EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—You probably thought, after Malibu Barbie™, Monte Carlo Barbie™, Growin' Pretty Hair Barbie™, Doctor Barbie™, Ballerina Barbie™, Starlight Splendor Barbie™ and Moon Goddess Barbie™ (and several dozen more), that Mattel might have run out of Barbie™ ideas to market.
Of course, you were wrong.
Introducing Barbie™ Video Girl, an eight-inch-tall doll in the classic Barbie tradition—except that hidden in Barbie's immovable "necklace" is a small video camera lens, which owners can use to shoot webcam-quality AVI videos thanks to the AAA batteries hidden in each of Barbie's legs. What's even better, the videos can be played back (without sound, sadly) on the tiny video screen built into Barbie's back (just under the hoodie), with controls—"record," "play," "trash"—located just above where Totally Styling Tattoo Barbie™, another model, would have her "tramp stamp." And she's interracial!
"Record movies from Barbie's point of view," the video ad on Mattel's website urges. "Her super-cool necklace is a real camera lens! And behind her hoodie is an LCD screen!"
Better still, "Barbie bends to shoot different angles!" (In other words, her legs serve as a built-in tripod.)
The pair of batteries allow about 30 minutes of video footage to be shot, and the finished product can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC through the supplied mini-USB cable—but the included editing software, through which budding videographers can add dialogue, music, graphics and special effects, only works on a PC.
But hey: For a mere 50 bucks, imagine the possibilities! (Trademark violations, of course, would cost extra...)
h/t to Wesley Emerson
