Sunday, July 20, 2008

Black Canary's Newest Nemesis


If you haven't heard yet, there has been a great deal of controversy over the new Black Canary Barbie doll. A British religious group criticized it, calling it "filth". Obviously they haven't been tuning into some of the BBC's saucier shows, taking a stroll around the Nuts.co.uk site (nsfw), or checking out Page Three for the hot boobie ads. I laughed myself sick, and then went over to the BarbieCollector.com site to investigate.


With the kind of prices that are being asked, and the collectible nature of said items, I don't believe they are being marketed for kids. Our local Toys'R'Us branch has a glass case of the collector Barbies, and I have only seen grown-ups buy them. These Barbies are much spendier then the regular ones. This is a bunch of hooey over nothing.


I do have some news for the lovely new Black Canary Barbie. Watch your back. Cabaret Dancer Barbie was here first, and she is wearing a spectacular pair of Fishnets!

7 comments:

Carl said...

You have to remember at the same time, they also have socializied medicine that lets people die, a growing Islamic populace that lives separate and has "honor killings" (most of young girls) and if you defend yourself against a criminal or stop a robber, you will be charged with assault. Yet, a Barbie Doll with fishnets (I guess they missed the Hally Barrie version of Catwoman, the "S&M Barbie") is filth. I remember Alan Moore and some of the other comic book writers so scared that British under Thatcher would become fascist. It's been under socialist/liberal control for several decades now, looks like it came true, but ON THEIR WATCH...

Saranga said...

Carl said:
"You have to remember at the same time, they also have socializied medicine that lets people die, a growing Islamic populace that lives separate and has "honor killings" (most of young girls) and if you defend yourself against a criminal or stop a robber, you will be charged with assault."

Who do you mean by 'they'? Having lived in the UK all my life I'm not entirely sure that's an accurate representation of British society..
And I'm fairly convinced we don't live under a socialist/liberal state either..
(if I've misunderstood you, apologies).

The Sun is not really a newspaper as such - it's a tabloid. It will blow everything out of proportion to get a sensationalist story. I've never before heard of the religious group mentioned, it must have taken the 'journalists' a lot of digging to locate them (or possibly a quick stroll around the internet).
Ands just for information, Nuts is allegedly a magazine, and markets itself as a magaizne, although I prefer to think of it as soft porn, as let's be honest there's not much actual written material in it.
Again, please don't judge the rest of the UK by this stuff. We're not all obsessed with sex, promise.

Carl said...

Hmmmm, welp, let me see, living in Florida and working at a local hospital, I've met people from the U.K. and Canada that have to come here and get treatment. And we have whole "ex-Pats" communities down here who fled taxes and the growing "nanny-state". And I've read in the regular news and British press reports of people pulling their own teeth, rather then wait on the few dentists in the National Healthcare Plan. And Mohammed is the most popular name in Britian right now. Here the in the States I can own, carry a firearm and see a doctor and get treatment this day if I had to do so. And I don't have to respect anyone unless I violate their rights under our laws (except to the pc crowd of course who can pound sand up their backsides). And I just read in the UK press that a man that grabbed a robber (who smashed out a window and grabbed items and ran for it) was tackled and held by a Good Samaritian and the police charged him for assault. We give awards to those people here. I love the British, I love all you've given to world (especially the basis of English justice and fairness which lead to America) but if you aren't living under fascist rule, you're damned close, like Fascist-Lite. Motto: "Mummy and Daddy know more then you, so we'll take care of it. Now put on your helmet and goggles and take a nap." And I don't know if this is real or a gag but I'd be more worried about sharia law and the coming "Burka Barbie", then Black Canary...

Heidi Meeley said...

In an attempt to explain my original post, let me say this: I have always felt that the European culture is much more relaxed with regards to nudity, and has a more mature understanding of "a bit of a lark". Unfortunately, I get most of this from the news, specifically the papers, internet, and general reading. To see a group in Britain so upset over a Barbie doll was extremely disconcerting. It just didn't make sense to me in any context.

Now that I have read a bit more in the blog@newsarama comments and learned about the said group, it falls into place.

Bottom line: I am shocked that anyone would find a mostly covered up collector Barbie offensive, especially at the price and in this day and age.

Heidi Meeley said...

BTW, my first Barbie, at the age of 5, was Malibu Barbie and she was in a swimming suit! Did I think it was awesome? Heck yes. Did I get offended? No way! I was too busy playing with her to care or judge.

Swinebread said...

Hello angry people this Doll is for collectors and adults save your rage for something important like war

Saranga said...

Heidi, I did not mean to cause a ruckus on your blog!
Interesting re your comments on nudity! I always thought that the states were more relaxed about nudity than us, but most of what I see of American culture is stuff like Girls Gone Wild, MTV and Hollywood! But I do know that is not an accurate representation of America.
I also feel that the UK has a vastly different culture to the continent and to Ireland. Hell, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have a vastly different culture and we're supposedly united.
However I'm agreed that it's nuts that anyone takes offence over the Barbie. They're clearly reactionary and no fuck all about it.
Carl: My experiences of living in the UK are different from the peopl you know. I suspect that you are seeing and hearing about the really bad stuff that happens, the stuff that is unusual which makes it newsworthy. I think we'll agree to disagree here, as obviously my experiences are quite different.
That's not to say bad shit doesn't happen, of course it does, and there's a lot of stuff wrong in this country.
I do however take issue with your statements re Muslims and about Mohammed being the most popular name in the UK now, (and even if it is what is the problem with that?) If you want an accurate picture of the number of muslism and other ethnic minorities in the UK I suggest you visit http://www.statistics.gov.uk/
Now I'm going to shut up and go away.