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The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

By Caroline Stanley on

1. Known for his confrontational interview style, Mike Wallace, one of the original correspondents and hosts of 60 Minutes, died over the weekend at age of 93. “Wallace took to heart the old reporter’s pledge to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable,” explained former colleague Morley Safer. “He characterized himself as ‘nosy and insistent.’… Read More

Celebrity

A Collection of Fantastic Celebrity Barbies

By Caroline Stanley on

We’ll be the first to admit that it has been a long, long time since we were in the target demographic for Barbie, yet when we heard that a collection of dolls inspired by the Kardashians is rumored to be in the works, we couldn’t help but react with a resounding “huh?!” What’s the fun in that? The whole point of playing with Barbie dolls is the escapism and fantasy; meanwhile, whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, you have to admit that the Kardashian sisters have built their ever-growing empire around their willingness to overshare every last banal detail of their daily lives with the public– not exactly the most thrilling source material. Plus, while their fashion choices are typically on-trend, they’re also pretty darn boring. So, we decided to do a little bit of digging, and discovered that there are plenty of celebrity-inspired Barbies on the market that we wouldn’t mind playing with — even as adults. Let us know which doll is your favorite in the comments. … Read More

Photography

Photo Gallery: Barbie Trashes Her Dreamhouse

By Judy Berman on

Barbie’s Dreamhouse: the ultimate aspirational symbol of gender-normative American girlhood. But what happens when reality intervenes, and that shining suburban McMansion is overrun by the very consumerist objects that Barbie (and, in turn, her young fans) fetishizes? That’s where artist Carrie M. Becker comes in. In her photo series Barbie Trashes Her Dreamhouse, the doll’s house is stuffed with clutter and coming apart at the seams: a teenage girl’s bed is almost completely camouflaged by magazines, accessories, and junk; the dining room is piled high with cardboard boxes and trash bags; the bathroom is a grimy mess, the floor completely coated in random belongings and the sink and toilet filled with dirty water. Click through the gallery after the jump to see the American childhood dream transformed into the kind of nightmare you might find on Hoarders, and visit Becker’s website to learn more about her work. … Read More

Art

Pic of the Day: Barbies Remade as Korean Shamans

By Judy Berman on

Mattel’s iconic Barbie doll has reinvented herself more times than Madonna. Over the years she’s been a bathing beauty, a doctor, a fashion model, and countless stars of stage and screen. Recently, she’s even gotten herself some tattoos. But somehow, Mattel has never seen fit to manufacture a Barbie who could serve as… Read More

Fashion

The First Tattooed Barbie Ever

By Jill Harness on

She isn’t going to be available as a kid’s toy, but collectors of Barbie dolls are certain to be scrambling for the new Tokidoki release. She not only stands apart from her more classic incarnations in that she’s the first Barbie to have tattoos, but she also has pink hair and her own Tokidoki cactus friend, Bastardino.

Most of us outgrew our love of Barbies a long time ago, but we might just consider starting up a new collection if they keep releasing dolls with clothing and accessories this hip. Click through to see more detailed pictures of this totally modern fashionista. … Read More

Architecture

This Is Architect Barbie’s Dream House

By Caroline Stanley on

Earlier this year Mattel unveiled its plans for Architect Barbie, the latest in a series of career-themed dolls that already includes a computer engineer and an anchorwoman; we were delighted to see that she’ll come with tons of fun accessories like tiny blueprints, black-rimmed glasses, and a hard hat. Around the same time, the American Institute of Architects announced that it was holding a competition for architects to design the ultimate Barbie Dream House. Click through to get a look at the newly-named winner, an eco-friendly, modern Malibu manse designed by Ting Li and Maja Paklar, that features solar panels, a 500-square-foot terrace, and a greenhouse on the roof, along with Barbie’s extensive list of guidelines for the project. … Read More

Film

David Lynch's Incredibly Disturbing Coffee Ad

By Emily Temple on

You may or may not already know that David Lynch has his own brand of organic coffee, which he calls “David Lynch Signature Cup.” In this video, which Lynch put up on his Vimeo page, Lynch has a supposedly backstage conversation about his coffee with a Barbie whose head he grips tightly between pink fingers, pushing it back and forth on its feeble neck and drifting subtly in and out of focus. In true Lynchian form, it’s a surreal and dreamlike sequence, and Lynch’s ominous baby-voice whispering inane nothings to the disembodied head will have you squirming in your seat. But does it make you want to buy his coffee, or just watch Blue Velvet again? … Read More

Art

Gallery: Marc Giai-Miniet's Demented Dollhouses

By Caroline Stanley on

Remember a while back when we told you about Mariel Clayton’s bloody, depraved Barbie dolls? We’ll thanks to Fast Company, we now have a pretty good mental image of what those creepy ladies would consider total dream houses. French artist Marc Giai-Miniet makes some of the most incredibly detailed (and disturbing!) dollhouses that we’ve ever seen. Think The City of Lost Children meets Saw. If you’re feeling especially brave, click through to check out a few of our favorites. … Read More

Web

What's On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

By Caroline Stanley on

Today at Flavorpill, we liked Vulture’s checklist of things that you’re sure to find in any wedding comedy. We wished that we had dance moves half as good as the First Lady’s version of the Running Man. We got excited about all of the new books coming out out… Read More

Pop Culture

Fine Art Barbies Dress Up Like Famous Paintings

By Emily Temple on

Barbie is one girl that’s really done it all – she’s had every job in the book and then some. She’s even been Lady Gaga. But can she pull off being a painting? Fine Art Barbies, a new line from Mattel that was recently unveiled at this year’s Toy Fair, has translated three of the most iconic paintings of all time into, well, Barbies. We don’t know about you, but we don’t really think the famous Mona Lisa smile translates very well into plastic, though we can’t say we don’t dig the hair on the Klimt. Works of art or tasteless mockeries of the real thing? Let us know what you think in the comments! … Read More