Break out the neon shirts, short tulle skirts and fingerless laced gloves. The average Barbie-style doll is going retro with Mattel's Ladies of the 80's collection due out in December, according to thisisbrandx.com. And "I Love Rock n Roll" chanteuse Joan Jett is among those 80's ladies landing a coveted, impossibly ill-proportioned doppelganger.
With Jett as the main subject of a biopic about her breakout grrrl-powered punk band The Runaways -- starring Twilight juggernaut Kristen Stewart - her Barbie is bound to get a boost from nostalgia seekers and Stewart's crushed-out tween girl fans alike.
But why stop there? As Barbie has her Ken, will Mattel create a playmate for Jett's Barbie? Perhaps a Carmen Electra doll, wherein collectors can recreate the pair's infamous leather-bra clad make-out session at LA's The Music Box theater circa Winter 2007? Just a thought.
Sprightly pop icon Cyndi Lauper and Blondie's Deborah Harry are also slated for the plastic treatment, as they are part of the collection.
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There's no word on whether Mattel will throw caution to the wind and launch a Madonna doll replete with interchangeable era outfits including a sawed-off wedding gown for rolling Barbie around in public to "Like a Virgin," or a tailored crotch-grabbing friendly men's suit for her "Express Yourself" years.
While I'd hate for Mattel to nick my ideas I'd also suggest a blood-orange tinted buzz-cut sporting androgyne Annie Lennox.
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Or how about the earnest Tracy Chapman doll complete with baby dreads and an acoustic guitar?
There's always the whirling-dervish Natalie Merchant Barbie circa 10,000 Maniacs "Like the Weather."
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For the modern Goth girl desiring vintage Goth Barbie, there always the eyeliner-laden, porcupine-coiffed Siouxsie Sioux belting out "Cities in Dust."
For the collector of the avant garde retro Barbie, there's the sculpted hair of the Grace Jones Barbie growling "Pull up to the Bumper."
Let's not forget the 80's Lady Barbies for the baby dykes and grown-up girls among us. First up there's the Melissa Etheridge doll set complete with long red blazer, and a heart-break repair kit for the "Similar Features" years. And if rock's not your thing, there's the k.d. Lang "Absolute Torch and Twang" Barbie that complete with a fringed skirt, lariat and designer crew cut.
And finally, for the modern Miley Cyrus loving tween, Mattel could offer the Debbie Gibson Bubblegum Barbie complete with the trademark black felt hat and oversized blazer building a new and improved "Electric Youth" culture.
Really, the possibilities are endless. I haven't even touched on the Pat Benatar, Taylor Dayne, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Sheena Easton and Janet Jackson Barbies.
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