article by Nick Maslow via ew.com
Move over, Barbie and Ken — Cookie and Lucious Lyon need some space on toy store shelves. Fans of Fox’s hit Empire will soon be able to purchase a line of collector dolls inspired by Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard’s beloved characters, doll maker Tonner-One World announced Thursday.
Although images of the actual dolls are not yet available, the announcement was accompanied by sketches capturing Cookie and Lucious’ signature looks. Clad in a leopard mini-dress and oversized fur coat, Cookie is seen putting one heel in front of the other, no doubt ready to fling one of them across the room should she feel the need. Meanwhile, Lucious exudes cool confidence in a vibrant purple suit paired with a light turtleneck.
Posts published in “Games & Toys”
article via cbsnews.com
American Girl is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Since 1986, the business has sold more than 29 million dolls and more than 153 million books.
This summer, it will release a new historical doll. CBS News went where no cameras have been allowed before — inside the design studio to get the first exclusive look at Melody Ellison, the company’s third African American doll in its BeForever historical line.
For the last 30 years, American Girl dolls have brought countless smiles to faces of little girls. “I think it’s that we stayed true to our mission and purpose and while it’s easy to call us a doll company, we’ve always seen ourselves as storytellers,” said Julia Prohaska, vice president of marketing.
Prohaska said their dolls come with books that tap into imaginations, while providing a rich history lesson. “We put at the center stories and advice for girls that really are intended to help them be their personal best,” Prohaska said.
Today we’ve got gifts we think any teen would appreciate. Yes, that age group can be a little tricky to buy for, but we think we’ve picked some good GOODS. Yes, I will certainly be doing the “gift card” thing… but I like to throw the teenagers off a bit and actually wrap a gift that scores and surprises them.
We’ve compiled a short list of goods they just might like. I’ve certainly got a little perma-teen in me, and I’d love just about any of these…
SKULLCANDY – CRUSHER – $99.99 (some colors on sale 79.99)
We LOVE the way these headphones look and sound. They come in nine stylish color combos. Crusher brings the sound and feeling that you get from sitting front row at a concert. The headphones’ design features a slider to control the bass and customize your music. Dual ear cup articulation and premium materials deliver long-lasting comfort.
http://www.skullcandy.com/headphones/CRUSHER.html?cgid=1000&color=Bunny %20Teal#6lZUfLFXFpvBWuzJ.97
NAUGHTY or NICE DECORATIVE PILLOW, 10″ x 14″ – 100% Bloomingdale’s Exclusive – $70.00 (each)
These Alexandra Ferguson Naughty And Nice Pillows are the perfect fun gift for anyone on your list. These stylish 10”X14” are pretty fun and irresistible. Machine washable.
http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/alexandra-ferguson-naughty-or- nice-decorative-pillow-10-x-14-100-bloomingdales- exclusive?ID=1538137&pla_country=US&cm_mmc=Google-PLA-ADC-_-Home-NA-_- Alexandra%20Ferguson-_- 818635012752USA&catargetid=120156070000345783&cadevice=c
LOGITECH K380 MULTI-DEVICE BLUETOOTH KEYBOARD (Blue) $39.99
This multi-device Bluetooth universal keyboard is simply the best we’ve seen. It can go in between devices with the click of a button (Mac, PC, Tablet, Smartphone). This keyboard gets our vote. Comes in blue & dark grey.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0148NPAT0/ref=asc_df_B0148NPAT04049958?smi d=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=cnet-pc-20&linkCode=df0&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B0148NPAT0
POLAROID 300 INSTANT CAMERA $79.99
Remember instant photography? Well here’s a modern version of the old throwback Polaroid camera. Exceptionally stylish –the Polaroid 300 instant analog camera is beautifully designed and comes in different colors. We LOVE the red. It’s one of the more reasonably-priced instant cameras out there and makes a great gift.
