want to produce this kind of travesty. Surely it would be cheaper (there's no point in commenting on the artistry involved)to film a live production and add narration / voices or even adapt a live production especially for a children's video.

This certainly makes all previous threads on commercialisation of ballet and ballet companies completely redundant.

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Um, GWTW, if you are going to move here, you have to get with the (American) program! Go back and reread the press release -- wait, no, I don't want to condemn you to more bathroom trips. Barbie sells; NYCB doesn't. This isn't about ballet; it's about separating people from their money.

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Hey, great! We've already got Barbie's car -- does Isadora Barbie come with the scarf, or does one buy that separately?

(I hope people don't find this TOO tasteless -- I mean it more as a comment on American commercialism than in disrespect of Ms. Duncan.)

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I don't know whether to laugh or cry when crass commercialism invades high art like this. Though I see some feel it's high art improving crass commercialism. This is naive: the lower motive always wins in the end.

As the Chinese say: whether the melon hits the rock, or the rock hits the melon, it's going to be bad for the melon. In this case, Barbie's rock hard epidermis meets Martin's melon-headed thinking.

This reminds me of Waiting for Guffman's Corky St Clair displaying his My Dinner with Andre action figures.

I know it's apples and oranges, (god what a fruity post!) but it feels like Martins is tying to outdo McKenzie for the Questionable Tie-in Award. (see Issues: ABT for sale)

Actually, if you take a good look at Barbie's proportions (minus the Teflon Twin Peaks) the small head, long neck, short torso, very long limbs remind one of what group of dancers?

Scene: 1962: In the Nutcracker girl's dressing room, Mr. Balanchine, bestowing a gentle merde on the Candy Canes, spies a new doll lying on a dressing table. Inspired by its form, he cries: "At last! The perfect Dancer!" From that moment on the City Ballet female begins her evolution toward the impossible proportions of the doll. Talk about plastic surgery!

So let's not be too hard on Martins...he's just following things to their most unatural conclusion.

Can't wait for the Urban Contemporary Barbie in "Sleeping Booty"!

With a Wink,

Watermill

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unfortunately, i think alexandra's right:

I'd worry that children will find the stage production lacking, especially if they see a very small town production. No special effects, no talking animals, no.....
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Ah! You've hit upon ballet's great secret. Many of ballet's heroes and heroines have only one parent, especially those in Romantic ballets.

I have a New! Improved! lilbretto for Folk Tale that begins, "Muri, a single mother who struggles to raise her two rambunctious sons, Viderik and Diderik...."

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:)

That is a point about kids being disappointed by the "real thing" after they have seen the Barbie-films with talking porcupine and other oddities; not that I have anything against porcupines....;)

In fact, some of my little dance-students have seen Barbie in the Nutcracker (or whatever it is called) and insist that it is the _real_ way it should be. :)

(a little girl leaning to dance, dancers who can really fly through the air and that sort of thing)

((This is nearly as bad as the German pop-singer who sang a song to a theme from Swan Lake; with the refrain, "oh, yeah"! :) ))

Ah, well..... I suppose it does help to interest some kids in the real thing, to some extent.

-diane-:)

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But then... how many little girls have gone to see Sleeping Beauty and look for the three fairies Disney created?

(by the way... the newer Barbie Ballerinas don't turn out from the knees, as for the fingers, well the hands aren't all that bad either.)

YES!!!! I confess!!! I own several Ballerina Barbies! Help me!

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I just noticed the added "prologue." If you think this is a joke, or just want to see what it is that is coming out visit

http://www.mattel.com/investors/2003_NYTF/...n_Lake_2003.pdf

It takes a little time to download. If you are not familiar with the Adobe program and want to zoom in to read the text, hit the little magnifying glass at the top of the page and then click on the page and you can zoom in.

ENJOY

PS, There is not just a porcupine and a unicorn--there is also Carlita the skunk. I kid you not.

"Barbie of Swan Lake” Jumbo Plush Assortment brings the magic of Swan Lake to girls in a soft and cuddly way.  With four huggable animal characters from the movie the fun of the enchanted forest goes on and on. The four jumbo plush characters include Carlita ™ the Skunk, Ivan ™ the Porcupine, Lila ™ the unicorn and Odette ™ as the swan.
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