06/20
2007
Synergy Barbie
80% of couples who adopt children from China stay at the White Swan Hotel. And every single one of them gets a “Going Home Barbie.”
So told to me by a manager at the hotel:
“Most of the children are adopted are girls and Mattel sees this as an opportunity to attract potential clients. We are on our 3rd series of Barbies. Some families who have adopted multiple times have collected all three.”
Now that’s synergy – a toy company working with a single hotel catering to a very unique niche of guests.
oh Corporate America…
This is WRONG in so many ways! Mattel needs to make a vampire doll of itself!!!!
I bet the Mattel vampire doll would be a bestseller.
WHAT! that’s f****ing disgusting. What a horrible way to exploit, trivialize and glamorize an already sad, screwed up industry (adoption, in case you weren’t following). All in the name of $$$. In that case, where’s the Grieving PTSD Birthmother childen’s book series? Or the “This Isn’t What I Ordered, Can I Trade/Give it Back?” Adoptive Parent Lego Set? Or, oooo how about the Adoptee Create Your Own Identity & Medical History play kit? I bet those would be best sellers.
Robin and Cindy, we should start a business together. But what should we call it?
I’ll throw out some suggestions:
Sick World Toys
You Gotta be Shitting me Play Things
That Ain’t Right Toys
I ran across another disturbing thing at a Wal-Mart while I was in China. All of the Barbies in the toy aisle were Caucasian – none Asian. We’ve got Asian Barbies in the USA, but they don’t have them in China.
I love the sarcsim LOL instead of cry. African American children had to play with white dolls in the US until the 1970’s. Did you hear about the petition by the people who didn’t stay at the White Swan? They feel entitled to a Adopto-Barbie too. . . they actually started a petition to Mattel . . . have these people EVER heard the word NO, or do they think they can PURCHASE everything in life??? Somebody SLAP these people. WTF?????
Cindy Sue,
Okay, we’re so deep into ridiculousness that I’m not sure if you’re kidding or not. Was there really a petition? If so, please send me the link.
http://www.petitiononline.com/chb/petition.html
Some actually gave their real names and posted it on the web. Yes, it’s real. I makes me want to vomit. Check this: http://writingmywrongs.typepad.com/writing_my_wrongs/2008/08/trauma-art.html