Forgive me if I repeat myself a bit ... but as I said about the Jam 'n Glam Theresa ... I'll have to say the same for Jam 'n Glam Barbie .... This doll ROCKS!!!!!!

Skye loved her Jam 'n Glam Theresa and has played with her often since receiving her in October of 2001 ... so it was no surprise that when she finally received a Jam 'n Glam Barbie, two years later, she couldn't wait to dig out Teresa and the Tour Bus so the gals could have a rockin' good time!

These dolls may not be the latest in Mattel's arsenal of bodacious babe birthday booty (heck they're at least two years off the shelves of most major retailers) ... but when found at outrageous bargain prices at the local Big Lots or on clearance at various on-line toy stores, the Jam 'n Glam gals are a gift that is sure to rocket to the top of the charts with almost any Barbie fan!

About this version in particular ...

Barbie's white blond and shocking purple hair is a fabulous compliment to Theresa's hot pink accentuated brunette locks. And similarly her metallic silver pleather jeans, purple reversible halter top, and ferocious fuchsia shrug/jacket coordinate without competing with Theresa's similar capri and halter ensemble. Mattel tells us that Barbie's Jam 'n Glam wardrobe includes a 'day' look and an 'on stage' look ... but I'm guessing most little girls will probably experiment with even more ways of combining and mixing and matching Jam 'n Glam Barbie's fabulous outfit with others they already own to create even more phat looks. The funkadelic clothing may elicit a bit of a "Hmph" and a crinkled nose from grandma ... but my daughter and I love her!

The best part of all ... the hair changes color!!!!!!!!! Even better (in my mom-opinion) ... No messy paints or dyes, not even hot or cold water!!!! All you have to do is turn the top of the head and instantly change Barbie from her 'everyday' blond look, to a flashy flirty passionate purple!!!! WAY COOL!

Jam 'n Glam Barbie comes with lots of cool rock star necessities ... a wireless headset, purple platform heels, sunglasses, two mini (pretend) CDs, and a rock star mini poster, an hairbrush and probably the most popular accessories of all ... three clip-on hair extensions to give Barbie an even funkier look ... or could be added to any other Barbie to turn her into part of Barbie and Teresa's Jam 'n Glam band ... or can be worn by the little girl playing with Barbie as a fun dress up fashion accessory. Skye has even managed to Glam out her dad with the clip on extensions ...not a happening hair moment!

Like the other Jam 'n Glam Dolls and several other recent Barbie editions, this one has a twisty Ever-Flex waist which means her abdomen is a soft flexible 'squishy' rubbery-plastic material that can be bent and twisted in all directions ... allowing for the ultimate in super glamorous poses and fabulous stage performance dance moves that even an American Idol contender would envy.

As stated in my review of Jam 'n Glam Theresa ... I'd offer parents one caution ... when unpacking the doll, notice HOW the clothing is put on her BEFORE your daughter undresses her ... as almost all girls seem to do immediately upon receiving a new Barbie! I mention this because it took me FOREVER to figure out how to put the 'shrug' back on as a jacket. It has a clear plastic band' that holds the ends together with a bit of room in between ... in order for this look to work, you have to sort of tuck the band in BEHIND the doll so that the furry part is over the shoulders and wrapping around the arms. I didn't realize this at first and my daughter kept saying the jacket wasn't on right and we couldn't figure out how to make it look right till I finally dug the box out of the garbage. It's confusing, I know, but if you notice how it looks in the photo, and if you look at the doll in the box then you'll understand. However, even with this understanding ... it's very likely that the thin plastic band will be broken within only a few outfit changes. A really crafty mom might make a more permanent replacement by stitching on a strip or thin elastic, or perhaps even super gluing on a strip from a rubber band ... some of us, however, will just declare that the 'shrug' is now a stole or scarf ...

Helpful Hint ... dusting Barbie's legs lightly with baby powder may make it easier to dress and undress her in the snug fitting pleather pants.


One other slight negative is that like all Barbie dolls, this one's hair can only hold up to so much brushing and styling and twisting before it begins to tangle and look a bit of a mess. It's not as horrible as some (i.e. Nutcracker Barbie's mass of gorgeous curls that are now practically a frizzy 6 inch afro around the back of her head) ...but also not quite as brushable as some of the sleeker more 'stick straight' Barbie hairstyles.

All in all ... if you like Barbie (and her friends) you are probably going to like this doll. If you don't like Barbie to start with, then you certainly aren't going to be any more thrilled with this one than with oh say ... veterinarian Barbie. There may be some fans of the more traditional Barbie images who don't enjoy the Jam N Glam rocker personification ... but to me this is a matter of personal taste and not a defect or shortcoming of the toy. To each her own. This is the Barbie for all those of us who grew up loving Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lenox, Boy George, Madonna and even more recently ... Pink ... if you've ever dreamed of being in a rock band ... or dying your hair an unbelievable shade of purple, pink, blue or green ... then Jam N Glam Barbie and Teresa are definitely worth checking out!

Little known fact ... Jam 'n Glam Barbie was a nationally ranked high school honor student and is now studying to be a neonatologist at a leading medical schools .... the whole rock star thing is just a diversion to relieve stress and allow an outlet for her creative side!


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 4.99
Type of Toy: Action Figure
Age Range of Child: 6 to 8 Years