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| In 2003, Mattel ambitiously began yet another series: Romance Novels. It may be that the company had already set itself up for failure by choosing such a topic. After all, how many different types of bodices can be ripped before the genre gets stale?
Mattel did try to infuse a twist: obtain the license to recast a (presumably famous) author's heroine and hero in the image of Barbie and Ken. It sounded like a win-win situation; double the name-brand recognition for the product and increased publicity for the author. The first test case for this experiment was Jude Deveraux's Jessica Taggert and Alexander Montgomery from her 1988(!) novel The Raider. |
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A small colonial New England town is under the cruel thumb of British tyranny. One man vows to change that. By day, Alexander Montgomery pretends to be a drunken buffoon. By night, he transforms into the masked avenger, that terror of the lobster-backs (er, British Redcoats), the Raider!
I swear I didn't make that up; I gagged just writing that blurb cribbed from the helpful summary printed on the back of the box. What goo. Anyway, Ken masquerades as the mysterious Raider, minus the mask. Actually, he appears better suited to the role of the drunken Alex rather than that buckler of swashes; it must be those narrow, floating amber eyes. He is Indian tan with painted on beard and thick straight mink hair. The full-cut lips are purple (yes, purple). Muscles pop out of the sheer white cotton shirt, thanks to the über-buff Max Steel body. Belted black pants and buckled black faux leather boots complete the look of . . . your ultimate romantic fantasy? |
| Jessica Taggert is one divided female (or, to quote the summary, the epitome of distressed womanhood). Alex is her friend (really, is that the ideal companion for a proper young lady, the town drunk?) and she enjoys kissing him. However, the midnight kisses from the Raider thrill her even more. How can a girl decide? | |
| Jess, you are a twit.
Jessica Taggert, as envisioned by Mattel, is the clear winner as the #1 Bimbo of my Barbie Collection. I guess she's supposed to be fainting with love but from most angles she looks stoned, with those half-closed lids and the mouth painted to appear to have parted lips. Jessica's long tousled hair is primarily blonde; but is also mingled with, of all things, white streaks. I didn't know colonial beauty shops could do foiling. It's only the costume that rescues Barbie from total banality. She wears a violet blue dress with small, sheer puff sleeves trimmed in white lace that fall off her shoulders. The violet blue taffeta bodice is boned and fitted, with faux laces of lilac satin ribbon, finished in a bow just under the bust. An overskirt of periwinkle chiffon is pulled up at the left hip to reveal a very full underskirt of violet blue floral jacquard. A sash of teal iridescent chiffon falls around the edge of the overskirt. A small bouquet of lilac and white flowers covers the area where the two chiffon fabrics come together. |
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| It's almost a crime to report that the box that houses these two ding-a-lings is one of the most elaborate and themed I've seen. The front and inside depicts the edge of the forest at sunset and perfectly mimics typical romance-novel book covers. The back is devoted to The Raider scenario, with Barbie and Ken posing, romance cover style, as Jess and Alex; story summary, excerpt, author precis and picture, and description of the dolls.
I was already lukewarm about this set when it arrived; once I read the (oh-so-cheesy) excerpt on the box I found it difficult to separate the dolls within from the Romance Novels hook. Nonetheless, the dolls are pretty; I'm just glad I got them on sale. I bet you couldn't tell I'm not a fan of mass-market romance novels. |
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