The sounds of Barbie World

All is forgiven. This seems to be what the toy company Mattel, Inc., told Aqua and Universal Music when it allowed the duo of Nicki Minaj and Ice Spies to use samples from Barbie Girl in the song Barbie World, which will be used in the soundtrack of what else but, the Barbie movie.

Everybody, well safer to say, almost everybody knows Barbie. This is the doll created by Ruth Handler and which was acquired by Mattel.  Launched in 1959, it has since then soared to global success as the ultimate fashion doll. You know the kind little girls can dress up and which comes with her own wardrobe and all accessories possible. That means from high-heeled shoes to cars, houses, even castles, etc.

Initially an all American-Girl blonde blue-eyed beauty, Barbie is now available in all races, Asian, Middle-Eastern, colors, black, white, brown and professions. There is a working girl Barbie, a doctor Barbie, a beauty queen barbie, a movie star Barbie, etc. Just wondering, is there a Drag Queen Barbie? Anyway, it was the original doll with her wholesome image that Aqua came afoul of in 1997.

Aqua was a Danish group with some minor hits like Doctor Jones, Good Morning Sunshine and Roses are Red. Then, it came up with a novelty dance tune titled Barbie Girl and created an explosion. The tune made No. 1 in many countries around the world and Aqua became the biggest selling music act to come out of Denmark. Something like a Danish ABBA.

Mattel, however, was not happy about it. Mattel sued Aqua and Universal Music several times for violating trademark laws, as in use of Barbie as the song title and of the color Barbie pink on the album. Also mentioned in the suit was that Barbie Girl tarnished Barbie Doll’s wholesome reputation with its lyrics.

Samples of these are: “You can brush my hair/ undress me everywhere…” and “You can touch/ you can play/ kiss me here/ touch me there/ hanky panky…”

Well, I must say, the words are somewhat suggestive. But it all depends on how you look at or how you listen to the lyrics. All of the suits were dismissed in favor of Aqua and Universal. In fact, one judge labelled Barbie Girl a parody and therefore completely legal.

I don’t think Mattel was happy about the verdict but I also do not think that Aqua hurt the Barbie Doll market in any way as it became even more successful. I am old enough to remember Barbie Dolls selling for a hundred pesos each, simple but nice. Nowadays those dolls can go from five thousand to twenty thousand bucks or more depending on what designer duds and accessories it is wearing. Aqua also continued to sell big with Barbie Girl and in live concerts. And now, the group is back in the hit charts with Barbie World.

This is because of the Barbie movie, which is predicted to be a major blockbuster. Directed by Greta Gerwig, it stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as her boyfriend Ken. Looks-wise, the casting is perfect. These two do look like human versions of the Barbie and Ken dolls.

In fact, those are the roles they play in the picture. Barbie and Ken are dolls who are expelled from Barbieland for being less than the perfect dolls they should be. So, they now have to go on a journey of self-discovery in the real world. That means taking on human attributes as in Barbie’s perpetually high-heel arched feet suddenly turning flat.

I still have to find some excitement in me about watching this movie.  Maybe I am too old for Barbie. My feeling is, it will be either very big, maybe not Super Mario massive, but big or it will flop, a big loud flop.

The tunes I have heard from the soundtrack are quite interesting though and should help promote the picture. It includes a most welcome new dance track by Dua Lipa, Dance the Night and a powerhouse collab of Karol G, Angel and Pink Pantheress for the Latin pop hip-hop tune Watati.