"Food Chain Barbie"
Written by bookofjoe
Published January 02, 2004
Published January 02, 2004
Turns out Mattel just can't win.
"Food Chain Barbie," artist Tom Forsythe's take on our national ur-female icon, drove the toymaker insane, and it went to court to have the artist silenced and made to disappear his work.
Surprise: Mattel lost.
This is the third time Mattel's gone to court to try and shield Barbie from mockers. The first was over the classic song "Barbie Girl": the U.S. Supreme Court refused even to hear a case appealed by Matte.
Next was last year in New York, when a court ruled that an artist who sold sadomasochistic "Dungeon Dolls," a la Barbie, was exercising his right of free speech.
Mattel's in-house lawyers love it, of course. Ka-ching...
Keep reading for information and comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own!
- "Food Chain Barbie"
- Published: January 02, 2004
- Type:
- Section: Culture
- Writer: bookofjoe
- bookofjoe's BC Writer page
- bookofjoe's personal site
- Spread the Word
- Like this article?
- Email this
Save to del.icio.us
Comments on this articleComments
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/11397)Personal attacks are not allowed. Please read our comment policy.
I can assure you Mattel isn't hurting. Excepting the knock-off Barbie mockers, I have probably purchased every flavor that Barbie comes in for my 7 year old daughter. "Oh, isn't that adorable - and it's on sale! We must get it" (sigh). I have probably single-handedly funded most of Mattel's legal debacles!!!