wow! i'm really fascinated by how generation girl reflected technological advancements and globalization. what a shame that 9/11 played a role in the brand's demise and the characters choices to study elsewhere. so interesting that the characters actually addressed the tragedy though!
I have felt for a long time Mattel did a better job (than certain competitors) of respecting kids' intelligence with the topics they covered in their lines/media tie-ins, ei: giving characters personality, conflicts, and not shying away from real world topics. Even through Monster High/EAH it felt that way. Certain Competitors still make some pretty vapid media content, even if their dolls are nice.
I LOVED Generation Girls. I remember the dance party commercial so well. I had Barbie and I was obsessed with her outfit. I always really wanted Tori because I loved her hair.
Theory: The Mystery Squad line was originally intended to be released as a new wave of Generation Girl dolls with Drew, Shawnee, and Kenzie being the ninth, tenth, and eleventh friends introduced in the line. This could possibly happen if 9/11 didn't happen.
Update: I follow one of the Mattel Designers who were behind this line on IG. I forgot their handle but all I know is that they designed this, Mystery Squad, Winx Club Color Magic Wings dolls, and Winx Club Nymph Daphne. One of his post states the original premise of Mystery Squad that mentions Dani (Drew's preliminary name), Shawnee, and Kenzie being Generation Girls. So it is likely that indeed this theory is true.
Fun Fact: Kath Soucie ( The voice of Phil and Lil DeVille, Princess Sally, and Maddie Fenton etc.) voiced the Generation Girl version of Barbie in the Gotta Groove Video Game.
Me & my sister owned all the characters! Some from the original line & some from the dance party but I’m almost certain we owned both Nichelle’s. I was sooo obsessed with GG, I think they released in my country closer to the switch of the millennium? I made my dad buy me “disco-lighting” and would host a party for my dolls in my room 🤣
I remember never being able to find Torii. Admittedly though, I only wanted her because she had the same hair as Sailor Moon. I wound up just giving my Skipper doll the same hair.
I LOVED IT, Such a great great investigation, My Scene basically is the spiritual succesor of GG and now it makes much more sense that they initially were a spin-up barbie line using Barbie as a character rather than a separate doll line which later they become after Barbie's leaving
the world changed drastically from the late 90s to early 2000s, especially pop culture. that change can be seen when comparing mattel dolls from the mid 90s to ones from the late 90s/early 2000s - Mattel made SO many attempts at making a "trendy tween" doll line(GG, Flavas, Diva Starz...) none of which had major impact UNTIL My Scene. It's interesting to see how many lines and different concepts Mattel came up with before My Scene debuted. Generation Girl was without a doubt one of their best lines, it had everything. It's also somewhat disturbing to me how the 9/11 attack even affected barbie's fictional world... Not sure if you mentioned it, but the Really Rad as well as Tori and Chelsie GG dolls use the Teen Skipper body mold, to make them appear more youthful:) Would LOVE a video on all of Barbie's big main lines of the 2000s such as Cali Girl, Happy Family and American Idol! But take your time, don't feel pressured🙌 Also, haven't you made a video on Diva Starz? I vividly remember it but can't find it anywhere xD If you haven't yet, you've got to!
I haven't made a Diva Starz video yet, but it's definitely on my list (My Scene too!). The early 2000s was definitely an interesting era for Mattel, and I think that as under appreciated as some of their doll lines of that time were, the attention to detail was immaculate!
@@LKx979 it was sad how it didn’t pass the test of time lol they were special but after a little while it’s like....what do I do with it now....she’s a chunk of plastic I can’t exactly move or pose or play with organically and she’s already said just about all of her lines....my mom tried so hard to get the dolls for my sister and I too 😭 they were definitely a special memory so the investment paid off there but they were also short lived
I chose Chelsea as my first Generation Girl barbie for Christmas 1998, and looking back I cant' imagine why. I would so much rather have Tori or Nichelle or Ana now. I have to get around to getting them on eBay before the prices rise now that this era of Barbie is gaining popularity. I got most of the second prom themed series on clearance at KB Toys in 2000. I absolutely worshiped my Mari doll. She was the coolest looking doll I had ever had. She was essentially the antithesis of Chelsea.
i had Mari, she was cute as heck. i also super disliked flat-foot barbies as a kid, their feet didn't fit into all the other barbie shoes! great video!
I used to have Bed Light Magic Barbie and Kelly but we got rid of her because we found it difficult to find at least one pair of shoes that would fit her.
This video was so well done and I found it very interesting! I had no idea of the in depth details about this part of the Barbie brand so I thought it was very interesting getting to hear about it! I really loved this!! Great job!!
