Mattel – News Stories About Mattel - Page 3

Oct 21, 2009 2:02 PM CDT

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 ...

Think Hard:
Telekinetic Toys
On Their Way

Apr 23, 2009 12:24 PM CDT

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...

Barbie Busts Out in Shanghai

Apr 6, 2009 8:39 AM CDT

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...

Relax, Parents: Tween Dora Still 'Wholesome'

Mar 17, 2009 2:52 PM CDT

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...

W. Va. Considers Banning Barbie on 50th Birthday

Mar 5, 2009 2:25 AM CST

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....

Barbie's
Secret:
Creator Was
Kinky Swinger

Jan 9, 2009 11:53 AM CST

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...

Mattel Plans Edgier Barbie

Dec 24, 2008 6:27 AM CST

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...

Critics Dump on
Potty-Training Baby Dolls

Dec 22, 2008 10:54 AM CST

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...

Biggest Jerks
of 2008

Dec 14, 2008 7:02 PM CST

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

...

Judge Gives Bratz Doll Line to Rival Mattel

Dec 4, 2008 3:15 PM CST

Judge Gives Bratz Doll Line to Rival Mattel

Since MGA founder invented Barbie competitor while on payroll, Mattel owns it

(Newser) - Barbie maker Mattel landed a game-changing blow yesterday against the manufacturer of the hugely popular Bratz dolls, the Los Angeles Times reports. A federal judge ruled Mattel is the legal owner of the line and forbade rival MGA from selling Bratz products. The creator of Bratz was found in July...

She Coos, Giggles, and Promotes Islam

Oct 25, 2008 4:31 PM CDT

She Coos, Giggles, and Promotes Islam

Fuming parents say Mommy doll utters 'Islam is the light'

(Newser) - Mattel’s Little Mommy Cuddle ‘n Coo doll comes complete with a rattle, pacifier, bottle, and Islamic propaganda—or so say some angry parents. Customers are barraging the toymaker with complaints that the doll says “Islam is the light," the Daily Telegraph reports. Noting “the...

Bratz Dolls Must Pay Barbie $100M in Copyright Suit

Aug 26, 2008 6:39 PM CDT

Bratz Dolls Must Pay Barbie $100M in Copyright Suit

(Newser) - Barbie will get $100 million from her saucier cousins, the Bratz dolls, for copyright infringement, the AP reports. A federal jury ordered Bratz maker MGA to pay Mattel the sum, but it did not award punitive damages and gave Mattel only a fraction of what it sought. Last month, the...

Elvis, Priscilla Barbies Wed

Aug 13, 2008 12:17 PM CDT

Elvis, Priscilla Barbies Wed

Graceland signs off on Mattel collectibles

(Newser) - Elvis and Priscilla Presley wedding day Barbies are the latest in King kitsch, the AP reports. The $65 boxed set, released yesterday, draws on the couple’s 1967 wedding photo—groom in paisley, bride in tiara. One fan paid $6,800 for a pair of dolls signed by Priscilla, while...

Facebook
Y-A-N-K-S
Scrabulous

Jul 29, 2008 10:52 AM CDT

Facebook Y-A-N-K-S Scrabulous

Popular Scrabble clone unable to withstand legal pressure

(Newser) - Facebook took down the wildly popular ‘Scrabulous’ this morning, PC Magazine reports, following a legal attack against the game's creators by the rights holders of Scrabble. The site finally folded to pressure after receiving a takedown notice from Hasbro, as well as Mattel, which owns international rights to the...

Barbie Beats
Bratz in
Court Battle

Jul 18, 2008 2:43 AM CDT

Barbie Beats Bratz in Court Battle

Jury finds designer invented Bratz dolls on Mattel payroll

(Newser) - Barbie doll creator Mattel has won a bitter courtroom battle against rival MGA Entertainment, which sells the edgier Bratz dolls. A jury found that Bratz designer Carter Byant conceived the pouty-lipped dolls while on Mattel's payroll, and that MGA secretly plotted with him to steal the billion-dollar idea, reports the...

Sellers, Fans at Odds Over Scrabulous

Mar 2, 2008 4:10 PM CST

Sellers, Fans at Odds Over Scrabulous

Companies debate legal action as 700K play online knock-off daily

(Newser) - Scrabble knock-off Scrabulous is a hit online, but sellers of the original board game have cried piracy and may take their claim to court, the New York Times reports. Tens of thousands of Scrabulous players have threatened to boycott Hasbro and Mattel if they shut down the Facebook-friendly game, which...

Hasbro Talks Tough on Safety

Nov 30, 2007 7:00 PM CST

Hasbro Talks Tough on Safety

Public letter will distance company from lead scandals

(Newser) - Hasbro is talking up its safety record by reminding parents it had nothing to do with recent safety recalls: A newspaper ad set to run next week will say consumers should feel good about buying Hasbro products, the AP reports. Experts say it could help the entire industry but warn...

Calif. Sues Toy Firms Over Lead

Nov 20, 2007 3:09 PM CST

Calif. Sues Toy Firms Over Lead

State attorney general's action targets Mattel, other toy companies

(Newser) - California filed suit yesterday against Mattel, Toys R Us, and 18 other companies, accusing them of making or selling products that contain "unlawful quantities of lead," reports the LA Times. The suit, which follows major recalls of toys during the last year, aims to force manufacturers and retailers...

Don't Blame China for Toy Recalls: Study

Nov 13, 2007 6:13 PM CST

Don't Blame China for Toy Recalls: Study

75% stem from design flaws, not manufacturing

(Newser) - Don't blame China for soaring toy recalls, a new Canuck study says; the problem is design. "If you are going to get into a finger-pointing game, you should point it mostly on the design side," said a Canadian prof. "It has got nothing to do with China....

Buyer, Beware of Recalled Goods on EBay

Oct 3, 2007 12:03 PM CDT

Buyer, Beware of Recalled Goods on EBay

Online auction stalwart warns users to screen carefully

(Newser) - After the recent recall of 21 million toys, eBay has cautioned its shoppers about buying tainted goods—and warned sellers of them they may be kicked off the site. The internet phenom says it’s unable to police all items in its marketplace, but will be providing tip sheets and...