Is Anybody Else Annoyed About The Jem and The Holograms Movie?

Ok, so I hope this all comes out clearly and not a mesh of "WTF was she trying to say?", because I am heated and just typing off the top of my head. Ok, that is actually a fun mental picture of my trying to type on my laptop while it's on my head, but let's get back on track here people. And let me say, that while I am bummed about how it seems the movie will go, this post was written in fun as I found out the newest info out there. So no worries, I have not actually blown a gasket, even though my beloved childhood cartoon is being racked through the coals. *ahem* On with the post.

Ok, so if you haven't heard, Jem and The Holograms is going to be made into a live action movie. If you don't know about Jem and The Holograms, it was a cartoon in the 80s about an all female singing group. The show had to be my favorite cartoon as a child and still is now as an adult. I have literally seen every episode of the cartoon and I love that it's still popular to this day. I love that younger generations are able to enjoy it through Netflix and The Hub. I think more 80s stuff should get a chance at this kind of new generation love.

So the director of G.I. Joe Retaliation and his two buddies decided that Jem and her posse needed a live action movie of their own. Great, right? I'm not so sure. In their video calling out to fans to participate, someone made a very interesting comment. Three men are going to make a live action movie about an all female singing group. The cartoon itself is very much about females and girl power, and I just don't know if three men who "blow shit up" for a living in their live action films can actually give Jem the justice the show deserves. Don't get me wrong, I was slightly excited when I first heard about this movie, but there was a bigger part of me that felt that Hollyweird was going to find some way to mess things up. And today was the first major clue that I wasn't far from right on my thoughts.

The girls picked to play Jem/Jerrica, Kimber, Aja, and Shana are just that, girls. There is no way I would believe that these young ladies would own a recording studio as well as an orphanage. Jerrica, her sister and their friends were in their mid to later 20s maybe even edging on 30 in the cartoon. They were very strong figures that you could see taking care of a house full of girls and running a business that was constantly under attack by Eric and The Misfits. But the young ladies cast for the roles just don't fit that image. Ok, I know this is a retelling of the story, if I am reading things I find online right, so perhaps they are the perfect age for the story that is being told, but then it's no longer Jem and The Holograms for me. Perhaps this is before Jerrica and Kimber's parents die, but I don't think it is. It just throws off what I know and love about the show and makes me sad for what this movie will actually be.

And speaking of the girls, I am so angry that the one cast to play Shana is not a female with a darker skin

tone. The one picked is biracial and looks lighter than the young lady playing Aja. This really upsets me. What is so wrong with casting a girl with the right color complexion. You cannot tell me that they couldn't find the right young lady to fill the spot. As the articles out there read, this cast is made up of mostly unknown actresses who've only really been on tv. So picking a girl from obscurity to play Shana would not have mattered one bit. My sister says "That's Hollywood for you", and while I know that is true, it still really bothers me. I think the casting crew should be ashamed of themselves for not choosing a female with a darker skin tone. This just honestly makes me dislike the idea of the movie more and more. Also, in the video announcing the movie, the director says he wants fans involved in all aspects of the movie and that included acting in the movie. I know for a fact many girls who fit Shana's characteristics would have fit in the role perfectly. Watch this video to see an audition for the movie, you'll see what I mean.

See, she fit Shana's characteristics so much better. Nothing against the girl who was picked, it's just she doesn't fit the role right. But come on, all the girls in the above video fit the bill a little bit closer. I mean Kimber has red hair, not orange. And if we go back to, it's a retelling of the story, then Jerrica should have the red hair, Kimber should be the older sister, and Aja should be British instead of Asian. It wouldn't be the same story then, right? Exactly. Just the slightest change makes it not true to the story. Also, where is Raya? This is why I feel this is before Jerrica and Kimber's parents die, because it makes no sense to leave Raya out of movie. And although we don't know who will be The Misfits yet, I'm assuming there is no Jetta either. Which has me thinking, if the time period is before the death of the parents, will The Misfits even be in the movie? Doesn't Jerrica meet The Misfits after getting into it with Eric and severing ties with him causing him to find a new place to work? Ahhhh!!! I'm telling you, they are going to mess this story up!!! *deep breath*

Ok, after some research I've found that it seems there will be no Misfits, no magical earrings, and no Synergy. Ok, without those earrings and Synergy there are no Holograms. Omg, please don't tell me it's going to be like a Siri thing. Pretty please with sugar on top, don't let it be that awful. From what I've read, it seems the girls will be internet singing sensations and that's how they get their start. *sad sigh* Really? That's the best they can do? Oh and they are writing all new songs, which will no doubt be along the lines of Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and every other pop act out there. *sad sigh again*

Also, it seems that this big thing about casting fans and having fans involved was just a way for creators to get some free viral marketing by having people hashtag all their movies and entries about the movie in social media with their hashtag #jemthemovie. Then they only give some people bit parts and that's about it from the fans. I mean they didn't even get the original creator and anyone from the original show involved. They are truly going for their own vision of the show and from reading various posts, the fans, younger and older, are so not happy, and a lot of them have created a new hashtage they are passing around called #boycottjemthemovie. Another hashtag that is going around now too is #WeWantChristy in a bid to get Christy Marx on the movie team. I mean let's face it, most of the crew seems like they were born after the show went off the air, so they don't know what an icon Jem was for the time. They don't have that relation to her, so messing up the story will be super easy for them. The fans are aware of this, and they are making themselves be heard.

