Mondo Barbie

Barbie is an American icon. But Barbie becomes a problem when the adult fantasy collides with the child's fantasy. All that misplaced Barbie angst of our youth, all the childhood conditioning, and the adult results are revealed at last in Mondo Barbie.

"Barbie is in the air, all right!

"Since we began this anthology, we’ve seen articles on Barbie in magazines as wide-ranging as Parenting, People, and the Utne Reader. . . . We’re not the only ones. Friends, acquaintances, and contributors (real and imagined) have flooded our mailboxes with clippings about Barbie look-alike contests, cable TV shows, photography exhibits, sculptures, you name it.

"Everyone had an anecdote. . . .

"[Barbie] is an American icon. The product of an adult fantasy of a girl-child’s toy. Or is Barbie the adult’s toy and the child’s fantasy? What happens when the adult fantasy collides with the child’s fantasy? . . .

"In the end the book divided into two definite strategies for dealing with the Barbie phenomenon—poems and stories from Barbie’s point of view, or writings about Barbie’s impact (as either doll or flesh and blood) on specific characters. These works are just a sampling of the vast array of material inspired by Barbie. Perhaps, as one writer suggested, we should start a Barbie hotline. A way to reach all those warped by Barbie. . . .

After all, everyone loves Barbie, don’t they?"

--From the introduction by Richard Peabody and Lucinda Ebersole