Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'dolls'

ISO: A Doll Like Me

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST

For many parents, finding dolls and toys that reflect their family's ethnicity can be a challenge. Moms Jolene Ivey, Leslie Morgan Steiner and K. Danielle Edwards are joined by doll inventor Darla Davenport-Powell for a conversation about finding diversity in the toy store.

Bratz Dolls To Disappear From Toy Shelves

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:11:00 EST

Just in time for the holidays, a federal judge has granted giant toymaker Mattel one of its big wishes. The judge ordered a rival company to stop selling Bratz dolls, which have undercut sales of Mattel's own Barbie. Wednesday's ruling follows a jury's finding that Bratz doll designer Carter Bryant came up with the pouty-lipped dolls while working for Mattel. The judge said the Bratz dolls may remain on store shelves until after the holidays.

Stick Follows Carboard Box Into Toy Hall Of Fame

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:44:00 EST

The National Toy Hall of Fame this year is honoring the baby doll, the skateboard and the lowly stick. Of course, you might be able to employ it as a magic wand, a sceptor or a jousting sword. In choosing the stick, toy experts found virtue in its versatility, natural ingredients, no-cost and its appeal to the imagination. In 2005, the cardboard box was inducted into the hall.

Invasion Of The Ball-Jointed Dolls

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:13:00 EDT

Move over, Hello Kitty. Make room for the new pop culture craze from Japan: ball-jointed dolls. Already huge in Japan and South Korea, these hand-sculpted, hand-painted, anatomically correct and eerily lifelike dolls are gaining popularity with American enthusiasts.

In Chilly 'Transsiberian,' An Endlessly Twisty Ride

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:35:00 EDT

In a summer of forward-looking superhero films and sci-fi flicks, Transsiberian revives the Russian crime drama. This cool thriller offers it all: seedy mobsters, stunning snowscapes and even a suitcase full of babushka dolls.

Backyard Folk Art Thrives In Michigan

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EDT

From anywhere in Michigan you're a day-trip away from a 13-foot scale model of Stone Henge made from styrofoam. There's also a menagerie of farm and circus animals constructed from car parts. Then there's the Madison Heights Doll Garden of Frights, where a junk dealer has created "vignettes" using trashed dolls.

'American Girl' Heads to the Big Screen

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:00:00 EDT

For more than 20 years, American Girl dolls and books have been big sellers. Now the series is going to the movies. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl opens next month.

Barbie's Mattel Sues Maker of Bratz Dolls

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The popular Bratz dolls have been taking the spotlight away from Barbie in recent years. Now, Barbie is taking the Bratz to court. Mattel, maker of Barbie, is suing the company that owns Bratz, saying a Mattel employee came up with the idea. Host Renee Montagne talks about the trial with Nicholas Casey of the Wall Street Journal.

It's Barbie vs. Bratz in California Courtroom Battle

Mon, 26 May 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Two dolls go head-to-head in a California courtroom on Tuesday. It's Barbie vs. Bratz in a legal battle over whether MGA Entertainment's Bratz — which does $500 million a year in sales — is the result of work done at Barbie-owner Mattel.

Helen Keller 'Doll' Photo Turns Up

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:00:00 EST

A recently uncovered 1888 photo of Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan, is notable because it shows the young Keller holding a doll. "Doll" was the first word the "Miracle Worker" Sullivan spelled out for her blind, deaf student -- who amazed the world by learning to read and write.

Popular in Kindergarten: Sexy Dolls

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 08:58:00 EST

Parents are finding surprisingly risque toys on the shelves these days, as kids become part of a phenomenon known as "age compression."

Caroline Kennedy's 'Family Christmas'

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:01:00 EST

Caroline Kennedy's new Christmas anthology opens with her 1962 letter to Santa. In it, she wished for skates, dolls and a "pet reindeer" for herself and "some noisy thing" for her brother John. But a family tradition shunned toys for oranges and walnuts.

Stephin Merritt: Two Days, 'A Million Faces'

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 01:00:00 EST

From a group of six photos and six words, Magnetic Fields guru Stephin Merritt picked "1974" -- and an image of a man wearing a kind of suit covered with baby dolls. Two days later, the song they inspired was finished.