Also, I hate sounding like I am yet another voice in the already loud crowd of those angry over how women

are depicted in media and the lack of people of color in media, because I try to be neutral, but I just couldn't keep my mouth closed with this. Not over something I loved so much as a child and related to so much. It made me believe I could be accepted as I am and if people didn't like it, oh well. Children need that, especially now with so many people not caring who the hell they offend. I think the original Jem was a step in the right direction of showing people as being equal and being judged not based on their color and looks but on their personality and character. But if we have characters not cast properly, what kind of message does that send to kids and adults alike. It'll just get a shrug and be accepted as "That's Hollywood for you". If they can mess with the ages and races of the characters, what else will they change? I'm honestly worried those girls will be wearing a few pieces of tissue and some dental floss for clothing with it being mostly a man crew. Nothing against you men out there, because there are lots of movies out there directed by men that show they got in touch with their gentle side. But come on, like I said, these guys "blow shit up" for a living. So umm, yeah, that's all I will say about that.

And on that note I will bring this lovely novel of a post to a close. I think I mostly got it all off my chest. If you are interested in keeping tabs on what's going on with the movie, you can check out their Tumblr here, and there is also a blog that I believe a fan is running here. It has some added info I couldn't find elsewhere, but I am not 100% sure if their info is right. Seems legit, but read at your own disclosure. And I will talk to you lovely people later. Until next time. Take care. Bye for now. :-)

Mattel Sales Are Down

So while surfing the web, way past my bedtime, I came across an article about how Mattel suffered a 5% drop in sales, 14% of that was on Barbie alone. Mattel lost 11 million dollars in their first quarter this year. This also comes after a really bad holiday season where most of their inventory was put on discount to try to sell it off.

So during the whole MGA/Mattel, or Bratz vrs. Barbie debacle, I admit, I wanted to see Mattel go down, or at least be knocked off their pedestal. I felt it was unfair of them to get away over something so petty and something I feel they had no right to. I felt they were afraid of competition and wanted a monopoly on fashion dolls. But now to see they are suffering, even with their popular Monster High and Ever After High doll lines, it is quite sad. I loved Barbie as a kid and while I think competition is good, it would be sad to see this company continue to fail. Now I know they could come up with the next "big thing" and be in the black again, and I know a lot of companies are suffering, it just surprised me to see they are suffering. However, with my experience in retail, the first few months of the year are always slow and then things pick up. Usually the first quarter is hard for everyone, from my retail experience. So things should start looking up for Mattel, especially since the acquired Mega Brands which makes Lego's rival Mega Bloks, and they have launched a toy gun line called BOOMco. So things may start to look up for them this year.

I guess I found this all interesting because I really do have a passion for getting into the toy business, and I wonder how much a struggle it would be. Clearly there is way more competition out there, and you need to have the "it product" and keep up on trends, and it's really any company's chance to be the big dog in the industry. I just wonder if my dreams are too big and will set me up for a major burn in the end, or am I just letting self-doubt tap on my shoulder? I don't know why I am even bothered by any of this now. It's a ways off for now, but researching toy companies isn't a bad step to see how the industry is looking. I need to try to find some stats on other toy companies. If Mattel slipped in sales, does that mean someone took top dog position? Or has everyone slipped in sales but Mattel still reigns supreme? Guess that's something new to google...after a few hours of sleep that is.

But yeah, I just wanted to post about this since it is kind of doll related. Not sure who may have found this interesting, but I just figured if the company that is the main supplier of a lot of our dolls is suffering, what does that mean for collectors down the line? Will they have to cut costs more? Will we get cheaper quality dolls? Will lines be cut? Is Barbie in trouble of becoming a thing of the past? Inquiring minds want to know. And on that note I am off guys. I will talk to you again soon. Until then, take care. Bye for now.

Organizing My Life and Happy Easter

So I have decided that in order to get to where I want to be in life I need to organize my life, real and virtual. So I am doing both at the same time. Spring cleaning in my home and cleaning up my computer and the places I visit online. So I decided I first wanted to clean up my Pinterest so I can start using it more. Sure, it's a time-waster, but it gives you access to such great ideas, and since I want to become more crafty in life, it's where I need to be. But I have noticed my boards were made specifically for me and not really with any organization in mind. I joined Pinterest in it's wee early days and like many, I just posted stuff anywhere, I've double pins in boards, and it's just not organized, so I want to do that so I can reference it better for doll crafts and crafts in general, along with other things I pin there.

Along with Pinterest I want to organize my bookmarks. I have tons and no of them I visit because they are not organized. I have decided that I can't read ALL THE BLOGS so I need to find the few I cherish, make a blogroll, and stick to that unless I find a blog I really, really, REALLLLLLLLY like. I'll be updating the blog with pages for my blogroll so you guys and see the awesome people I read and maybe find some new blogs to read.

