Barbie is sold to China with a violin in hand

Barbie is sold to China with a violin in hand

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norman lebrecht

November 09, 2013

This is the new image of the dumber-than-dumb doll, refashioned for upwardly mobile children in East Asia. But why a violin? And who is the choking hazard warning aimed at? See here.

barbie-violin-soloist

Comments

  • ed says:

    Barbie’s my name and education’s my game…..Right. To prevent choking for children under 3, maybe they could create a protective guard over the doll with an image of great grandpa’s great grandpa (as he looks now, not as he did in his salad days) pasted on it. That should be enough to keep the kid at bay and safe, ancestor worship notwithstanding. As for the violin toss it for a new baby grand. Anyway, why would anyone want to buy a loopy blond in Beijing? They (Mattel) could consider a joint venture with Ectaco and install a microchip with oodles of scientific formulas and arcane literary references- and in 13 different languages- plus the complete works of Busoni, Reger and William Schuman- to make play functional for the 21st century, if not render it obsolete. That should make Mama happy.

  • David Boxwell says:

    If Barbie has any Dreams of Vienna, she should re-think that whole narrative for her life’s “journey.”

  • Skripach says:

    Maybe they’re making a special push in China for the tiger mom market, as you say, but the Barbie violin has been around for a while – and not just in China. Here’s a variant of the outfit without the doll in the USA:

    http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12546292

    http://www.amazon.com/Barbie-Can-Doll-Fashion-Outfit/dp/B007A6YG7U

    and here’s folks discussing the Barbie fiddle on Maestronet in 2005 …

    http://www.maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/311731-barbie-violin/

  • How about a doll that looks Asian?

  • Luisa says:

    “American Girl” line of dolls in the USA feature musical instrument accessory sets for their dolls available in cello, grand piano, flute and guitar! http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/html/thumbnail/id/187/uid/269

  • Bob says:

    Could’ve been worse, could’ve been ‘Barbie is sold to China with horn in hand’……

  • MarieTherese says:

    Worse yet, she could be “Pageant Barbie” and warble an off key,”O mio babbino caro”, when one pushes a hidden button under her hair! She’s already got the gown…

  • dansk66 says:

    Just about every toy in the store has this warning about children of 3 and under, “Please do not eat the small bits otherwise your parents will sue the pants of the store, the distributor and the maker for millions$$$. Maybe it is a US federal law, part of Homeland Security.

  • David H. says:

    In line with Universal’s new outreach to the unwashed masses, CEO and cultural lighthouse Max Hole – nomen est omen – has revealed a joint venture with Barbie Corp.

    Several new classical Barbies will be released together with major album releases by DG, to further upgrade the yellow label’s traditional quality image.

    He was talking about two Anne-Sophie-Mutter Barbies in yellow and blue dresses.

    Then there will be a dark haired Anna Netrebko Barbie that can sing songs praising Putin in seven languages.

    Plans for a Lang Lang Ken had to be shelved with the piano man’s departure to rival Sony, but they are debating a limited release of a David Garrett Ken doll for the European markets.

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