(fya*)"Call Girl Barbie"

[Mark A. Mandel]

This is an exchange that just took place on a doll collectors' forum. The
second message (the reply) is from my wife.

*for your amusement


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 01:53:11 +0000
Subject: From the About Doll Collecting Forum

6386.1

Hi,

We just this week received a Christmas catalog from a state wide chain here
in Wisconsin.  One of the items shown was "Call Girl Barbie" and she looked
like what (to be honest, many years ago) used to be referred to as a call
girl would look - very skimpy shorts outfit.  Maybe I'm just too old for the
modern world but I seem to remember that the term call girl was not a
complimentary one.  Apparently the meaning has changed (I hope) and I missed
it somehow.  Or is this a huge marketing goof or maybe even a mistake on the
part of the store chain's editor(s).

Signed, Old Fashioned and Still in Shock.

Judy

        -----


6386.2 in reply to 6386.1

This is either a misprint or an indistinct font.

The doll is called "Cali Girl", short for California Girl. Her clothes are
meant to be a reflection of her geographic location, not her career choice.

If I recall correctly, I, too, did a double take the first time I saw the
doll package.

------------- END OF FORWARDED MESSAGE ---------------------

-- Dr. Whom, Consulting Linguist, Grammarian,
    Orthoepist, & Philological Busybody
    a.k.a. Mark A. Mandel