Flashback Barbie
By GlindaFor some, the 80’s bring back horrible memories of bad hair bands, neon, suspenders, and shoulder pads. For others, the decade demanded immortalization- and what better way to do it than through the plastic and (allegedly) vapid medium of Barbies?
Dynasty’s Alexis Carrington manages to look bitchy, even as a Barbie.
Only the cool kids can appreciate the nod to Robert Palmer.
The Barbie for those who just can’t get enough of Bob Mackie- the Cher era.
The Material Girl, true 80’s icon.
And finally, Goth Barbie. To placate the complainers down in the comments, I will change her to “Goth Barbie Lite”. But where is her Sony Walkman with The Cure mixtape inside?
Does this one satisfy your requirements for angst? She looks like she’s about to eat someone. It’s a Barbie, so without melting and rearranging her face, she’s going to have a smile. Perhaps she just scored some tickets to The Smiths?
December 13th, 2007 at 7:31 am
At first I looked at only the pics and didn’t read the text – I thought the first one was Amy Winehouse!
December 13th, 2007 at 7:39 am
“They tried to make me go to the Dream House, but I said no, no, no.”
That’s not a real Goth; she’s SMILING!!!!
(is it bad that I still have the whole Madonna Barbie outfit, plus rubber bangles?)
December 13th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Not only is she smiling, but her dress is too pretty. We wore shapeless black sweaters, crinkle skirts and combat boots. And my walkman usually had Echo and the Bunnymen, or Siouxsie and the Banshees. The Smiths, Ramones…..
And I had a huge crush on Danny Elfman, so Oingo Boingo was always in my playlist.
And of course the Cure. And this ends confessions of a grown up ‘goth’ girl (which we did not call ourselves then.)
And raincoaster? The Dream house line made me snort tea up my nose.
Also- how many plastic bracelets did you own? And did you ever, at any point, own a snap bracelet. I had something like 15. Who had a crimper and used it? Ahhhh, the 80’s…
December 13th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Ah, yes, the snap bracelet. I wanted one, but they were declared lethal weapons before I got around to buying one, alas.
I STILL have my crimper!
And yes, New Goth Barbie is much more depressed-looking. Although suspiciously excited…maybe she scored a date with Trent Reznor?
December 13th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I had a couple of snap bracelets, and multi-colored plastic bracelets, too, but it was the very early 90s. My flashback Barbie is the one with the light-up rollerblades.
December 13th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Listen, the 80’s were my heyday. I was Miss New Romantic, with short short short hair that I kid you not, looked quite a bit like the lead singer from Flock of Seagulls.
December 13th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Or “Flock of Men” as we used to call them…
December 13th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
New Goth Barbie is much better.
And I am so a whiner- good call. I learned it from the best teachers, my children.