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2004 US Presidential Election
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August 13, 2004
| If not Bush or Kerry, vote Barbie

REUTERS: If not Bush or Kerry, vote Barbie

Look out Bush and Kerry, Barbie’s making a run for the White House.

No. 1 toy manufacturer Mattel Inc. launched a presidential campaign for its popular fashion doll at the flagship Toys R Us store in Manhattan’s Times Square on Thursday.

The promotion is being conducted in partnership with the White House Project, a group that encourages women to run for public office.

Dozens of girls aged 3 to 12 attended the “press conference” wearing shirts emblazoned with slogans like “Future Frontrunner” and carrying signs that said “Go Vote. Go Run. Go Lead. Go Girl.”

The event comes months after Mattel announced a “break-up” of longtime doll couple Barbie and Ken. The company is working to capitalize on its best-known product, which has been losing its appeal to older kids. The move is less a money-making initiative for Mattel, and more a labor of love, Mattel spokeswoman Julia Jensen told Reuters.

“This educates girls and also engages them with the Barbie brand in a new way,” Jensen said. “It also gets parents involved.” Mattel and the White House Project are also encouraging parents to bring daughters to the voting booth.

(Apparently, Mattel has never heard of Ralph Nader.)



Posted by Laurence Simon at August 13, 2004 03:17 PM | TrackBack
Comments

No way, Dio still has my vote.

Posted by: jones [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 13, 2004 05:34 PM

I’ll vote for this Barbie:

http://www.thegunzone.com/gagpix/mg-barbie.html

Posted by: DWC [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 13, 2004 06:32 PM

This will be a DISASTER for Mattel and possibly for Barbie herself.

Thousands of young girls, who never thought about politics and government, with no understanding of the .org, .us, and .gov web zones will visit the web site www.WhiteHouse.com.

What will they find? - an adult web site! Wait…
It’s gone! Halleluiah it is gone!

Mattel must be flexing some real muscle. This Barbie gal must be able to really get things done. She is obviously conservative. I may have to vote for her myself, but first we will have to see how she fairs when the ACLU sues her.

Posted by: Agrippa [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 14, 2004 03:26 AM

Forget it. I heard that she avoided service in Vietnam, citing medical exemption for lack of genitalia. Right. hy won’t she release her medical records?

And doesn’t she have some failed businesses, too? Come on, Doctor Barbie, Animal Doctor Barbie, Lifeguard Barbie? Fairy Princess Barbie? What’s she hiding? What happened with the Board of Medicine? Why can’t she hold a job? I guess Mommy and Daddy Barbie must have served this all up on a silver platter. Poor little rich girl.

And then, of course, there is that commonly rumored illicit relationship with Mullah Mohammed al-Ken and links to his family.

Barbie Lied. People Died. Vote Kerry.

Posted by: johnnymozart [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 16, 2004 12:59 PM

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