Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

NEWS ABOUT: Mattel

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Switch to grid view »

Go Bald, Barbie

For girls and women with cancer, 'she'd be perfect': Mary Elizabeth Williams

(Newser) - A Facebook campaign asking Mattel to consider a bald Barbie to inspire hope in girls with cancer has taken off in a big way this week, and that's a wonderful thing, writes Mary Elizabeth Williams at Salon . This would be bold new territory for the icon, and Mattel has... More »

Parents Squawk About Barbie's Tattoos

Barbie's not going to drag your kid to the seaport for a tattoo, says defender

(Newser) - A new pink-haired tattooed Barbie has some parents spitting plastic bullets. Mattel crows that the rocker babe version of Barbie (who has a little dog named Bastardino), designed by Los Angeles-based fashion label Tokidoki, is a "funky fashionista," notes the Telegraph . But for "those who look to... More »

Mattel Out $310M After Losing Bratz Spat

MGA awarded damages, legal fees

(Newser) - The final bell has been rung in the long-running Mattel-MGA Entertainment court battle over Bratz—and Barbie's makers have taken a hell of a beating. A federal judge has ordered Mattel to pay MGA, the makers of Bratz dolls, a total of $310 million in punitive damages and lawyers... More »

Greenpeace: Barbie's Killing Rainforests

Group unfurls a banner over Mattel headquarters

(Newser) - Greenpeace has set its sights on a new eco-villain: Barbie. The group says it has traced packaging used by Mattel and other toy companies to protected Indonesian rainforests, and they’re taking it out on Mattel’s perpetually well-accessorized doll, Reuters reports. Activists dressed like Ken descended on Mattel’s... More »

Court Stunner: Bratz Dolls Beat Barbie

Mattel must pay millions to rival doll maker

(Newser) - A long-fought court battle between the makers of Bratz and Barbie has been decided—and Bratz are the surprise victors, the Los Angeles Times reports. The federal jury said Bratz maker MGA Entertainment had neither infringed on Mattel’s copyright nor stolen trade secrets, and that Mattel doesn’t own... More »

7 Companies Built Around Really Old Products

Barbies, tires, and Corn Flakes rule these companies

(Newser) - Popular, decades-old products can be a blessing and a curse. For some businesses, these tried-and-true items account for a large chunk of sales. But if a newer, hipper, better product comes along...? 24/7 Wall St. looks at seven companies whose fame and fortune largely rests on aging products:
  • Kellogg:
... More »

FBI: Pedophiles Might Like the New Barbie

Because she's got a video camera built into her necklace

(Newser) - Mattel's got to be thrilled with this FBI warning inadvertently made public amid holiday shopping season: "Law enforcement is encouraged to be aware of unconventional avenues for possible production and possession of child pornography, such as the Barbie Video Girl," said the alert sent to investigators. More »

Scrabble Allows Proper Nouns in 'Trickster' Version

Rules won't change for original game

(Newser) - Just imagine "Jay-Z" as a triple word score: A new edition of Scrabble will bring with it a change to one of the game’s cardinal rules—proper nouns will be legal. Mattel won’t regulate which names are allowed or introduce any rules governing spelling, it’ll just... More »

Mattel Rolls Out Mad Men Barbie Dolls

Mattel unveils dolls based on the TV characters

(Newser) - Have you ever wanted to dress up Don Draper? Well, now you can. Mattel is rolling out a line of Mad Men Barbie dolls. They’ll be the first offering in the Barbie Fashion Model Collection, a high-priced line of figures aimed at adult collectors based on TV properties. Only... More »

Wal-Mart Black Barbie Price Cut Sparks Uproar

Sends harmful message, say activists

(Newser) - Wal-Mart has dropped the price of a black Barbie doll in a move that's raising a ruckus. "Both are great dolls," carefully emphasized a Wal-Mart spokeswoman. But the price was cut $2 for a black Ballerina Teresa Barbie from the $5.93 for the white version because the... More »

Critics: New Black Barbie Not Black Enough

But fans say black women come in all 'shades, shapes, varieties'

(Newser) - Mattel's new black Barbie dolls are more than just white dolls with a paint job—which is what the toy company tried last time. But some critics still say Mattel hasn't gone far enough. The trio of Barbies have features like fuller lips and wider noses, but some complain that... More »

Barbie Braces for Doll Wars

Upstarts move in while Mattel hits back

(Newser) - Barbie remains the best-selling doll in the world, but she's in a dogfight. Mattel is banking on a new iteration—complete with 12 movable joints—called “Fashionista Barbie” to combat incursions from the likes of Spin Master's “Liv” dolls, and MGA’s “Moxie Girlz.” The Wall ... More »

Think Hard: Telekinetic Toys On Their Way

Concentration 'magically' lifts ball in tube

(Newser) - Two companies are set to release toys this fall that kids can operate using only their minds—and that’s just the beginning of a telekinetic revolution, experts say. To use one toy, intrigued individuals wear a headset and concentrate on anything. The toy senses the brain’s electrical activity... More »

Barbie Busts Out in Shanghai

Hit Shanghai megastore sells 'Barbie lifestyle' to adult women

(Newser) - Mattel is seeking to make up for slowing Barbie sales elsewhere with an aggressive push for Chinese consumers—and not just girls, reports the Washington Post. The company has opened a 6-story flagship store in Shanghai, offering a top-end clothing line and a luxury spa to appeal to professional women... More »

Relax, Parents: Tween Dora Still 'Wholesome'

New doll of beloved character had sparked short-skirt concerns

(Newser) - Dora the Explorer is getting a tween update in a new doll, which trades her baby fat for a more girly, urban look, Hispanic Business reports. After concerns were sparked by a silhouette preview of the doll sporting a very short dress, parents can breathe a sigh of relief: the... More »

W. Va. Considers Banning Barbie on 50th Birthday

Lawmaker seeks to switch emphasis from beauty to brains

(Newser) - A West Virginia lawmaker wants to boot Barbie and dolls like her from store shelves before the famous babe celebrates her 50th birthday next week, reports Fox News. Banning the dolls would send a message to children and adults that education is more important than physical beauty, said the lawmaker.... More »

Barbie's Secret: Creator Was Kinky Swinger

New book looks at man behind the doll

(Newser) - If you always thought Barbies were a little creepy, this might be why. The doll's creator was a "full-blown seventies-style swinger" with "a manic need for sexual gratification," a new book reveals. Jack Ryan, who was once married to Zsa Zsa Gabor, held orgies at his LA... More »

Mattel Plans Edgier Barbie

Company aims to win back tweens by bringing Barbie back to fashion world

(Newser) - Barbie turns 50 next year and Mattel plans some big changes for the perpetual teenager, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company has been steadily losing girls aged 8 and over to video games, iPods, and racier rival dolls like the now-vanquished Bratz and the Hannah Montana line. The toy... More »

Critics Dump on Potty-Training Baby Dolls

(Newser) - This year's hot toy is as chatty as Tickle Me Elmo but much, much more realistic. Little girls are crazy for new baby dolls that eat and excrete, but psychologists and some parents aren't thrilled with Hasbro's Baby Alive Learns to Potty and Mattel's Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Gotta... More »

Biggest Jerks of 2008

Nickelback, Sarko, and a TV character all incur the Guardian's wrath

(Newser) - As a tumultuous year winds down, the Guardian asks the question on everybody’s mind: who are 2008’s biggest douchebags? A selection:
  • Nicolas Sarkozy: “Good God, man, will you put her away just for a second?”
  • Sarah Palin's advisors: "What you need to do, Sarah, to communicate
... More »

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne