LIBERATION 29: WORKING WOMAN BARBIE

Mattel took a lot of eggs in the face with the infamous Teen Talk Barbie (“Math class is tough!”). They weren’t about to repeat that mistake with their new talker. Working Woman Barbie  informs us that “Going to work is fun!” “Saving money is smart” and instead of suggesting a party, says “Let’s have a meeting!” Interestingly enough, she’s a licensed tie-in to Working Woman magazine. She comes with a snazzy grey suit with a reversible skirt (gotta have that date fashion) and a CD-ROM full of activities. At $25, she’s a steal… and she has the new smiling face mold, too.

The Doll

The ‘new’ face mold has a strong resemblance to the ‘old’ Superstar mold, but they are actually different. To me, the most notable difference is the absence of the dimple. Barbie has hazel eyes and earthtone eyeshadow. Her lips and blush are red. She has side parted long blonde hair. She also has pearl earrings and a matching necklace, neither of which can be removed.

his body is the standard Barbie body with the bend and move arms. It has been modified with a speaker in her stomach and a button in the back to trigger her talking. She has extremely weak two click legs.

Doll Scorecard
Face: A-
Body: A-
Hair: A-
Overall: A-

The Clothes

I think this suit is just fabulous! The fabric is a very nice textured satin. The jacket and skirt both have incredible detailing to them- the elaborate princess seaming and four usable pockets on the jacket, and the rolled cuff and fancy draping at the waist of the skirt. The skirt, alas, fastens with velcro, although the red bodysuit has a snap. The other side of the skirt is a glittery dance skirt. She also comes with two pairs of the glamorous new strappy heels, in red and grey.

Outfit Scorecard
Fabric: A+
Style: A
Execution: B (one letter grade lost from use of velcro)
Overall: A-

The Accessories

Mattel really went wild with the accessories here. Barbie has a black shoulder bag (I refuse to call it a ‘briefcase’), three manila folders, a index file, and a laptop computer with three interchangable ‘screens’. Throw in the copy of ‘Working Woman’, the personalized coffee cup, and the cellular flip phone, and you have a treasure trove of playthings! There is also a sheet of play money, with Barbie’s picture on it, of course.

Accessories Scorecard
Concept: A
Style: A
Playability: A+
Overall: A

The CD Rom

Here are some screen shots taken from the CD-Rom.

Barbie arranging the next cover of Working Woman magazine:

Barbie viewing her closet full of current Fashion Avenues:

And finally, Barbie’s kitchen counter. Gee, it’s almost as messy as mine!

The Result

Lose the jacket and flip the skirt to the red side, and Barbie looks ready for a girls night at the Working Woman team’s favorite restaurant to celebrate finishing the latest issue.