Netflix - The Toys That Made Us is worth a watch

[Eseme]

Hello!

If you are interested in the history toys (including dolls like Barbie and action figured like GI Joe) I highly recommend the documentary on Netflix called The Toys That Made Us.

The intro says it is an 8 part documentary series, currently 4 episodes are up on Netflix with the rest due later this year.

Episode 1 is about the Star Wars toys (and how Hasbro lost the most lucrative toy license ever).

Episode 2 is about Barbie (and worth watching for the female executives gloating about how they beat Hasbro's Jem to market with Barbie and the Rockers by essentually spying on Hasbro and then paying to rush production).

Episode 3 is He-Man (again, awesome staff interviews).

Episode 4 is about GI Joe, and includes a very rare interview with the man who pitched the idea to Hasbro and took a one-time lump sum payment (and thus lost out on hundreds of thousands of dollars) - you can hear the voice of the inventor of GI Joe.

Really great series for anyone who is a toy fan, and interested in production, design, and the people behind toy creation. Really good interviews with people who were there. I really enjoyed it.

Eseme

[ugg333]

Thank you!
Watching now

[Tasuke]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf3zpuN_G1o

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_the_Toys_Come_From

[Stormlight]

I watched it a few weeks back, and it was really interesting. I just wish it had more episodes. There are SO many franchises to be explored. Transformers (which have their roots in GI Joe), My Little Pony, the Cabbage Patch Kids, etc....

I did love that Barbie was created after a Swedish (or Swiss? I forget which country) sex doll, though.

[DollyKim]

Bild Lily was German.

Why we accept dolls and other human representations with distortions is in the How Art Made the World episode More Human Than Human. It's an eye opener to why we like the dolls we do in a good way.

[Eseme]

Stormlight - Season 2 is now up, and includes Transformers! Including interviews with the original Japanese designers!
Also Hello Kitty!

I really enjoyed this series.

Eseme

[Stormlight]

Yep, I watched the whole season already. Now eagerly waiting for season three! lol