I found another great vintage commercial. This one is about “Quick Curl Barbie and Mod Hair Ken.” My dad actually sported Mod Hair Ken’s look in the 70’s – he even had the mustache for a while. No, he’s not gay. I swear.
It took me a while to figure out why the narrator’s voice sounds so familiar. I think it’s Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s voice. Huh? Am I right?
I attended my step-brother’s wedding in Marblehead when I was in my twenties. I hadn’t lived in Marblehead for years and there were quite a few people I hadn’t seen since high school. I started talking with a girl I knew named Nancy. She recalled playing at my house when we were younger. “All you wanted to do was play with your Barbies and do pretend horse shows with all these Breyer horses you had collected,” she said. Breyer horses are plastic, model horses and the Barbie’s legs could be manipulated in such a way that they could sit astride them. We chuckled about this and she said, “I wonder how old we were? Six? Seven.”
Then it struck me. I hadn’t moved to Marblehead until the middle of 8th grade! We were at least 14 years old when I forced my few friends to play “Horse Show” with my Barbies.
I was a late bloomer. I’m always trying to reassure my kids about that, when they talk about some of their more successful friends. The school superstars. I was messing around with Barbies while my peers were writing award-winning essays that got them into elite boarding schools. I even had a Ken, but he wasn’t Barbie’s boyfriend. He was kind of a stablehand/love-slave. But I’ll have to save the details of that for my shrink.
Here’s the link for those who can’t see the embedded commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z–ntETyNYo
I love the way the narrator is telling the 7-year-old girls what to pretend with their Barbies. “Put on Ken’s mustache and make him a villain! Take away the mustache, put on his sideburns and make him a hero!” Oh. Okay.
If I had narrated a Barbie commercial at that time, it would have sounded something like this: “Have Barbie ride a winning round” (show Barbie jumping a rigid plastic horse over Lincoln Log fences.) “Have Ken groom horses naked! Show Barbie’s dissatisfaction with his work by having her flog him with riding crop! Have naked, humbled Ken cover Barbie with kisses!”
Yup, that’s what happens when kids play with Barbies after a certain age. Really, take them away before your kids reach puberty.
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You know Ann I just have to ask, is that “make the guy groom the horses naked then flog him with your riding crop” REALLY a fantasy you have about Denis. LOL. That would keep your hubby in line. Glad to know I am not the only one who played with their Barbie’s well into adolescence.
I had a Skipper doll!!! She was Barbie’s preteen sister. She was not quite as developed as Barbie, but she was on her way to a training bra. I also had a P.J. doll with cool sunglasses that were sewn onto her head!!! It became a real problem when I had to put her to bed. The glasses either went over her eyes or on top of her head. She looked ridiculous. I also had a Casey doll (Barbie’s friend) and Suntan Ken. Suntan Ken was the equivalent of George Hamilton. He was absolutely useless. All he was good for was tanning. Now when I look back, Suntan Ken should have dated P.J. Those two were sooooo into their looks!!!!!!!!
Cheryl, lol! I have to agree
I have to be honest jane I think Barbie could kick kens ass lol
lol! Never heard of Ginny doll either until now. Love the verbage Ann! My little brother had a GI Joe; sometimes when I would come home from school, I would find my Ken doll all bloodied up (red crayon) and being held as a POW in GI Joe’s prison camp while GI Joe and Barbie was supposedly passed out in my Barbie car…compliments of my older brother and friends. Alan’s right, GI Joe kicked Ken’s butt…lol.
Okay, I just googled Ginny dolls. It’s true, Barbie is a whore compared to Ginny.
Ginny? Never heard of her. I had Skippy or Skipper. I’d love to see virginal Ginny.
I’m a late bloomer too, but for all the things, playing with Barbies (15!), driving licence, first love, university, etc…
Yeah, well, if you think playing with Barbies at age 13 was nerdy, how about having a mother who forbade Barbie (too slutty) and made you play with Ginny (virgin, get it?) instead. Ginny didn’t even have a gay boyfriend like Ken.
Alan my older brother has given my son a GI joe and some asorted pc so he can start collecting them. you would be amazed how much GI JOE head goes for… lol take how you will my son said thankyou so much he loved watching them and now won’t stop… thanks again cheryl
Hysterical GI Joe commercial Alan. I don’t know if Denis had a GI Joe (but I’m thinking no) but my brother had the GI Joe with Kung Fu grip!
Sorry, but Ken was and will always be a total wimp…no guy in the doll/action-figure universe could ever hold a candle to the original G.I. Joe! Not convinced? Then check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLL67CN2hnw
(So, Ann, inquiring minds want to know: did Denis have a GI Joe action figure as a kid??)
Another great memory !! I guess I was a late bloomer too—when I was 13 or 14, I remember playing with Barbies with my sister (younger) and her friend; when I wasn’t doing that I was off for hours riding my bike all over town…..such a simpler time, when there was no pressure to grow up so quickly….
Ann,
I have very similar Barbie memories..and I often tell people that 1973 was the final summer of playing with Barbies..(I was 13) the following summer everyone changed … for good!
LOL!!! Well at least Barbie was having a good time! And I bet Ken was secretly enjoying every second of it…lol. Just think of the possibilities! Those were signs at an early age dear Ann that you were destined to be a creative artist and writer
And according to this commercial bad guys have mustaches and good guys have sideburns…so hilarious!
Oh my goodness…thanks so much Ann for giving me a good laugh.
I have to agree I do love the way these posts bring back memories, myself I had Sunny and Cher. There must have been 20 outfits in cher’s closet, and I made her show Sunny and her mirror all of them all the time.Wish I had some of my old toys now.Thanks again for the memories
The narrator is June Foray. She did Rudolph and Rocky the Squirel also. Ms. Foray was all over the t.v. in the 60’s and 70’s. Love these posts …..ahhhh, the memories!
Dana