How I'd Rename Barbie-Q

There’s no title I could come up with would match “Barbie-Q” in terms of pun quality. But if I had to rename the story, the most immediate alternative I can think of would be “Life in Plastic” or something of the like. Despite being possibly stolen from the Aqua song, I like it here for two reasons:

One, because it literally describes the lives our main characters live vicariously through their Mattel counterparts. They’ve built a world to escape to out of these dolls, a plastic alternative to their more modest situation IRL. But two, because it describes the fake flashiness of the lifestyle these dolls represent, and the rigidity of maintaining that kind of showy glamorousness. Celebrities are marketing at their core, moreso than people. Affluence is a lifestyle that turns people into brands- plastic. Maybe it’s a bit of a stretch. Maybe I just wanted a reason to listen to Barbie Girl again. If anyone’s actually got the energy to read and engage with this blog post, sound off below.

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 17, 2020 at 1:50 PM

    I like the intertextuality of your suggested alternative title, and I think it effectively speaks to the girls' living vicariously through their Barbies. I suspect I'm going to have "Barbie Girl" in my head for the rest of the day now. -Ms. O'Brien

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  2. Rani RamrattanMay 18, 2020 at 3:49 PM

    I think this is a good title and it focuses on a different aspect of the story than the original one does. I also really enjoyed how you mentioned that life today is kind of like living in plastic.

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  3. Romaisa AamerMay 18, 2020 at 5:54 PM

    I like how this title both literally and metaphorically alludes to the story's theme. "Plastic" refers to the Barbie dolls literally as well as how they're a fake representation of the flashy lifestyle they represent, as you said.

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