HIGH ‘I think P’'m calling Ken’ SHE IS a pop cultural ref- erence point of the highest erder. Women who have matured over the past three decades fall into two simple categories: those who were allowed Barbies and those who were not. Detractors see her as the ein- bodiment of female debasement and trivialization. Fans view her as an eman- cipator and a miniaturized mirror of her time. Barbie opened the docr of the playroom, said good-bye to the baby doli and girl as practising mother. She offered a version of adults at play. Barbie met the world in March 1959 at the American Toy Fair in New York. Her name came from the daughter of Matiel founcers Ruth and Elliot Handler. Barbara spent much time play- ing with grown-up paper dolls and paper clothing. Ruth realized there was a mar- ket for a three-dimensional ver- sion of the paper doll. While on a holiday, Handler saw in a shop window in Lucerne, Switzerland, a doll by the name of Bild-Lilli. She was a plastic version of a cartoon drawn by Reinhard Beuthien and published in the dai- ly Bild-Zeitung. Lilli became Barbie, and by 1960 she was selling six million units. Barbie captured the spirit of her times. Her 29-cm (11.4-inch) body was patterned after a com- bination of ideal body types prevalent in the 1950s. She has Esther Williams’ long legs, Gina Lollobrigida’s chest and Brigitte Bardot’s mouth and ponytail. She stepped out with a classic black-and-white-siriped one-piece bathing suit, sunglasses and biack slip-on sandals. Her early incarnations included the ballerina, the stewardess, the art student, the 1959 floor- length-gowned star of the stage “Solo in the Spotlight.’’ fn 1961 came Ken, her biand but faithful boyfriend. Japanese Barbies very different From page 48 popuiar German cartoon character of the early 1950s. Lilli liked men, money and a good tinie. Said Deutsch, “Lilli was much more sexy. When they saw it was a children’s toy, Barbie was not so nd Until recent years most Barbies were manufactured in Japan. For many of those years, Barbie dolls sold in Japan for the Japa- nese domestic market were very different. Said Deutsch, “Barbie is a mir- ror of her times. Japanese children wanted blond hair and very big round eyes — exactly what they don’t Icok iike.”” Acconlingly the Japanese Bar- bies in the West Vancouver collec- tien have slightly childish bodies, smaller breasts and exaggerated, round eyes. Barbie has taken her lumps over the years and remains fav from being certified as politically cor- rect. She has also faced competition. The laiest challenge comes from the ‘‘Happy To Be Me’’ doll, 2 toy with a femaie figure closer to the reality of average human fe- male anatomy. SHOPPERS ORUG MART CORRECTICN Fte: December Circular Vol. 25 No. 49. The Haute Couture Kit from Bonne Belt will not be available due to quali- ty assurance problems. We apologize for any inconvenience ihis may cause our customers. or “Peaceful, luxury Accommodation” CALL 246-2211 ¢ 4c tiap | ww 7 FEZSHMIC} *ON A SPACE AVAILABILITY BASIS-OF FET EXPIRES DEC Ziv In 1964, her Jess buxom sister Skipper surfaced. Soon haute couture through the playroom, Christian Dior, Balenciaga Gabrielle Chanel, Paco Rabanne, Angelo Tarlazzi, Jean Barthet, Pierre Balinain, Christian Lacroix adorned the famed petite frame. Barbie talked in the 1960s, both in English and Spanish. Pull the string and Barbie would say things fike, °‘] think I'm calling Ken.” Years before Nei! Armstrong hit lunar pay-dirt, Barbie as Miss Astronaut stepped out in moon gear and stars and stripes. There was Twigster in 1967, the Pepsi Look in 1975, City Barbie in 1984, Music Barbie in 1986. swished Since her birth in 1959, more than 500 million children around the world have bought Barbie dolls. The Canadiza dollar is dows and government coupon rat