http://www.target.com/p/polaroid-300-instant-camera/-/A-13043100#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=polaroid+300+instant+camera
Film: $16.99 (sold separately)
http://www.target.com/p/polaroid-300-film-10-pack-pif-300/-/A-13042872#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=polaroid+300+instant+camera
#GBN #goodblacknews.org #giftideas #teens #Polaroid #logitech #skullcandy
http://www.target.com/p/polaroid-300-film-10-pack-pif-300/-/A-13042872#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=polaroid+300+instant+camera
#GBN #goodblacknews.org #giftideas #teens #Polaroid #logitech #skullcandy
This holiday season, awaken the force with Star Wars-themed gifts. Star Wars opens midnight December 17th, so why not give the gift of Galactic-themed products.
I remember loving Star Wars back in the day. My mom took my sister and I, and it was more than magical. Admittedly, I went kicking and screaming and had no interest in seeing the film, but by the time we got to the parking lot when it was over, I was begging to see it again and acting out every part I could remember. No doubt all generations will love Episode VII.
We’ve found a few items that the child and sci-fi fanatic in all of us might enjoy.
STAR WARS THE BLACK SERIES 6 INCH FINN (JAKKU) $14.95
This Finn figure is sure to be a hit. Finn is described to be a trained warrior escaping his past. His adventures drive him down an heroic yet dangerous path.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SD8I0SK/ref=s9_acsd_al_bw_sfg_r0_1_t? pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search- 4&pf_rd_r=1EPPRYKCS8E2DDKVS677&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2328311462&pf_rd_i =9059017011
LEGO® STAR WARS MILLENNIUM FALCON $149.99
Aim for the stars with the Millennium Falcon, featuring streamlined design, detachable cockpit, spring-loaded shooter, holo-chess board and lots more.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=54946986&cp=&parentPage=search
HOT WHEELS R/C STAR WARS DARTH VADER VEHICLE $27.14
Star Wars and Hot Wheels team up for the galaxy’s most powerful villain in vehicle form.
#GBN #goodblacknews.org #giftideas #StarWars
Many people were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Ava DuVernay doll Monday. From refreshing constantly on the Barbie Collection website to waiting for Mattel to release the link on Twitter, some were left disappointed when it came to actually being able to buy the doll. But there were others who were lucky as well as fast enough to purchase the doll.
Twenty minutes after Mattel tweeted the link to its Barbie site, DuVernay’s doll was sold out. Potential customers tweeted their anguish and dismay after not being able to make their purchase. Then Mattel informed everyone that the doll would be available shortly at Amazon.com.
https://twitter.com/AVAETC/status/674018558506958848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/AVAETC/status/674018558506958848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Some people waited for Mattel to release the Amazon link, while others searched on Amazon for the doll. And there it was, available for preorder. Once word got around on social media that the doll was already on Amazon, it was every eager consumer for him or herself. Around 1:30 p.m. EST, Mattel finally tweeted the link to the Amazon.com site. But it was too late; the doll was already sold out.
More tears. More disappointment for those eagerly waiting to get their hands on the doll.
https://twitter.com/direct7000/status/673989886748131329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
I’m pretty sure Mattel didn’t expect the doll to sell out, especially since the company hadn’t planned to mass-produce the doll. But how often is a doll made in the likeness of a great black filmmaker on the market? How about never.
https://twitter.com/direct7000/status/673989886748131329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
I’m pretty sure Mattel didn’t expect the doll to sell out, especially since the company hadn’t planned to mass-produce the doll. But how often is a doll made in the likeness of a great black filmmaker on the market? How about never.
The fact that DuVernay’s doll sold out within minutes of its release is a testament to the fact that representation matters. People want to see dolls in their image and in the image of those people they admire. If Mattel wants to continue to make an impact, someone in its R&D department better start doling out ideas about how to jump on this.
A DuVernay doll is just the beginning.
How about a Viola Davis doll? A Kerry Washington doll? A Denzel Washington doll? A Neil deGrasse Tyson? Idris Elba, anyone?
