Kiwi Barbie
“Barbie Girl” is a song in the bubblegum pop genre by the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua who released it in 1997 as their third single. The song is included on the album ‘Aquarium’ and was written by Claus Norreen and Søren Nystrøm Rasted after the group saw an exhibit on kitsch culture.
“I’m a barbie girl, in the barbie world, Life in plastic, it’s fantastic!
you can brush my hair, undress me everywhere. Imagination, life
is your creation. Come on Barbie, let’s go party!
I’m a barbie girl, in the barbie world Life in plastic, it’s fantastic!
you can brush my hair, undress me everywhere. Imagination, life
is your creation …”
– Lyrics by Claus Norreen and Søren Nystrøm Rasted (1997)
It was/is one of those annoying songs that can stay in your head indefinitely if you let it so I tried to keep my musical exposure to the song to an absolute minimum. Now, you and I both know the writers were being a bit tongue in cheek about it all but it did get up the noses of more than the odd one or two corporates who take their Barbie business very seriously but let’s be frank, they’d be able to buy a small country on what she’s earned from sales over the past fifty years. I understand their seriousness to a ‘reasonable’ extent.
Mattel
The lyrics of the song are about Barbie and Ken, the dolls made by Mattel. Both the song and its music video feature Lene Nystrøm Rasted as Barbie and René Dif as Ken. Mattel got so riled up by the song it sued the band, saying they violated the Barbie trademark and turned Barbie into a sex object referring to her as a ‘blonde bimbo’.
They alleged the song had violated their copyrights and trademarks of Barbie and that its lyrics had tarnished the reputation of their trademark and impinged on their marketing plan. Aqua on the other hand claimed that Mattel injected their own meanings into the song’s lyrics. They contested Mattel’s claims and counter-sued for defamation.
Both lawsuits were eventually dismissed in both the lower courts and the Supreme Court of the United States where Mattel’s appeal was later rejected. In 2002, Judge Alex Kozinski ruled the song was protected as a parody under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Judge Kozinski concluded in his ruling by saying, “The parties are advised to chill.” The case gained a lot of media attention for both the song and the band.
This controversy was used by journalist Naomi Klein to make a political point in her book ‘No Logo’ where she stated that the monopolies created by copyrights and trademarks are unfairly and differently enforced based on the legal budgets of the conflicting parties and their ability to defend their expressions by hiring lawyers.
Michael Strangelove, author of The Empire of Mind: Digital Piracy and the Anti-Capitalist Movement, suggested that the failure of Mattel to control and determine the meaning of Barbie indicates how the economic system fails to enable complete control over meanings.
Birthday Barbie
So, against that backdrop, today that most controversial of dolls, Barbie is 50 years old. Like me. And I have to say, we’ve both scrubbed up pretty well despite our chronological years. She of course, has had a lot more freshening up than me. I mean to say, that’s a long time for a girl to be treading the catwalk but I know she’ll be good for another hundred or so years. In mint condition, still in her original 50’s box, THAT Barbie is worth a small fortune to the lucky owner.
Barbie, as at least 90 percent of the world know, is a fashion doll manufactured by Mattel, Inc. and was launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler (1916-2002) is credited with the creation of the doll having adapted a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration.
Her husband, Elliott and his business partner, Harold “Matt” Matson formed a small company to manufacture picture frames calling it “Mattel” by combining part of their names (‘Matt’ and ‘Elliot’). Later, they began using scraps from the manufacturing process to make dollhouse furniture. The furniture was more profitable than the picture frames so they decided to concentrate on toy manufacturing.” That’s the short version of it because the rest as they say is herstory.
New Zealand Fashion Designer
Karen Walker is a successful New Zealand fashion designer. Overcoming ‘the tyranny of distance’ she has managed to snaffle the honour of dressing Barbie this year. I mean honour in this way. She’s paid her dues having started her business with a mere $100. She’s worked her way up and through the ranks of both the national and international fashion industry catwalks to stand with the best.
Through that process of capable, competent design she has gained the recognition and respect of her peers, many of whom have major Fashion Houses (and by inference their brand and money) behind them. Yet, here she is a seemingly unaffected (by the Industry) person of loveliness still. Well done Karen!
And Happy Birthday Barbie. I’m lov’in it, it’s not everyday I get to be in the same place with a toyworld diva and a New Zealand fashion icon. Kiwi Barbie, sounds tasty indeed!
