Barbie - can she go green?
When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, my sister had every Barbie doll toy under the sun. Literally. I never enjoyed playing with dolls, but I had to torment my little sis by putting my stuffed animals (or even our real pets) in the elevator of her Barbie Townhouse. Oh, and she also had the Barbie Corvette and the Barbie Pool. Ah…. those were the days!
For some reason, I woke up yesterday morning, thinking about Barbie and how she might catch up to the 21st Century. Isn’t it time that Barbie goes solar? I think so, and I’m willing to have a little chat with Mattel.
What? You don’t believe that plastic can embrace renewable energy? C’mon….. I think that some solar panels on the roof of Barbie’s townhouse might really inspire some green-leaning girls. And why couldn’t Barb drive an electric, plug-in Corvette these days? Isn’t the iconic gal worried about global warming as much as we are?
Talk about a dream doll house! Just watch this video and then imagine it with solar panels:
C'mon girls - let's go solar!
If they can build one of these, they could certainly make one that is powered by renewable energy. In fact, I’d like to see Barbie go shopping with teeny, tiny canvas shopping bags. She could start wearing some organic cotton dresses for a change too.
If I was still in grade school, I would make my own solar powered Barbie house for science fair. Cutting tiny silicon panels and gluing them to the roof would be the easiest of tasks. In order to win first prize, I would have to wire the interior lights and appliances and convert the DC to AC electricity. I might get shocked once or twice, but I think I could do it.
Let’s get real here. No one would create a Barbie doll that wears a fur coat these days! So why not capitalize on the fact that the hourglass-figured toy is still a role model for many youngsters? Even if you might cringe at the thought that your child adores her (putting aside the fact that she probably weighs about 110 pounds at 5’10″), let’s use Barbie’s iconic status to educate kids to go green.
I’m willing to bet a broken Townhouse elevator that a few more children get the message.
What do you think? Would you buy a Barbie goes solar toy?
Tags: barbie dolls, barbie goes solar, solar toys
May 8th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Count me out. I am as enthused about solar power as anybody, but I also know that our out of hand consumption of plastic is a huge environmental issue. Fake plastic solar panels on a Barbie house would just add to the problem. There is a little 'toad house' somewhere in the USA that has real solar panels.
May 24th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
BARBIES ARE STUPID!!!!!
January 27th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Barbie is smarter than you think. She converted her blue Mustang convertable to run on solar power. Check out her hot car at http://www.youtube.com/?v=J8wSvDQSYPc or just doa search for "Barbie goes solar".
February 1st, 2011 at 5:46 pm
My six-year old daughter just said to me, “Wouldn’t it be cool if you could buy Barbie Houses with solar panels and she could drive an electric car?” I did a quick google search and found this post. I think this is a million dollar idea and hope you pursue it. It could change the whole industry and, as you say, help inspire a new generation of Gaia Girls!
March 1st, 2011 at 7:40 pm
Funny you would mention this… My science fair project through grade school and junior high was a solar powered Barbie house. I’m going to date myself by saying this was back in the mid 80′s. I made a model house, attached the solar powered panels to the roof, and wired a ceiling fan into the living room utilizing a flood light that my Dad helped me mount onto a stand.
July 15th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
Hey check out my Solar Powered Dollhouse !
Made it last year for my daughter
http://embego.posterous.com/so.....-dollhouse
July 15th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
We’ve also made a Marketing Video using my daughter’s Barbie Jeep.
Gotta love Barbie !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMUdXbVBQWI
http://youtu.be/sMUdXbVBQWI