Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Michael Jackson Next to Barbie Basics in Kmart

Okay, Playmates has a new Michael Jackson Thriller doll - well, he's in the doll section, but really, he's more of a figurine. Yes, figurine, NOT figure. Figures are poseable and kin to dolls. Figurines belong with sculpture. My reasoning is if the figure has clothes molded on AND the body is set in an odd pose, it's a figurine. Not a doll. Not even an action figure. But some people use "doll" for sculpted human figures of any sort. Sigh.

So I thought, what if other collectors read about a Playmates/International MJ doll and think, Barbie beau. Well, as you can see, he's 10" and NOT 12" so he's dwarfed by the taller Barbies. Not that Barbie and friends can't date shorter guys. Then he's in a dance pose that won't have much range in non-video stories. At least, if a guy with that leer and that stance - approached me, well, cowardly me, I would run. Maybe shriek. Help. Or position myself in a defense pose.

That isn't criticism of the figure which I confess, I didn't stare at long enough to form a collector's opinion. More about the placement of the item. (What's a figurine doing in the doll section?)


There will be additional Michael Jackson figurines though. The Billie Jean one has a more doll/action figure stance. So Michael sculpture fans can have another choice.

5 comments:

thedollcafe said...

I recently saw the MJ doll too. Really miss him.

Asrul "iLham" Sany said...

seen it, with the price compare to ht, this version is actually kinda nice...

too bad i'm not a fan. hohohoo

Black Doll Enthusiast said...

Hi Dana,

I agree with your definition of figurine (frozen in position/sculpture), which is why I do not actively collect them. Where else would you have them place the MJ figure in K-Mart?

dbg

RoxanneRoxanne said...

Hi Dana, these are fully articulated figures with removable clothing. They're still short though. :) I have the Billie Jean figure. He's still in the box, but I'll open him later and take pics.

D7ana said...

Hi Dollcafe! There are so many videos and so much of his music still going that I don't feel the loss as keenly as I thought I would. It's like he's still alive for me. (I mostly listened to his 80s stuff anyway.)

Thanks Asrul and Roxanne for the information that this figure is a figure and NOT a figurine.

(Oh somebody has to get her eyes examined; her glasses replaced. Yes, I do, yes I do.)

The Billie Jean figure wears a black suit and a white shirt -- now that one, I might get. I prefer the Thriller video, but for a dressed figure, I prefer the BJ outfit. And him being shorter provides variety ;-D

Aside 1: Asrul, I appreciate your MJ updates all the more since you are not a fan. I hardly ever post about the I Love Lucy figures because I am not a fan ;-P

Aside 2: Roxanne, I look forward to your deboxing him and sharing photos, etc. with us.

Hi DBG! I'd have placed a MJ figurine in the music section. Any Michael Jackson would go in the toy:doll section. Shrug. Eh, but this guy's an actual figure. So he was where he should have been :-).

Post in haste ;-D