Jezebel: Toy Story

Who Killed The Easy-Bake Oven?

Sadie Stein — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:35:00 EDT

The florescent lightbulb did! With its 100-watt light bulb slated for obsolescence, the beloved toy faces what MSNBC calls "an uncertain future." More »

Mom Tries To Sell Kids' Toys On eBay, Becomes Internet Target

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 09:25:00 EST

After two little boys used the family bathtub as a "battle arena" for Beyblades, a spinning top toy, their mom had to get the tub resurfaced. As punishment, the mom decided to sell their Beyblades on eBay and use the proceeds, plus the money in their piggy banks, to pay for the $500 repairs. It sounds pretty harsh (particularly when you look at their sad little faces), but the mom payed the price — and then some — after 4chan took up the boys' cause. More »

McDonald's Sued Over Happy Meal Toys

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:25:00 EST

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is suing McDonald's, accusing the chain of unfair marketing for using Happy Meal toys to lure children. A McDonald's rep responded, "Parents consistently tell us they approve of our Happy Meals." More »

San Francisco Bans Toys From Happy Meals

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:22:00 EDT

Starting next month in San Francisco, meals containing more than 600 calories and 35% calories from fat can't include a toy. Lawmakers say Happy Meal toys encourage childhood obesity, but a McDonald's rep responds, "It's not what our customers want." More »

Six-Year-Olds Care About Lipstick, And Other Tragedies

Irin Carmon — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:57:14 EDT

The woman seemed a little thrilled when her young son asked for a Barbie, telling her husband it was healthy gender-identity experimentation. But the Barbie languished on the shelf. Why? "It's for when a girl comes over," he said matter-of-factly. More »

Girls Toy Is More Pink, More Pricey, Less Fun

Katy Kelleher — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:06:00 EDT

Even when they have less parts, and even when the toys are supposedly gender-neutral, the "girl version" can cost more than the "boy version" — especially at Fisher Price. Is pink plastic really that pricey? More »

Warning: Do Not Look At These Dolls If You Are Easily Frightened

Sadie Stein — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:14:00 EDT

Buzzfeed's header, "Dolls That Will Keep You Up At Night," isn't lying. Except it doesn't mention that, while up, you'll also be screaming uncontrollably and clutching a security blanket while the "Bee Sting Doll" lurches ever-closer... More »

Jem's Truly Outrageous Comeback

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST

Hasbro has successfully revived the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises, and now a Jem and the Holograms film or TV series is in the works. High School Musical writer Peter Barsocchini is attached. [SciFi Squad via Buzzfeed] More »

Ugly Toys, Cute Story

Katy Kelleher — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:40:00 EDT

Today's LA Times features an interview with David Horvath, creator of Uglydolls on the history of the weird little toys, whose celebrity fans range from Snoop Dogg to Sasha Obama. But who knew the back story was so sweet? More »

Twilight Barbies Sorta Suck

Dodai Stewart — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EDT

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…Just like the movie! But seriously: His hair is laughably bad, and we're just not feeling the chemistry. Additional image at the link. [People] More »

Are Kids' Toy Preferences Hardwired?

Anna North — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EDT

In news that will likely please gender essentialists and leave others confused, boys and girls as young as six months appear to (maybe, sort of) prefer toys deemed traditionally appropriate for their gender. More »

How About An Animated Movie With A Female Lead Who Isn't A Princess?

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:20:00 EDT

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People are excited about Toy Story 3. And Up made good money over the weekend. But NPR's Linda Holmes pleads to Pixar: "Please make a movie about a girl who is not a princess." More »

Building Blocks: Are Legos A 'Boy Toy'?

Sadie Stein — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

Interesting post on Feministe about the "gendering" of Legos. (Okay, that may not sound that interesting, but bear with me.) Apparently Lego's on the carpet for alleged gender stereotyping in its catalog... interesting, as legos have traditionally been gender-neutral toys. The writer of the piece, Holly, is a former Lego employee, so she has the inside scoop on the scandale: More »

Fantastic Plastic

Dodai Stewart — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:45:00 EST

Yowza. Your childhood playmate is looking fierce in the new $500 Barbie Fashion book. Check out images of the iconic dollface, sporting designer duds by Anna Sui, romping in New York and channeling a late '50s beach bunny. [NY Mag] More »

Will The Cone Make You Moan?

