Cougar Barbie

American Doll Sensation of My Childhood, Barbie, is 50 years old. I missed her Birthday by about a week but once you're this old you really don't give a shyte if anybody really remembers. At this age you're just an old Cougar. Those 60s stretch pants and tiger stripes just really don't cut it after a certain age. Or do they? Birthday Cake? "I'm not blowing that thing out it will show all my wrinkles." Well, I suppose that Barbie's spent wads on Botox at this point and doesn't give these matters a second thought. Sorry, Barbie, the big let down about Age 50 is that you gotta go through your Chiron Return. "Too Soon We Get Old; Too Late We Get Wise." That's Chiron's motto. My Grandmother used to say it all the time.

Barbie, for those who either don't know because they weren't born yet or for those who loved and adored their Barbies (like me) and can't remember because Alzheimer's is no longer considered "Early Onset" -- Barbie is a Doll. When any Toy turns 50 it is officially considered an Antique. So Barbie, Sorry Doll, you are a Golden Oldie.

But pay that no mind. Shirley Temple Dolls were considered a "Doll" Sensation as well back when my Mother was growing up and I remember watching the real Shirley Temple laugh about how she had just turned 50 and was considered an Antique. She was absolutely adored by Antique Dealers by that point and was also a well-respected Politician.

So, Barbie was officially born on Mar. 9, 1959 for Mattel Corp.

Barbie
b. Mar. 9, 1959 PLace?

Sun 19 Pisces; Moon Pisces?; NN 15 Libra

On her last Birthday she was not only going through her Solar Return, but was also going through a Venus Return at 16 Aries and a Chiron Return which was joined by transiting Neptune and Mars. That's not all, pretty much all of the outer planets were aspecting something or other in Barbie's chart. I'm haven't been seen the Walgreen's shelves bulging with Age 50 Barbies the same way that Age 40 Barbies were marketed. Guess it means a different thing to be turning 50 during a major economic downturn. With Pluto in Capricorn I have actually heard that thin lips are now considered sexy. Hmm, maybe that was a delusion. If that's so, Barbie's got to undo those Collagen lips. When Pluto's on your natal Saturn, there's probably more than that one has to undo, but best not to wreck the festivities with that irrelevant silliness.

So Barbie is a Double Pisces which means that she was let loose on the American Public during a Pisces New Moon. Pisces rules Glamour and Barbie was the first curvy, modern adult doll that young American girls had to play with. By fun coincidence her most inspired body part is considered the Feet. Well, in addition to those boobs. (The boobs probably come from the original German Doll that Barbie was cloned/stolen from). Explains those tiny curvy high-heel feet that inspired 3 generations of Birkenstock wearers among us. Barbie was Modern and yet her feet were perpetually bound to fit only high heels that suggest an Imperialistic Chinese upbringing.

But, I hate to say, Barbie wasn't an American Original. She was a Copy Cat based curvy arch to curvy arch on a German Doll named Lilli by the Mattel Toy Company Owner's wife, Ruth Handler. I seem to remember that she was created in some sort of uber new plastic which was meant to last and last and last. As kids we used to test the durability of the plastic in all kinds of sadistic ways which I'm sure would be considered anti-social by the psychologists these days.

So Ruth Handler was Mr. Mattel's wife, traveling through German toy stores looking for ideas to borrow I guess for her husband's company. She found the Bild Lilli doll which was originally created in 1955 and based on a German Cartoon written by Reinhard Beuthien which was first published in June 24, 1952. Beuthien was told to fill a spot for an empty cartoon spot in a paper. He made the original cartoon about a big baby. Pretty funny considering there was a New Moon in Cancer, sign of the Baby, on the day of Lilli's publication. There were also 3 other planets in Cancer that day. The Sun was conjunct Venus and Mercury was conjunct Uranus in Cancer.

Lilli Doll
cartoon published: June 24, 1952 Germany
Doll manufactured: 1955 - 1964

Sun (c. Venus and trine Mars in Scorpio); Moon Cancer or Leo; NN 25 Aquarius

As the Wikipedia article states, Beuthien was told to change the character because it disgusted his editor. Beuthien kept the Big Baby Head, the big round eyes, the pouty lips and the bulbous forehead and stuck a really sexy, modern woman's body on it. Big boobs, long legs and those creepy little feet. But, the German Barbie had lots of personality. She was a double Cancer like Leona Helmsly and Courtney Love, after all. She was a modern woman who earned her own way and was a brazen gold digger. Her wit was really raunchy. Those lucky German girls got to quote such comments as (from Wikipedia article on Lilli: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild_Lilli_doll). Anyways, one can see the Mercury-Uranus conjunction at work:

• "I could do without balding old men but my budget couldn't!"

• The cartoon always consisted of a picture of Lilli talking to girlfriends, boyfriends, her boss ("As you were angry when I was late this morning I will leave the office at five p.m. sharp!").

• to a policeman who told her that two-piece-swimsuits are banned: "Which piece do you want me to take off?"

• "Of course I'm interested in politics; no one should ignore the way some politicians dress!"

• the beauty of nature: "The sunrise is so beautiful that I always stay late at the nightclub to see it!".

Mrs. Mattel loved the doll -- she was oh so fashionable. The Mae West comments apparently didn't carry over into the Americas. Eventually Lilli was discontinued and there is talk of a law suit. No matter, Mattel cranked out the Barbies and they were an instant sensation. American Barbie had no real personality, she was simply a modern fashion statement who came with lots of accessories. Her Venus was at 17 Aries in conjunction with her South Node at 15 Libra. Her Sun was squaring Mars. And she was re-born from the Neptune in Libra/Pluto in Leo generation into the Neptune in Scorpio/Pluto in Virgo generation. One can see the loss of playfulness between the generations. Kind of interesting, though, that a post-war German doll is so much more playful than a 1960's American Doll, but pay that no mind.

Mrs. Mattel was a Scorpio which rounds out the story into a Water Sign saga but I'm busy screwing up my life and can't really wonder too much what that statement means. The story pretty much sums it up anyway.

Ruth Handler
b. Nov. 4, 1916 (Where?)

Sun 12 Scorpio; Moon Aquarius or Pisces; NN 24 Capricorn