Ugh, this hit me super hard in the nostalgia feels 🥺 thank you for all the work you put into these videos! I'm going to go watch your Generation Girl website videos for the 100th time now and sprinkle in the Mystery Squad one after lol
Fantastic video as usual! I’ve always had an appreciation for the Generation Girl line, they really were one of the best Barbie lines of the late ‘90s/early 2000s. It’s a shame they were cut short because of 9/11. 😭 I would love to see a video on Teen Skipper 😍
Wow; I thought I knew everything about the GGs considering I was obsessed by them when they came out but you still managed to teach me even more about them! Thank you 😘
!!!! this was like a nostalgia smack, i remember i had both the generation girls book and the tori doll from mcdonalds -with those outrageous side ponytails and baggy pants... i was born in 1997 so i must have been just around three years old! then again, i dont know how long it might have taken for the doll line to reach the south american market 🤔
You could at least mention that GG bodies & head sculpts were used on all 2000s Barbie film dolls, which in turn are the most iconic Barbies from that era
I think you mean the Jewel Girl body with the wider, non-twisting waist, as Mattel was phasing out TNT bodies in the early 2000s. But the movie dolls definitely were iconic, and deserve a video of their own. Thanks for watching!
I remember seeing the Generation Girls advertised on TV shortly after I outgrew playing with dolls... I felt a pang about how much growing up sucks, and wished they'd been around when I was younger 😂
This just unlocked some major core memories 😮 I think I had all of the original generation girl dolls except for Ana and Nichelle! I remember their outfits so distinctly and I had the books!
I’m so glad you did a video on this line. It was one of my favorites. I always wanted to collect these dolls and play with them. I read the group chats on the generation girl website whenever I could get a chance to go to the library and access the Internet there.we didn’t have it in our home yet. And as a boy, I couldn’t actually get my parents to let me have the doll. Still, I was obsessed with them and read their books in the library. I was so sad when it continued. And I was really sad when Chelsea was phased out because she was my favorite.
You're literally one of my favorite RU-vidrs at the moment ❤️😭 I love watching your videos to learn new stuff about all of these amazing doll lines 😭 I would love to see a video about My Scene, Winx or EAH dolls 😅 Maybe even the old Fashionistas or Life in the dream house
oh goodness I remember these dolls so well! My parents let me and my sister each choose one to buy one which was a huge deal to us. We had Chelsie and Lara, I still have them I think
Lara was my favorite GG doll. I’ve always loved the brunette dolls, and she’s artistic (like me!), from France (I’m a huge Francophile), and shares the same name as my childhood idol: Lara Croft. I only have the first wave Lara doll, but I really wanted the My Room Lara cause I thought her room was so pretty! Instead I got My Room Tori, which is fine, but I wasn’t too crazy on Tori cause she used a Teen Skipper body with semi-flat feet.
I came across your channel today & I’ve already watched multiple videos! I’m obsessed with your content. If your looking for future videos suggestions i think you should consider making a video about the Arabian fashion doll Fulla. As a Middle Eastern Fulla was one of my most favorite & recognizable fashion dolls from my childhood. 😍
I had Tori and Chelsie! They ended up being two of my most played with lol. Especially their accessories. Tori had a laptop with a bunch of different screens you could switch. Chelsie's guitar had real strings. I'd strum the shit out of it just for fun lmao Anyone else see Draculara in Mari? Man, I had more of these than I thought. VITAMIN C!!!!!! She was my favorite doll!!! This video is just full of pops for me lmao
@@HaveYouHeardDolls i don't know... In the 9/11 the Bratz had barely appear i can't picture Mattel seen them as competence in such a early moment but who knows
Generation Barbie, Lara, Ana and Nichelle used the body that was created for the Shani doll line; Tori, Chelsie and Mari used the Teen Skipper body which had flat feet. The Dance Party Blaine doll box features photos of a prototype using the Zach sculpt but the production doll used a different sculpt, based on male model Tracy James; I don't believe Mattel ever released a doll with the Zach sculpt. Cali Blaine used yet another new sculpt, different from Generation Blaine.
I liked Barbie lines where Mattel gave the friend characters some personalities/quirks and more distinct outfits, rather than making them generic, X-recolor of Barbie's outfit. Though they've really been churning out a lot of Barbie movies and series, so it's been hard for me to keep track of all the new friends 😂
Besides Generation Girl, Mystery Squad, My Scene and SIS, my favorite 2000s Barbie friends were the ones that were in the main Barbie line (Midge, Christie, Teresa, Kira, Kayla, Lea, Summer, Raquelle, Nikki, and Grace)
