Sunday, October 25, 2009

Johnny, Bargain Ethnic Fashion Doll




Behold, Johnny, the Bargain Ethnic Doll.

Someone gave him to me as a gag gift. The kind of gift that deliberately fails to impress ... oh, you shouldn't have gifts. The kind of gift that evokes "eeewww" as a response rather than "oh." I collect dolls and action figures. But I collect quality stuff: it doesn't have to be expensive, but usually, I do not DO cheesy.

Johnny is a cheap male fashion doll. I use "cheap" to refer to price and to the quality of the material. What's the difference between an inexpensive doll and a cheap one? Weight is one factor. If I hold Johnny in one hand and one of the Chic Boutique dolls in my other hand, Johnny feels much lighter. Details are another factor. If you look at the doll, and you think, not bad, that's an inexpensive doll. You receive something decent for your money. Looking at a cheap doll, you cry for the plastic so abused. Really cheap dolls provoke a full body shudder.

Johnny falls under the cheap category, but ... he has something most cheap dolls and many better priced dolls lack: ethnic identity. Johnny has African American features. He's NOT a "White" doll in "brown" plastic. He's a Black doll.

Oddly enough, no company claims Johnny as their own. The company printed on his box, Ocean Desert Sales of Philadelphia, PA, only distributes products to various dollar and discount stores.

17 comments:

Niel said...

Maybe you can salvage parts like the head. Just a thought...

Black Doll Enthusiast said...

Johnny screams "cheap" and the pink lips on dark brown skin scream "cheaper." I don't like that combination on GQ dolls. He's definitely an "OMG, why'd they do that?" type of play "thing."

Diva Nay said...

I am sorry but all I can say is ewwwwwwwww. LOL!! I can't even get past the pink lips. Hopefully you can find something to do with him.

D7ana said...

Niel, I like Johnny enough to keep him, but I consider him a background figure so I won't re-body him. Unless I find a body that complexion ... then maybe ....

Debbie and Renee, yes, Johnny reeks of cheap LOL. I suppose I could tone down his lips, but then again, the contrast is part of his cough, charm LOL. Maybe I'll dude him up with a pastel suit. Some Western boots and a big floppy felt hat ... the ladies will fall over him.

There's Crystal aka AA Harley Davidson Barbie drawing out a can of hair spray. Can't imagine why she would need that with her braids ... oh!

RoxanneRoxanne said...

LOL! Your dollar store doll is better than mine. Mine is a brown doll with a big pompadour hairstyle.

Dolls of Color said...

oh wow... I don't know how I missed this... I think I'd just breathed in some food *ouch* HAHAHAHA *cough* ROFL

D7ana said...

Oh, I thought Johnny was available all over the U.S. Do you have a photo of your dollar store guy? Maybe we can do cross blog posting about dollar store finds.

AilanthusAltissima said...

I kind of like him, actually. I don't go to dollar stores often, but I may have to go look for him. I collect at various price points including some playline dolls. They aren't the bulk of my collection, but I have many. I think I find them intersting because of what they say about our culture. I think it is amazing to find an ethnic male doll at this price point. The fact that he exists means that there is some kind of market for him - that there are enough interested children (or parents) out there to justify the cost of his production. Thanks for sharing his pic!

D7ana said...

Hi Therese! Sending virtual back pats your way. Hope your throat clears, etc.

Ailanthus Altissima, I agree with you about Johnny being special in that he is an ethnic-featured doll at a bargain price. So not only is there a market for him, but there is at least one cheap company willing to produce a doll like him.

I have seen Johnny dressed in African menswear at doll fairs. If the company had skipped the pink lip color, Johnny would fall in with other ethnic male fashion dolls.

Ms. Leo said...

I have him also. I covered the lips with brown eye pencil and put the head on a Menilek-Olmek body. He looks pretty good! If you get a good/interesting face you can always find a body. New faces are really hard to come by. I just bought an AA Ripcord that I plan to put on a new body so that he fits clothes.

D7ana said...

Yes, Leonaamon, new faces are harder to come by so that secures Johnny's place here.

I like the tip about darkening aka neutralizing his lip color with a brown pencil.

Now I'm thinking, Back burner project here, of getting him a new body. Hmmm ... do I want him thin though or muscular. Decisions ;-D

RoxanneRoxanne said...

Dana, be careful what you ask for! LOL! I've posted a blog entry with my dollar store guys.

D7ana said...

Roxanne, I'm glad I asked. I enjoyed seeing your dollar store guys and reading about their relations in your doll community. (That blonde Barbie just keeps trading up, hmmm?)

Amazing the variety of dollar store dolls available. Thanks again for reading here and for sharing at your blog.

Anonymous said...

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000407784154

D7ana said...

Thanks, Anonymous, for sharing your FB link where you have Johnny as your representative. I had to "like" you for that ;-D

Anonymous said...

Since I'm so late to the party, I don't know if you'll see this. I've been trying to find a new Johnny doll for years, as mine has had numerous injuries from my dog and cat. He still keeps smiling through the pain... https://www.facebook.com/fantasticplasticjohnny

Anonymous said...

Core memory unlocked lol