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Barbie Girls too much like 'Mean Girls'?

NEW YORK--Who's running things over at Mattel?

The Barbie Girls MP3 player that doubles as a paper doll with plastic clothes is now out.

First, I don't think parents should pay $59.99 for an MP3 player with 512MB of storage, even if you can dress it up. For that price I'd recommend spending a little more and getting their child the "big kid" iPod Nano or Shuffle you know they really want. To be fair, the device can hold a microSD card of up to 2GB.

But that's not my real problem with … Read more

Spotted on 'Gossip Girl': 'There's this thing called MySpace'

I'll admit it: I watched Wednesday night's series premiere of Gossip Girl, the new teen drama on the CW network that details the slightly-too-scandalous lives of privileged young New Yorkers--as chronicled by an anonymous blogger. One of the prominent characters in the first scene is a sleek LG Chocolate mobile phone. The show is packed with MacBooks, BlackBerrys, Sidekicks, and just about any other gadget that the average American high schooler could possibly want.

It is, indeed, tech-savvy. But let's face it--they aren't exactly dealing with the Gizmodo-guzzling demographic. I was betting that the word &… Read more

Barbie tries the Webkinz way

Mattel started selling a new "Barbie Girls" MP3 doll this week, in an attempt to get hip to a generation immersed in technology. About three months ago, Barbie launched a new virtual world for girls online to compete with likes of Club Penquin (recently bought by Disney) and Webkinz, maker of plush toys. Barbie's new MP3 player is designed to buoy that virtual world effort and resuscitate flagging sales of its traditional glamor doll. Barbie Girls are handheld MP3 players that can be accessorized like a doll and used to unlock special animations, make friends and shop … Read more

Prostitutes? In Washington? Shocking, and the Internet vibrates in anticipation

There's already a federal indictment of a woman accused of running a call girl ring in Washington D.C. A deputy secretary of state, Randall Tobias, has resigned. Tobias admits to using the services of Pamela Martin & Associates only for back rubs. Deborah Palfrey, the woman who ran Pamela Martin services, is gaining some notoriety in the blogosphere.

Palfrey is threatening to call many prominent D.C. men into court to testify on her behalf. Clearly, Tobias would happily back up Palfrey's claim that her service was about massage and fantasy, not prostitution.

So where are the … Read more

How to never ever ever get a date again: neckwear edition

I know how it is. You're really, really, ridiculously good-looking, aren't you? And you seemingly can't stop the influx of people who are desperate to provide you with their cell phone numbers? Doesn't it get a little annoying?

Don't worry. There are lots of things that you can do to ensure that you never score another date again. One of them is to fill your bed with pillows shaped like Mac Dashboard icons. And here's another novel idea: you can walk around with a utility scarf around your neck. As seen on The Bachelor Guy, … Read more

Can't get a date? Blame the dating sites

The popularity of online dating sites has soared as people become more comfortable with the idea of meeting someone online. But that popularity can have a double edge: looking online can mean millions more potential mates, but can also mean millions more rejections.

Dating sites have added new features that let users rate one another. But that's brought about "an emerging caste system, where highly rated daters see a lot of action, and others are deemed undateable," according to a Wall Street Journal article (subscription required). Some are being tagged for poor behavior or unattractive photos. But … Read more