I have never been a "girly girl". Having a brother resulted in games of bed-wrestling, miniature toy car floor shows and make-believe games set in Space (aka the backyard). It was awesome! But I still had my girly side - and I wanted a Polly Pocket like everyone else at school. Shevahn was the girl in my class who would rock up to school with whatever coolest toy was out at the time and parade it in front of our faces. Most of us had a secret hate for her - well, as much hate as one can have at 8 years old. But the one thing that I really wanted was a Barbie. Back in the day, times were tough, so my Mum couldn't really afford to splash out on heaps of toys. Mum told me Barbies were too expensive, so I remember thinking they must have cost, like, $100! That further created an idea in my mind of how extravagant Barbie was (although years later I found out a new Barbie was no-where near that expensive!).
I eventually did own ONE Barbie. But I was never allowed to play with it - it was apparently only for display purposes. My mum would stand the Barbie in the middle of our dining table as if it was a vase or something. I am not shitting you. As a little girl, do you know how torturous it was to have a Barbie and never be allowed to play with it? I would walk past it multiple times a day, looking at its perfect shaped, lightly tanned body and shiny, long blonde hair. Oh, to play with Barbie!! One Christmas I guessed that I was getting a real Barbie from my Auntie...but when I ripped open the wrapping eagerly, my hopes were shattered. I was given a Barbie imitation which was only half as beautiful and made out of some kind of cheap, soft plastic which if prodded, would create holes in FakeBarbie's legs. I never complained. But somewhere inside, over the years of cool-toy-deprivation, some issues began to emerge. And I feel that my current fascination with all things pretty, pink and hourglass-shaped has some relation to the fact I was never allowed to fulfil my childhood girly-ness.
Only recently I asked my mother why I was never allowed to play with the doll. She replied: "Because you used to try and cut its hair". If that isn't a crystal-clear indication of the level of strict discipline I was forced to comply with as a child, I don't know what is. And Mum wonders why I am the rebellious one.
Aaaanyway, this post was inspired by the new Rocawear Barbies that have just come out! They come in all shades of chocolate and are of course decked out in the cutest little Rocawear outfits! I've also developed a small fascination with Ann-Margaret, who was popular in the 60s for musical films like Bye Bye Birdie and Viva Las Vegas. I like her because she reminds me of a Barbie doll, of course. I was watching Viva Las Vegas on TV today and it's just such a cool era with all the cute little costumes and funny rock and roll dancing. Interestingly, she apparently had an affair with Elvis, who co-starred with her!! Jealous. The celebs of today just do not have the same kind of classy beauty that they had in the 50s and 60s *sigh*.
Here is a clip from Viva Las Vegas which is my absolute favourite!! It's a sexy/funny dance scene between Elvis and Ann-Margaret - I think the dance is called "The Squat" and it's so cute! Watch it and see what I mean. The song is called "The Climb" and it's performed by Forte Four.