Speaking of blogs, I am opening up my old blogs again. I just stopped everything when I was with "he who shall not be named", and well he made me feel so foolish about so many things I loved in life, that I just let them all go. So it's so hard to get back into them because I feel foolish about them still. But blogging made me happy. Interacting made me happy, and I hope I can reconnect with you all again very soon and make blogging a daily event in my life and vlogging as well. I may have mentioned it, I have a silly tutorial video I want to upload and share with you as a start to my tutorial and vlogging for dolls and crafts.

I have big plans. I've had big plans and I just wouldn't allow myself to see them through. Now I want to so badly. And I am making slow strides to make it happen. Once I finish my organizing and cleaning I will be able to move on to FINALLY opening the shop, starting my Youtube channels properly, and blogging hopefully every day. I just need to be organized first so I can respond back to people, which by the way, I want to thank everyone who has commented on my blog. In my depression I shied away from my blog, interacting, and responding, and for that I am so sorry. I have responded to all the comments from 2014, but to go and further back would take forever and I doubt it would be relevant to you any more. So please accept this collective THANK YOU and I hope you will continue to comment. It's ok if you want to wait first to see if I keep my word about blogging, that's understandable, just know that your comments have been read and they mean a lot to me and thank you so much for them.

So yeah. That is where I am now. It's a bit overwhelming as I try to find my way back into this. I used to know what I wanted from the hobby, and now I am a bit scattered-brained. I would like my doll hobby to become a career in some sort. I have dreams of becoming a doll designer, or a toy designer in general. I just know my heart is in toys, dolls, collectables, and making kids of all ages smile with their new toys and dolls. So that's my lifetime goal I guess. For now it all starts with properly rejoining the community I have loved for years. I hope all of you are having a wonder Easter, if you don't celebrate Easter I hope you are having a lovely Sunday, and I will be back with a new update very, very, VERY soon. :-) Until next time guys. Take care. Bye for now. :-)

A Quick Box Opening

Hey guys, I have a few old reviews/box openings that I wanted to do, and just never got around to it. So I figured I’d get started with them so I can empty my computer of the pictures so I can take more pictures. Logical, right?

So, ever since my sister got a Resinsoul Bei, I’ve wanted one to make into a mini cyber-goth. However, I’m wondering if she is just a bit to small to do that. I want to go into full detail with her, but in 1/6th scale it may just be to small. I’m going to try it though and see how it turns out.

So I ordered my girl, whom I’ve named Leia, during Junkyspot’s 2013 Black Friday event. I got her on the last day when everything on the site was, I believe, 20% off. Good price, so I snatched her up, and I was able to get her in tan. 

I think it’s so sweet how there are always extra little goodies included in your package from Junkyspot. When I finally open my shop I am so going to take a leaf out of their book and pop some goodies in all the packages I send out. Everyone loves a little something extra in their package.

What??? No bubble wrap? Where is my mummy?!? Well I guess a plastic mummy will have to do. I love how she looks purple. I took the pictures as a rainstorm was coming in and it was starting to get dark outside.

So purple. LOL! I am kind of bummed that they don’t come in baggies any more. They come with this big pillow now. I guess for when they are in their boxes or bags? *sigh* Oh well. I guess I should take her out more and then I won’t have to worry about where I store her. Just don’t know where to store her because sun peeks into my house at all angles even with the blinds closed. *sigh* I lead such a hard life.

I decided to use the flash on my camera and it actually caught her in her right color. Maybe a little tiny bit washed out, but she’s so beautiful. I am not sure what direction I am going to go with her. I bought different eyes for her, not a fan of her default eyes. In the picture above with her wrapped in her pillows and surrounded by goodies, you can see a zip-lock baggie and that holds a wig cap for her and her new eyes. I got her some green eyes, but I am not sure if I will keep them. I may have to get her new eyes. I keep buying so much stuff for my dolls that don’t work out, but I just can’t get rid of them, always thinking I will eventually have a doll that can use them. LOL! But can’t wait to share her transformation here.

So my initial thoughts on her? I love her. She’s super cute, and has adorable elf ears. I am slightly bugged by how her mouth is done because one side kind of hitches up where they other side doesn’t. So not a fan of that, but I will get used to it. Also, her stringing is horrendous. I want to try to find some stronger elastic and restring her, along with Mori…I changed Midori’s name, and along with Christmas Noel. Their stringing is just too loose, and when I pull up on the strings they become kicky. I want to make them a little more fun to pose and play with. I know, first world doll owner problems.

I need to make a master to-do list and post it here on my blog, and that way I can knock them off here as I do them all. Super excited to jump back into dolls, toys, crafting, and more. I am going to also tinker with the blog some to make it a little more fun as well and perhaps get it ready to become my focus point. I’ve got plans and hope to reach most of them this year.

Ok, and that’s all for now guys. I hope all of you are doing well, and another review/box opening is coming soon. Take care until next time.  Bye for now lovelies.