Strollerderby : holly hobbie

Babble Talk: Worst Toy Makeovers

Jen Chaney — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:28:00 GMT

I've gotten a bit negligent in my RetroFitted posts. So I was happy to see Jeanne Sager pick up the slack with this fun Babble List on the Top 20 Worst Toy Makeovers. She mentions a lot of prime offenders. But here are the five that stick most uncomfortably in my toy-lovin' craw.

The Monopoly Makeovers: Sure, I have a version of this classic game that's based on the university I attended. (William & Mary-opoly, I have played you exactly 1.5 times.) Who doesn't? But all these other varieties, including the "American Idol" edition -- I'm with Jeanne, Simon Cowell and buying property on Boardwalk do not mix -- only serve to dilute the brand.

Etch-a-Sketch: This is very simple. Etch-A-Sketch should be red, rectangular and allow its knob spinners to draw nothing but black lines. No color imagery. No elaborate Dora the Explorer decorations. If I want a fancy pants Etch--A-Sketch, I'll buy the original and BeDazzle it, okay?

Lincoln Logs: Build a house with the new version of this nostalgic favorite and you can bet the Big Bad Wolf could blow it down with just a huff, let alone a puff. These logs don't look rustic, they look like they came from a poor man's Pottery Barn.

Holly Hobbie: As Rachael pointed out not too long ago, Holly is supposed to be a Calico-wearing pioneer girl. Holly Hobbie 2008, who is technically some sort of younger relative of the original, is a generic looking preteen who apparently borrowed Fred "Rerun" Berry's hat.

My Little Pony: Rachael and Jeanne also both cited the Struts -- which honestly resemble My Little Ponies in S&M gear -- as appalling toy remakes. And again, I agree. Yes, the updated toys are horses. But they're horses who look like little hos.

'Baby Borrowers': Not Going Anywhere Anytime Soon

Jen Chaney — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:01:00 GMT

Mike's post last week about NBC's new reality show, "The Baby Borrowers," got some commenters fired up. Apparently it also fired up the Nielsen ratings.

"Borrowers," which debuted last Wednesday at 9 p.m., attracted 7.9 million viewers, enough to put it in second place for its time slot. The show that beat it? Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance?" Hmmm. Maybe NBC should change the name of the show to "So You Think You Can Parent?" That might put it over the top.

I won't go into all the reasons this show seems completely absurd since Mike already did a fine job of covering that. Instead I'll just say this: I know it's summertime. I know all the truly solid TV series -- "Lost," "Friday Night Lights," "The Office" -- are on hiatus. But please, I beg you: Find something else to do after the kids go to sleep that doesn't involve watching reality television. Read a great novel. Build a diorama. Stare at the walls and ponder the reasons why someone thought it was necessary to turn Holly Hobbie into a vapid preteen.

Or, if you must watch TV, get a DVD of a decent show you may have missed and watch that instead. Remember: Only you can prevent high ratings for craptastic TV shows.

Image: NBC Via Variety

Top 5 Worst Sweet-to-Sexy Toy Makeovers

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:31:00 GMT

As if thong-wearing Bratz weren't already securing the kiddie toy sexual revolution, toymakers continue to try and wrest sexay from remodels of iconic toys from the 70s and 80s. Pictured right is the original Holly Hobbie. See her disturbing modern makeover after the jump.

She is only one of the Top 5 Worst Sweet-to-Sexy Toy Makeovers:

1. Strawberry Shortcake - No longer the dumpling gumdrop five or six-year-old, she is now a tween, likes to sit sexy sidesaddle, and wears her hair to her waist. Hard to imagine her playing soccer or doing anything but sitting passively and looking pretty.

2. Holly Hobbie - Like her friend Strawberry, Holly is now a tween with attitude (and long hair). Check her out. It's a sad day when we forsake prioneer girls like Laura Ingalls for Hannah Montana lookalikes.

3. Barbie - Hard to imagine that Barbie would some day seem tame compared to her slutty doll counterparts. Nevertheless, she's doing her best to keep up with the times.

4. My Little Pony - These sweet little purple and pink-haired quadropeds have a newer modern relative, the Strutz. The new horsies have implied cleavage, high heels and wear tons of makeup.

5. Trollz - Remember those crazy plastic statues with the weird furry hair? Take a look at their new incarnation.

If trolls can look like Bratz and Holly Hobbie has forsworn her pioneer girl roots, then surely the kiddie toy sexual revolution is complete.