A Doll of The World Entry

There are a lot of Dolls of the World (DOTW) peg warmers in the various local toy stores. There is no news of any upcoming dolls in that line. It might as well be dead. Ever wonder how that happened?

Starting 1980, Mattel released Barbie dolls with various ethnicities, like the first Black and Oriental Barbie dolls. Although criticized for a lot of cultural misappropriations or lack of authenticity, it wasn't enough to totally kill the line. It brought different faces to Barbie's circle. It was actually one of the major selling points for these dolls.

Now, ethnic diversity can be had from different Barbie lines. This was one of the reasons why the Barbie Basics was a hit. It was the same for the university cheerleader dolls. (The Barbie look flopped partly because they insisted on including the Mackie and Aphrodite molds a number of times.) With these lines, you get the diversity in ethnicity without the cultural misappropriation. Plus, the idea of getting just one doll is not enough. Collectors welcome the diversity so most bought a few, if not all, of the dolls in a line.

Now the same formula is being used for the current Fashionista line up. You don't have to pay a "collector" price for a DOTW doll just to harvest the head. It is now easier to snag a Lea/Kayla, Mbili or Goddess face molds. These are usually reserved for the collector and exclusive dolls. You also get a reusable piece of clothing with no cultural issues, hopefully.

So what's the point of collectors buying DOTW these days? I'm really fine with them gone AS LONG AS the diversity is present in at least one of their lines available globally.

Plus Size Problems

Dear Niel,

I'm happy you didn't make a sock dress for me. You took time to create a pattern just for me. I feel special knowing that unlike others, the patterns cannot be shared by a number of dolls. It's especially made for me.

I know my love for fashion doesn't show because I don't aspire to be anorexic like some fashion models but I do appreciate beautiful clothes and styling. Not a lot of fashion designers would want to dress me. Manufacturers would rather not risk spending extra capital on to solve plus size problems in fashion.

They stereotyped us as people who doesn't care about the way we look just because of our size. They think we can settle with dated and shapeless clothes that lacks character. I even heard someone say that I can just borrow Ken's pants. The nerve!

My love affair with fashion is unrequited but you loved me back.

I'm glad you didn't style me like Melissa McCarthy, fully covered. I like showing my arms even if they're big. I'm also happy that you didn't make me wear dyke fashion like Rosie O'Donnell even if we have the same body and we're both lesbians.

I really appreciate what you have done for me. Please don't take it the wrong way if I expected more. Let's be honest. The clothes the you've made me are pretty basic. I know I need to build my basic wardrobe, too, but I'm looking forward to you making something that shows my character. You know how I am. I'm far from basic.

Feeling Loved,

Vernie

The Color of Satisfaction

If you were raised in the Philippines, there's a good chance that you were conditioned to think that dark skin is ugly. Skin whitening products are one of the best selling beauty products here.  "Nognog" is a local word similar to "nigger" and is used as a derogatory word to describe one of a current presidential candidate without raising a debate on political correctness. This is my reality and I don't want it in my deluded doll world.

One thing I've learned from collecting dolls is that beauty comes in different shades and color. I knew it the moment I saw a photo of the Princess of South Africa. I instantly felt the need to have her, so I did. But her playability is limited. She had limited clothing options with an older busty body. She cannot do many poses. She eventually was kept in storage.

Spideypool

It's a funny ship.

Deadpool

I'm not a Deadpool fan, not yet anyways. The movie trailer got me interested. I was also intrigued by the multitude of Deadpool fans. He has quite a following. There's got to be a reason why people like him so much. Maybe I'll find out when I see the movie.

Being a popular character, Deadpool toys are easily sold out from toy stores, with the help of toy scalpers, of course. A lot of Deadpool toys are exorbitantly priced. This includes the 4-inch action dolls.  It was a good thing that I'm no fan otherwise I would be pissed about acquiring a Deadpool toy.

I saw an ad online about this possibly unlicensed version of Deadpool. It came loose so there is no way of verifying its authenticity. It looks and feels like the original, including the Hasbro markings. I checked one of the offline stores the online seller uses for his transactions. It wasn't on display. He could just have displayed a couple toys on the offline stores and I would have bought immediately. I wanted to verify some things before actually purchasing it. The seller was too lazy to post actual photos or comparison photos with other figures, so he might be to lazy to answer my queries. Plus, the seller gives off a certain attitude that I don't like. 

Since the seller is doubting if the toy is a clone or not, he must have gotten it from where most things sold are clones, Divisoria. Divisoria is a big place to look for a small action doll. I saw a number of Deadpool merchandise in different stores but I saw only one store selling the 4-inch doll. There was also the gray version but since I'm no fan, I just bought the one with the popular color scheme.

I'm just happy that I didn't have to pay a crazy amount for this toy. I'd be happier if it was indeed a clone. That means someone out there can do what Hasbro is doing. Since Hasbro is doing a stellar job in disappointing the fans of the 4-inch Marvel toys, I don't mind an alternative option, even if it is unlicensed. If these are indeed authentic toys that someone just hoarded for a profit to later find out that not a lot of people are willing to pay an arm for so it is being sold at a more reasonable price in time with the upcoming movie, that would be the best.