Barbie Unbound: A Parody of the Barbie Obsession [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Sarah Strohmeyer (Author), Geoff Hansen (Author, Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

In this play guide spoof, Barbie is liberated from her pink plastic world of fashion modeling and Corvette driving to assume roles that real women have endured for years. Here readers will find Safe-Sex Barbie, Barbie Antoinette, Anita Hill Barbie, Marie Curie Barbie, and, in honor of her upcoming 40th anniversary, Hot Flash Barbie who comes complete with tiny estrogen supplements. 40 photos.

Editorial Reviews

Review

If titles like "Grunge Barbie," "Hot Flash Barbie," "Shock Jock Barbie," and "Barbie D'Arc" make you chuckle, this book might be for you. If your consciousness-raising group is having a reunion to celebrate the day you burned your bras and changed your lives, this book might provide some party games. If you'd consider letting a "Ken" into your life as long as he enrolls in a twelve-step program for Barbie detox, this book might be for you. If your foyer has a "Martha Stewart doesn't live here" doormat, this book might be for you, too. However, let the reviewer's prerogative prevail. I didn't laugh! Humor, of course, comes in many flavors just like ice cream. I don't like chocolate, which might make some doubt my trustworthiness as a reviewer. Worse yet, I don't feel threatened by Barbie. She's a boring doll. Why can't concerned people ignore her popularity and provide interesting, imaginative alternatives for girls? Is more PC bashing useful? In search of fairness, I flashed the forty photographs in front of a few friends. They said tepidly, "That might be interesting," or "It's an important topic," but none of them asked for a closer look. -- From Independent Publisher

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: New Victoria Pub; illustrated edition edition (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0934678898
• ISBN-13: 978-0934678896
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,799,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely hilarious, October 22, 1999

By 

Deborah Stanley ([e-mail]) (Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barbie Unbound: A Parody of the Barbie Obsession (Paperback)

Whether you enjoyed Barbies as a child or not, Strohmeyer's text will have you laughing out loud in a room full of strangers. A combination of feminism, politics, and plastic toys may sound odd, but Strohmeyer pulls it together in a very entertaining fashion (no pun intended).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Barbie Unbound is great!, October 26, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Barbie Unbound: A Parody of the Barbie Obsession (Paperback)

Barbie Unboud: A Parody of the Barbie Obsession, is the actual name of the book. In it, Barbie is placed in 40 contemporary and historical situations - Barbie d'Arc, PMS Barbie, Barbie at the Salem Witch Trials, Teenage Pregnant Barbie, etc. The photos are great and the text, which is written as a tongue-in-cheek play guide, is really biting. Great satire on Barbie, her always cheerful smile, that impossible body, all those accessories and the ridiculous idea that all women will grow up pink, pretty and perky. Buy it, it's what you've been waiting for.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like Barbie, but need a laugh, then you have to read this!, May 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Barbie Unbound: A Parody of the Barbie Obsession (Paperback)

So your child has Dr. Barbie, Dentist Barbie, Anthropologist Barbie and Equestrian Barbie, but does she have PMS Barbie, and Junkie Barbie? Collecting her is great, but sometimes that perfect plastic body can get annoying and you dream about her being "one of us". Well, the author has put your imagination to words and pictures for everyone to enjoy! She keeps you laughing and saying "Now that's one doll I have to get!"