Tracie Egan Morrissey — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:40:00 EDT

I've been hearing about The Cone-a futuristic-shaped vibrator that you would expect characters in Woody Allen's Sleeper to use-for well over a year now. I'm always a little wary of high-end and low-end vibes, the former because the price tag is usually indicative of a lot of hype, and the latter because the because the price tag is usually indicative of a flimsy product with an inferior mechanism. The Cone will set you back a whopping $130. But it's cool looking. And has little light on it. And it's pink. So how did The Cone shape up? More »

The Mary Mermaid: Is This Dual-Stimulation Sex Toy Hot, Or Just A Cold Fish?

Tracie Egan Morrissey — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

I definitely have more of a "type" when it comes to sex toys than I do when it comes to men. Maybe that's because there's just this one specific need that a sex toy needs to live up to, so I tend to be unyielding in my bias toward certain kinds of toys. For instance, I've always been into clit stimulation, meaning that I don't even bother to fuck with dildos that don't also vibe. Actually, I usually stay away from penetration during a normal masturbation sesh, which means that I almost never fuck with dildos at all. But in my never-ending quest to find at least one toy that could match the utter awesomeness of the Hitachi Magic Wand, I decided to open myself up, so to speak, to a dildo (a vibrating one). After the jump, the Mary Mermaid takes a dive into my vagina. More »

The NEA: Is This "Luxury" Vibrator Worth It?

Tracie Egan Morrissey — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:30:00 EDT

I'm not opposed to spending big money on sex toys, because I can't really think of anything that I value more than my orgasms. For a while now, I've found myself intrigued by companies that shill "high end" vibrators, claiming they are "as pleasing to the eye as to the touch." Now, I don't really give a crap about the way a sex toy looks because I'm not trying to impress anyone with it except my clitoris... and my clit doesn't have eyes. But I was super-excited to get a review sample of one of the fancy vibes — from Swedish company LELO (an acronym for Luxury Erotic Lifestyle Objects) — so I could discover if my opinion of the product would be as high as its price tag. After the jump, my clit and I weigh in. More »

Plastic & Fantastic

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:45:00 EDT

Did you celebrate yesterday? It was Barbie's birthday! Launched in 1959, Barbie was controversial from the beginning: She was one of the first dolls for little girls with breasts, and her proportions (36 inch bust, 18 inch waist) were rather unrealistic. (Her waist was widened in 1992.) Author Peggy Orenstein, who's written extensively about issues affecting girls, tells NPR, "You either see her as the embodiment of oppressive, Teutonic standards of beauty, or you see her as all that is good and sweet and innocent about your childhood. But you can't not have a relationship with Barbie." (Like many, we like to torture her.) Still, with Bratz and Strutz and whatnot, Barbie seems downright pretty and old-fashioned these days. And homegirl looks good for 49. [NPR, Babble] More »

Oldies But Goodies

dodai — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:45:00 EST

Ah, to be a rich little girl in New York in 1939! According to this story from Popular Science, it was possible to send tiny dresses and clothes to a laundry service for cleaning. That's right, doll laundry. (Click picture for a bigger view.) [Modern Mechanix] More »

Move over, MySpace: There's a new kid in...

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:31:10 EDT

Move over, MySpace: There's a new kid in town, and she's wearing a wholly-inappropriate, leopard-print babydoll dress! Not satisfied with cornering the toy market (and taking a stab at movies), the executives behind Bratz dolls are preparing to take their brand online. The Wall Street Journal reports that the large-headed, wide-eyed, pouty-puckered dolls are spawning a social-networking site. Aimed at girls as young as 8, we suspect it's only a matter of time until some creepy dude logs on posing as Yasmin. Maybe Bratz should partner with Dateline NBC? [WSJ ] More »