Teen Skipper

Because of last Friday's post, I talked about breasts an extraordinary amount this weekend. Seriously. I'm almost over them completely.

All this talk, though, reminded me that I used to have a doll called Teen Skipper. Did anyone else have a Teen Skipper? Nobody I know seems to remember her, and people I've told about it look at my like I'm crazy.. But I swear, I'm not making her up.

My Gramma Lillian loved to give me dolls. Even though I was a tomboy, even though I actually wanted to be a boy at some point. Or maybe because of that. I got a doll as a gift at every opportunity.

So for one thing, I had an extensive Barbie collection. My favorite was the one whose hair I cut into a super cute bob. But Ballerina Barbie with the leg that kicked was cool too. And I loved Malibu Barbie and her bikini and her tan lines. I seem to recall a friend having one that actually tanned when you put her in the sun. Could the plastic really have changed colors?

Anyway, Barbie isn't my point. My point is Teen Skipper. Teen Skipper had on some sailor outfit, I think. And she had little white sneakers. She was cute but not all girly glam like Barbie. Because, you know, she was a teenager. But without the braces or pimples or food issues.

The distinguishing thing about Teen Skipper was that if you turned her arm around in a complete circle, she went from flat-chested to having breasts. The chest part of her was rubbery, rather than being hard plastic. And under that rubbery part were boobs that would poke out with a flip of the arm.

Actually, I think they came out in two stages, but I might be remembering wrong. But I think that one arm rotation and she had small ones, and two arm flips and they were all the way out. When you wanted to make her back into prepubescent Skipper, I think you turned the arm the opposite direction.

Arm flip. Boobified. Arm backwards flip. Unboobified. It was kind of fun. But how weird is this?

Like, the toy making people are sitting around trying to think of good dolls for little girls. Maybe they are talking about how Barbie is so unrealistic. What girls need is a much more realistic doll that they can relate to. Maybe one that looks all girl-next-door but sprouts magic boobs when you flip her arm!

And why didn't they ever make a Teen Ken? Similar, except perhaps you'd crank his leg to make the magic happen?