Evolution of a Costume
The Beginning:
My coworker and I were thinking one day, gosh, what are we going to be for Halloween? I mean, it's really one of the hardest things for me to come up with - so of course, what else do I have to do at work but look up Halloween costumes on the ever informative Internet? (I don't feel like it's too incriminating to mention this on MySpace since I actually ended up forwarding my mentor the link for the same website while I was at work.) Up comes an idea: an action figure still in the box.
But what to be?
I struggled with this. What kind of action figure could I possibly be? ... And then inspiration struck - a Barbie. I could be a Barbie, with the idea made even more attractive by the fact that I in no way shape or form resemble any Barbie doll. Not that many women do, mind you, but I'm not even blonde or blue eyed. So. I had it. In a blinding flash, I realized that I could be a Barbie friend ... Overweight Weightloss Fanny. From the eighties.
Fanny's Story
Fanny was born out of Mattel's desire to cash in on the Eighties Aerobic Workout Phenomenon. Her accessories included Slim Fast for realistic Weightloss Solution Suggestions; a mirror to check the weightloss progress (or lack thereof); an "On The Town" outfit, although a loss of 20+lbs is required for the outfit to fit; eyeglasses; a fanny pack to hide that necessary stash of candy; matching head- and wrist-bands; a purple weight; an pantyline; and yes, an optional camel toe. However, due to the socially unacceptable nature of the project, Barbie Friend Weightloss Fanny was only available for one day of sale, June 12th, 1982, to coincide with the beginning swimsuit season, and was meant to be inspiration and a source of encouragement for young girls' realistic weightloss solution.
The Box
We carried the box to two parties on our shoulders ... that in and of itself was funny; we kept running into low hanging branches, which greatly amused passerbys as well as us. The paint came from a friend's house - her kid's bedroom is painted that color. Note the signature from Jane Fonda. 1982 Weightloss Fanny also came with a disclaimer: May Contain Lead Paint.
The Costume
The pants were probably a size and a half too small, but were stretchy, with bright green Hawaiian print down the side (hence the optional Camel Toe). With a good light the pantyline (and underwear color) was absolutely prevalent, as was the butt-cottage-cheese factor. Oh yes. Accessories: Note the mirror, Slim Fast cans, and "On The Town" Barbie outfit taped to the inside of the box (which is behind my right shoulder, but you can't actually see it.)
And my personal favorite:
My coworker and I were thinking one day, gosh, what are we going to be for Halloween? I mean, it's really one of the hardest things for me to come up with - so of course, what else do I have to do at work but look up Halloween costumes on the ever informative Internet? (I don't feel like it's too incriminating to mention this on MySpace since I actually ended up forwarding my mentor the link for the same website while I was at work.) Up comes an idea: an action figure still in the box.
But what to be?
I struggled with this. What kind of action figure could I possibly be? ... And then inspiration struck - a Barbie. I could be a Barbie, with the idea made even more attractive by the fact that I in no way shape or form resemble any Barbie doll. Not that many women do, mind you, but I'm not even blonde or blue eyed. So. I had it. In a blinding flash, I realized that I could be a Barbie friend ... Overweight Weightloss Fanny. From the eighties.
Fanny's Story
Fanny was born out of Mattel's desire to cash in on the Eighties Aerobic Workout Phenomenon. Her accessories included Slim Fast for realistic Weightloss Solution Suggestions; a mirror to check the weightloss progress (or lack thereof); an "On The Town" outfit, although a loss of 20+lbs is required for the outfit to fit; eyeglasses; a fanny pack to hide that necessary stash of candy; matching head- and wrist-bands; a purple weight; an pantyline; and yes, an optional camel toe. However, due to the socially unacceptable nature of the project, Barbie Friend Weightloss Fanny was only available for one day of sale, June 12th, 1982, to coincide with the beginning swimsuit season, and was meant to be inspiration and a source of encouragement for young girls' realistic weightloss solution.
The Box
We carried the box to two parties on our shoulders ... that in and of itself was funny; we kept running into low hanging branches, which greatly amused passerbys as well as us. The paint came from a friend's house - her kid's bedroom is painted that color. Note the signature from Jane Fonda. 1982 Weightloss Fanny also came with a disclaimer: May Contain Lead Paint.
The Costume
The pants were probably a size and a half too small, but were stretchy, with bright green Hawaiian print down the side (hence the optional Camel Toe). With a good light the pantyline (and underwear color) was absolutely prevalent, as was the butt-cottage-cheese factor. Oh yes. Accessories: Note the mirror, Slim Fast cans, and "On The Town" Barbie outfit taped to the inside of the box (which is behind my right shoulder, but you can't actually see it.)
And my personal favorite: