Yeah, Right, Whatever

Is anyone who knows really shocked that I wasn't exactly into Barbie when I was growing up? I had one... I even had a Barbie plane... but I just wasn't into Barbies and dolls and stuff like that... science experiments... mud pies... books... those were more my style.

So... is it wrong of me to grin when I read this headline?

Is it time for a Bye Bye Barbie?

...Today, a radical idea is being proposed: Kill her. Dead. End of brand. Los Angeles Times columnist Pat Morrison is writing Barbie's obit.

"So let's all have a go at Barbie,” Morrison wrote. “Give up on the re-re-reinvention. Take out Barbie at the top of her game. With a big, dramatic exit, Mattel could actually make a killing out of killing Barbie.”

Not everyone is ready to bury her. Mattel, now under the control of industry veteran Neil Friedman, may be headed in the right direction.

“Kids aren't just playing with toys, they are watching movies, they are going to shows, they are wearing clothes,” said Chris Byrne, an independent toy industry analyst. “So the Barbie brand — it's not just dolls anymore. It's $3 billion worth of merchandise and entertainment around the world every year.”

But as Mattel's biggest seller, slumping sales could mean it's time for a Farewell Barbie.

Oh, darn. It's tragic. Really. I'm fighting back the tears.

Granted, I think that the idea of killing her off might be a bit... much. How about letting her retire to The Hamptons or something?