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When I was little, my grandmother gave me two dolls she got from who knows where (the dolls say 1985 on the back, and I wasn't even born until 1987, and didn't get them until much much later than that) and they, well, weren't Barbies. They had fatter legs and bigger heads and their joints moved much differently, and their chests were flatter. So they always almost-but-not-quite fit into my Barbie clothes. In fact, because they seemed so much older than my other Barbies, they became the matriarchs of my Barbie clan (my Barbies do, in fact, have a large backstory, which I might tell you all someday.) Since then I longed to know who these dolls were, where they came from, what their names were. I wanted to know who they were. I wondered if they were some sort of weird knockoffs, or if they were tied to a fandom or a line of dolls long forgotten. I wanted to know if they even belonged together, or if they just came that way because whoever owned them before stuck the two misfits together because they had big hips and no boobs. And they had outrageous 80s make-up and hair, and one of them has earrings that light up.
And then today I read Cleo's wiki (cleoland.pbwiki.com).
http://cleoland.pbwiki.com/Jem
Upon reading that, I suddenly knew where they came from, though I googled to be sure. In fact, I think I've found the exact dolls I own, although mine no longer have the original clothes (if they ever did, I don't remember).
http://www.jemdolls.com/jemstormer.html That's my blue-haired beauty. Sadly, one of her hands broke off of its socket and is unfixable. I think it just adds to her personality. Her curls are much more defined than this doll's, and she looks like less of a bitch, but there's no doubt in my mind that that's my girl right there.
http://www.jemdolls.com/jemjerrica.html And that's the pink-haired beauty. Her previous owner hacked her hair into a stylish, if strange, bowl cut. And the pink parts faded and now she has a pink scalp and blonde hair. If I ever find the right batteries, I can stick them in and I just bet you her ears would light up like they did in the old days.
I feel like I'm only just now being properly introduced to two ladies I've known since my earliest memories. It's like finding out your grandpa was a WW2 hero or something.
I mean, no wonder they've got badass joints my Barbies could only dream of. Whoever heard of letting your arms move freely?? Or even your hands? (This was back in the day before Barbies, or Kens, for that matter, had drawn-on underwear, and Barbies' arms could only stay either clamped to the side or up above her head, or back behind her if she was excersizing or some shit.) Their legs have the same rotational joints, and so do their hips.
All I want to know is why both of them have that "FIERCE" look on their faces (to use the modelling term) instead of smiling. They always seemed so sad, but badass at the same time. Now I know why. I mean, the 80s can get to the best of us.
-4:30 AM
And then today I read Cleo's wiki (cleoland.pbwiki.com).
http://cleoland.pbwiki.com/Jem
Upon reading that, I suddenly knew where they came from, though I googled to be sure. In fact, I think I've found the exact dolls I own, although mine no longer have the original clothes (if they ever did, I don't remember).
http://www.jemdolls.com/jemstormer.html That's my blue-haired beauty. Sadly, one of her hands broke off of its socket and is unfixable. I think it just adds to her personality. Her curls are much more defined than this doll's, and she looks like less of a bitch, but there's no doubt in my mind that that's my girl right there.
http://www.jemdolls.com/jemjerrica.html And that's the pink-haired beauty. Her previous owner hacked her hair into a stylish, if strange, bowl cut. And the pink parts faded and now she has a pink scalp and blonde hair. If I ever find the right batteries, I can stick them in and I just bet you her ears would light up like they did in the old days.
I feel like I'm only just now being properly introduced to two ladies I've known since my earliest memories. It's like finding out your grandpa was a WW2 hero or something.
I mean, no wonder they've got badass joints my Barbies could only dream of. Whoever heard of letting your arms move freely?? Or even your hands? (This was back in the day before Barbies, or Kens, for that matter, had drawn-on underwear, and Barbies' arms could only stay either clamped to the side or up above her head, or back behind her if she was excersizing or some shit.) Their legs have the same rotational joints, and so do their hips.
All I want to know is why both of them have that "FIERCE" look on their faces (to use the modelling term) instead of smiling. They always seemed so sad, but badass at the same time. Now I know why. I mean, the 80s can get to the best of us.
-4:30 AM