Remember back in the day when Cabbage Patch Kids dolls were all the rage? On Monday, DuVernay’s doll and the anticipation were the equivalent. Instead of fighting in stores, people were fighting against the clock and how fast they could refresh their browsers.
This tweet perfectly summed up the day:
https://twitter.com/upperechelonwnd/status/673969253620432900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/upperechelonwnd/status/673969253620432900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Not only do people want black dolls, but they want black dolls in the likeness of people they admire.
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
Zendaya Coleman, the nineteen year-old star of Disney series “KC Undercover”, singer and former finalist on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” will now, according to Billboard.com, be immortalized as a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll. Manufacturing company Mattel announced on Twitter that Barbie will commemorate Zendaya’s elegance and poise from the iconic 2015 Oscars moment when she responded to critics about her dreadlocks.
So excited to honor @Zendaya with a one-of-a-kind doll as she encourages girls to Raise Their Voices and to #BeSuper! pic.twitter.com/GEtTR9bayC
— Barbie (@Barbie) September 18, 2015
During a recent visit to the Mattel offices, Zendaya discussed her relationship with Barbie growing up:
“When I was little, I didn’t have one that looked like me, so I couldn’t connect with her in that way. But getting to visit the Mattel offices and see Barbie’s vision for the future…I was able to see how they plan to diversify, broadening the horizons and the image of Barbie, and make it more, you know, open. I left the office feeling it was definitely something I wanted to be a part of.”
Z will host an upcoming VH1’s Save The Music benefit entitled “Barbie Rock ‘N Royals Concert Experience” on Sept. 26 in Los Angeles, during which the doll will be on display.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
A hula-hooping queen took over Manhattan on Wednesday as part of a tour celebrating her inclusion in the new Guinness World Records book. Jaws dropped and cell phones were thrust into the air as Marawa Ibrahim showed off her supernatural hula-hooping skills in Bryant Park.
The 33-year-old Australian broke the record for the most hula hoops spun simultaneously — somehow managing to twirl 160 hoops a full three times around her 5-foot-4-inch frame.
Ibrahim grew up reading Guinness books and long dreamed about someday making it inside the famed tome. “It was one of the absolute greatest days of my life because I wanted it for so long,” Ibrahim said of the day she learned she had shattered the old record of 132 hoops.
But Ibrahim is not planning to retire her hoops anytime soon. She has her sights — and hips — set on taking the hula-hooping-while-running crown.
“It’s kind of addictive,” she said.
The Guinness World Records 2016 edition will be available starting Thursday. To Ibrahim’s in motion, you can catch her in the video below around the 1:40 mark:
https://youtu.be/zuUoNtospYE
article by Rich Schapiro via nydailynews.com
Frustrated by an inability to find a doll that highlighted her three daughters’ beautiful African-American features, Angelica Sweeting created one of her own.
Sweeting, 27, of Miami, Florida, created the Angelica Doll after realizing that her daughter Sophia was unhappy with her kinks and curls because of the straight-haired White dolls she played with every day, she said on a Kickstarter page started nearly a month ago to raise money to develop a line of Naturally Perfect Dolls.
“Sophia wanted long straight hair, and she even started expressing a strong dislike for her facial features and skin tone,” Sweeting says. “With the help of my daughters, we created ‘The Angelica Doll’ — the first natural hair 18-inch doll for young girls.”
As she began to develop the doll, Sweeting herself realized that she had been influenced by society’s White beauty standards for as long as she could remember.
“Here I am – 27 years old, and I am honestly just beginning to walk into who I am, my natural beauty,” she said on the fundraising page. “I want this to happen earlier, not only for my daughters but for your daughter, your niece, your sister, and for all young girls around the world. I want this to happen for all the young girls who never felt pretty enough because of their kinks, curls, wider noses or fuller lips.”
The Angelica Doll boasts the face of a beautiful brown girl, including a full nose, fuller lips, beautiful cheek bones, and brown eyes. And the hair can be washed, twisted, bantu knotted, combed, brushed, blown out, and curled just like the hair of brown girls.
