The designer of the SiS dolls and the gorgeous AKA Centennial doll is on twitter – twitter.com/StaceyMcIrby
cartoon version stacey
Show her how awesome we think she is by following her tweets! To the best of my knowledge, she’s the first Mattel designer to use twitter – what a lovely lady, so in touch with the peoples (her fans)!
isn't she just so radiant and gorgeous?
PS. please send me some love too lol @ twitter.com/dollsofcolor
Seeing IFDC LUNCHEON @ Shuga Shug’s Blog 090731 and the dolls in a steampunk theme bought back memories of my mini-obsession with retro science fiction in early highschool – which means, I really need some serious memory refreshing/re-reading to do!
Jules Verne - 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea
HG Wells - The Time Machine
Alan Moore - The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
In 2004 (or more like 2002-03), Mattel had the genius idea to create a line of Barbie doll and friends called Fashion Fever. These dolls wore up to date casual fashions and face make up. Sometime during 2004, they released a set of dolls wearing fashions influenced by the Fruit Styles found in Japanese youth culture.
barbie sku# G9008
Of course, pale blonde Barbie is included.
kayla sku# G9009
Kayla, a Hispanic-looking character (I don’t have her original outfit…)
drew sku# G9010
Drew, a Caucasian character – she usually has reddish or brunette hair…
teresa sku# G9011
Teresa… what has happened to Teresa? Is she a brunette Caucasian or a light-skinned Hispanic nowadays?
But no Asian (or Black) representation… seems like Asian fashion styles can be appropriated by the West but can only be worn by non-Asian people? Seriously…
After reading that people are either upset that the prince appears “white” or happy that Disney is portraying an inter-racial coupling, and then noticing along with many others that Disney hasn’t yet shown a Hispanic princess… maybe Disney was trying to – for lack of a nicer idiom – kill two birds with one stone (seriously, this is such an awful idiom… does anyone know a saying that is bird-friendly?) by having an African American princess AND a Hispanic prince. Just maybe…
I don’t know if this image shows the actual princess of the title, or an intro of some kind with some kid being told a princess bedtime story by her parents. I just think her dolly next to the bedside lamp is sooo cute!
Hmmm, not too sure I like what this image implies… doesn’t seem like a very chivalrous prince (assuming the bigger frog is the “prince”) does he?
Images from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog website.
Oh yeah… and to the people ranting that the prince should be black because they believe that this movie is targeted to African Americans… um NO! Disney markets all their movies to as much of an universal audience as possible because that would maximise profits. Disney is a money making company as are most other commercial companies. All we (the public and consumers) can do is try to convince them to make their money in an ethical and conscientious way. Please don’t exclude other people from this discourse especially other minorities. Sharing is caring. Yes, Disney *could have* gone with a black prince and that would be just fine… but since they didn’t, it doesn’t make it ok to diss Hispanics (or even Middle Easterners or South Asians) who are thrilled that there’s a Disney character that looks like them. Share the joy! And yes I am very much aware of the history of systematic destruction to African American families and partnerships. Criticise this movie all you want but don’t go pulling other people down just so you can feel superior in some warped way.
Don’t even get me started on how wrong (historically and more) Mulan or Pocahontas is either… but the movies look pretty and I will continue to watch them. So nerrrr
okie dokie? now go be nice
Disney has finally gotten around to creating a Black Princess.
She will be Princess Tiana in 2009′s The Princess and the Frog.
Official Disney website for the movie here. She definitely looks like a Disney princess, check out the facial expression below!
Until I get around to writing a decent article, this will be a collection of links found while searching for piccies to look at…