Mattel Cuts Price of Recalled Polly Doll

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 06:00:00 EDT

U.S. toymakers need China to keep their prices down despite recalls. Toymaker Mattel's Polly Promise is a campaign to boost sales of its recalled Polly Pocket dolls. Parents are shying away from Polly, even though Mattel reissued the dolls. To boost her image, their first step is lower her price.

'Lars and the Real Girl' Heralds Friendship

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Lars and the Real Girl, about a loner who finds companionship with a life-sized anatomically correct doll, is capable of sweeping you off your feet. It's a tribute to the joys of friendship and community, but it's constructed around one of the most salacious items modern culture provides.

Singers, Sax Players and a 'Fugue for Tinhorns'

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 12:43:00 EDT

Saxophonist Harry Allen and singer-instrumentalist Eddie Erickson are just two of the performers on a new CD, The Harry Allen-Joe Cohn Quartet Perform Music From 'Guys and Dolls'. Erickson, who's best known as a guitarist, is featured on the disc as a vocalist, singing Frank Loesser's tunes alongside Rebecca Kilgore.

Safety Concerns Prompt Massive Toy Recall

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:10:00 EDT

Toy maker Mattel Inc. is recalling 9 million toys made in China. The toys contain magnets that can be dislodged and swallowed, or they may contain lead paint. The recall includes 7.3 million play sets, including Polly Pocket dolls and Batman action figures, and 253,000 Sarge brand cars.

Bible Action Figures Hit Wal-Mart Shelves

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Bible action figures go on sale this week at Wal-Mart. The line of toys comes from the company One2believe. The founder says most dolls glorify evil, destruction, and promiscuity; and that is sparking demand for "God-honoring" toys.

A Whimsical Eccentric Gets Nakedly Emotional

Thu, 17 May 2007 10:15:00 EDT

Writing "N.Y. Doll" from the perspective of a late New York Dolls bassist, Robyn Hitchcock opts not to copy the Dolls' pre-punk strut and roar. Instead, he sticks to what he knows, slowly stretching the guitar jangle until it ripples and pulses with the hum of psychedelia.

The 'Heart and Soul' of Frank Loesser

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 10:26:00 EST

A documentary on the life of composer and lyricist Frank Loesser is about to debut on many PBS stations. Heart & Soul: The Life and Music of Frank Loesser highlights the creative genius behind Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Susan Loesser, daughter of the composer, tells Scott Simon what she hopes people will take away from the documentary.

Coughing Fits and Tickle-Me-Elmos Get Extreme

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EDT

Ragweed season is just about over on the East Coast, and that's good news for Andrea Seabrook, who had an allergy-induced coughing attack in last week's show. It sounded about as hysterical as the latest version of the Tickle-Me-Elmo doll, called Tickle Me Elmo Extreme.

Auction Block: Hitler's Watercolors, Swimsuit Barbie

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 08:05:03 EDT

Watercolors painted by Adolf Hitler during World War I are up for auction in England. They turned up in a Belgian attic. And Christie's auction house has a treat for fans of the Barbie doll. A Dutch woman is selling her collection of 4,000 Barbie items, including a swimsuit Barbie from 1959.

Dresden Dolls: Life Is a Cabaret

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 11:47:00 EDT

Best described as theatrical rock or punk cabaret, the music of the colorful Boston duo Dresden Dolls addresses identity crises, love and topics far more provocative. Since its debut, the band has toured with Nine Inch Nails while attracting a worldwide audience.

Graphic Novel Series Returns in 'Y: The Last Man'

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 18:15:00 EDT

David Lipsky reviews the latest installment of Brian K. Vaughn's Y: The Last Man, graphic novels that depict the adventures of Yorick Brown and his monkey Ampersand. The futuristic tale mixing humor and disaster is in its seventh volume, "Paper Dolls."

Will Soderbergh's 'Bubble' Burst on Hollywood...

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST

Steven Soderbergh's Bubble is the source of much hand-wringing in Hollywood. But what has entertainment executives agitated isn't the film's story -- about a murderous love triangle at a doll factory -- but the way it's being released. Columnist Jonathan Bing writes for Variety magazine.