“Say goodbye to spray-painted brown Barbie dolls!” Sweeting says. “I’m creating Angelica to let girls know that they are beautiful. Our girls need to see a reflection of their own unique beauty. It’s time for our young girls to have a new standard.”
As of Friday, she’s surpassed her funding goal of $25,000 by over $8,000.
article by Lynette Holloway via newsone.com
*FULL DISCLOSURE FROM GBN: After reading the story above, I immediately went to the Kickstarter page to see the doll. My own 5 year-old daughter Phoebe lately has been grappling with the exact same issues Angelica Sweeting’s daughter is dealing with. Phoebe and I watched the site’s video together, and when she saw the Angelica Doll – particularly her curly, versatile hair – she was so excited, she asked to have one right away. And I bought one right away, so GBN is an official backer of what I feel is an incredibly helpful and worthwhile product. We can’t wait for it to come and for more Naturally Perfect dolls to be created.
There are still 26 days left to pitch in or buy a doll… there is even an option to get a doll designed to look like you! Check it out/donate/buy by clicking here.
Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Founder and Editor-In-Chief (and very happy mommy)
From 1900 to 1932, no African-American cadet matriculated at the United States Military Academy at West Point. In 1932, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the son of an Army officer, was admitted. He was “silenced” or shunned by his classmates for four years as officers and administrators at West Point looked the other way. No cadets, faculty or staff members befriended or spoke to him except on an official basis. Yet Davis persisted and graduated 35th in his class.
Benjamin O. Davis Jr. went on to command the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II and later was the first Black general in the U.S. Air Force. He died in 2002.
Now the U.S. Military Academy is paying tribute to General Davis by naming a new cadet barracks in his honor.
“General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. epitomizes the essence of character and honorable living we strive to inspire in every cadet at West Point,” said Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy.
article via jbhe.com
Barbie revealed today that the company is honoring six “Sheroes” – women heroes who inspire girls “by breaking boundaries and expanding possibilities for women everywhere,” as the press release states.
These women are being honored by Barbie at the Variety Power of Women Luncheon in New York City with a one-of-a-kind doll created in their likeness – each made to encourage girls to dream and imagine themselves as everything from a mermaid to a movie star, a fairy to a filmmaker, and a princess to a president.The Sheroes who will be honored in a way that is unique to the Barbie brand, with a one-of-a-kind doll in their likeness, are:
- Ava DuVernay: I’m sure she needs no intro at this point… but just in case you’ve had your head in the sand… Director of 2015 Academy Award Best Picture nominee, “Selma,” and founder of African American Film Festival Releasing Movement.
- Emmy Rossum: Golden Globe nominated actress and spokesperson for Best Friends Animal Society, the only national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters and a leader in the no-kill movement.
- Eva Chen: The youngest appointed female Editor-in-Chief of a national fashion magazine, Lucky.
- Kristin Chenoweth: Emmy and Tony Award nominee and winner, who also founded the Kristin Chenoweth Art & Education Fund.
- Sydney “Mayhem” Keiser: Five year-old fashion designer with work appearing in Vogue and signed on with major national fashion brand, J.Crew, for the collection ‘Little Mayhem for J.Crew’ launching in June.
- Trisha Yearwood: Award-winning Country artist, best-selling author, Food Network host and entrepreneur.
Following the awards ceremony, each Shero will auction off their doll to benefit a charity of her choice.”Barbie has always represented that girls have choices, and this Spring we are proud to honor six Sheroes who through their trade and philanthropic efforts are an inspiration to girls,” said Evelyn Mazzocco, General Manager Barbie. “Started by a female entrepreneur and mother, this brand has a responsibility to continue to honor and encourage powerful female role models who are leaving a legacy for the next generation of glass ceiling breakers.”The Shero celebration will culminate on National #Shero Day, Monday, April 27, where fans will have the opportunity to pay tribute to the Shero who has empowered them using #Shero #BeSuper and tagging @Barbie via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.Here’s what the complete doll collection looks like:
article by Tambay A. Benson via blogs.indiewire.com