Controversy? What Controversy?!
Written: May 27 '03 (Updated May 27 '03)
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Pros: A nice addition to your Teresa or Butterfly Art Barbie collection
Cons: (Me)She's Orange!; (For others) She's scandalous!
The Bottom Line: If you're and adult Teresa collector, she's harmless; if you think Barbie dolls are the root of all evil, I dunno...
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| indigospot's Full Review: Butterfly Art Teresa |
Barbie and controversy are no strangers to each other. The ongoing debate over the Plastic Princess' effect on young girls' development will be with us as long as Mattel keeps cranking her out of its factories. But there's also the seemingly yearly scandals that erupt over some outwardly innocent feature of the latest doll.
Do you remember the late 80s, when "Teen Talk" Barbie was publicly humiliated for declaring, that "Math is hard!"? How about last year, when parents jumped on "Silkstone Lingerie" Barbie as being a corrupting influence on young minds everywhere? Most of the critics overlooked the fact that this scantily clad doll was a rather expensive Barbie intended solely for ADULTS. I know you must've heard about the furor that also arose last year, when a few folks gave Barbie's long-time pal Midge grief for having a baby (I'll remind you that she and husband Alan already have a kid, Kelly Club's Ryan)! Whether deservedly or not, Barbie and Co. can't seem to avoid the spotlight of national scrutiny.
That leads us to late 1998, as Mattel introduced the Barbie "Butterfly Art (hereafter 'BA')" line to the market.
The theme seemed relatively simple: Barbie and friends (Christie, Teresa, Kira, Ken and Steven) are dressed for the beach or a hot summer day. Each doll came with a sheet of butterfly-themed, temporary tatoos that a child could affix on herself or on the doll. Additionally, each doll had one permanent tatoo already imprinted on her or his leg. No big deal, huh? You know what happened next...
Some vocal parents objected to the skimpy outfits, with their denim shorts and small crocheted tops (the latter only appeared on the women). But the big guns were aimed at those non-removable tatoos, as they were said to provide a bad example to young kids. As I always mention in my reviews (check out my list, will ya?), my perspective on evaluating dolls is that of an adult collector, but I do try to keep parents' concerns in mind. But the allegedly corrupting effect of some tatoos on kids escapes me. If the designs were those of, say, naked women and the Grim Reaper at work, then I would understand such complaints. Today, butterflies, tomorrow the Grateful Dead logo, I suppose....
Anyway, as always, this controversy did Mattel more good than harm. Mattel announced they would stop producing the dolls (although that wasn't such a magnaminous gesture, since there were plenty on the shelves already), and a torrent of would-be collectors snapped BA off the shelves in hopes of the toys someday becoming valuable collecibles. As I will explain in detail below, that won't happen, at least for the forseeable future.
I love Teresa. If you've read some of my previous reviews (Hint! Hint!), you already know that this Hispanic friend of Barbie (she also doubles as "Hispanic Barbie" in some lines) is the reason I started collecting Barbie dolls in the first place. She is just so sweet! Although I like BA Teresa (hereafter 'BAT'), there are some aspects of this particular doll that make her rather strange indeed.
At least in my region (San Francisco Bay Area), BAT remained on the shelves of some stores for months, long after her friends had long ago sold out. I think the primary reason for her lack of popularity was her skin tone. For lack of a better word, her skin color is ORANGE! I've viewed BAT in every sort of light, just to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. She's orange! What were you thinking, Mattel?
But the weirdness doesn't end there. As with most Barbie dolls, their eyes are painted to match the dominant colors of their outfits; in this instance, BAT's irises are TURQUOISE with ORANGE highlights, presumably to match her crocheted top. I should also mention that BAT was one of the last Barbie dolls to feature eyes that were painted in a large, cartoony style. Most dolls made in subsequent years bear narrower, more realistic eyes.
Her hair is crimped, but the treatment is only applied to the outer layer of her hair. The rest of her tresses are bone straight. How cheap can you get!
A short denim skirt, crocheted bracelets, and turquoise earrings and sunglasses round out the ensemble.
The loosely tied straps of BAT's top can easily come undone.
These small parts make BAT a no-no for the very young. As for the removable tatoos, I leave their use to parental discretion.
So am I recommending Butterfly Art Teresa? For all you Teresa fans, go for it! She's strange, but not bad. If you're interested in obtaining the BA line, you must have a complete collection, right? As for parents, BAT isn't a critical purchase, as there are plenty of new Teresas available annually. If you are interested in the butterfly theme, I also recommend you check out my review of Chair Flair Teresa.
As of this writing, BAT is no longer available in major retail outlets. If you live near several KB Toy Stores, you may have a long shot at finding one. Most doll collectibles shops usually specialize in the higher-end Barbie dolls, but I still recommend calling around.
Your best bet is eBay, but be aware that BAT is still usually offered for auction a few times a week. Don't bid hastily because an unscrupulous seller says BAT was "banned" or is "rare." Neither description is valid, although she will probably be harder to find as time passes. See my review on controversial Barbies, "Ebay and Barbie Part 2: A Fool and His Money..." for more guidance.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 9.95
Type of Toy: Other
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Epinions.com ID:
indigospot
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Location: Oakland, CA
Reviews written: 32
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Artist, avid reader, comic book fan, toy collector, and obsessed Barbie doll collector since 1998
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