Apparently this is serious, though a questionable choice for a Ken doll. He’s coming out in April 2010, and you can pre-order him now for only $81.99. The first line of the product description is Head to Palm Beach with Barbie! So I guess it’s safe to assume that Ken is Barbie’s Sugar Daddy and her latest “career” is gold-digger? What a role model.

Or with his “dashing jacquard-patterned jacket with a light pink polo shirt and crisp white pants” maybe Barbie is his beard? It’s hard to say, but we’ve questioned his sexuality before.

Well, this isn’t the first time Mattel has made some questionable choices with Barbie and her friends. Here are five of the most controversial, questionable, and even down-right offensive Barbies dolls.

1. Pregnant Midge

I do not find this doll to be controversial in any way, maybe a little questionable, but when this doll was released in 2002, people lost their shit.

Midge is Barbie’s friend who is married to Alan and already has a child with him. She was sold as part of the “Happy Family” collection, pregnant with her second child. This was too much for America to handle. Here’s why:

• Midge was sold without her husband Alan
• The doll first appeared without a wedding ring (which was later corrected)
• She had a magnetic stomach which was easily removed to “deliver” the baby
• Midge glamorized pregnancy and promoted teen pregnancy

Because of the outcry of enraged and concerned parents, pregnant Midge was pulled from Wal-Mart shelves. She can still be purchased on Amazon for $75 and up.

2. Barbie & Tanner–The Poop Eating Dog

This doll was a poor choice. I don’t know what was going on in the meeting where this concept was pitched that everyone ended up nodding their heads and saying this was a good idea.

Besides being a career girl (she can’t hold a job to save her life) and going out on hot dates with closeted Ken, Barbie also enjoys a fulfilling home life with her dog Tanner. Tanner is a very special pet, since he eats his poop. This set comes with a box of doggie treats (which look like brown tic tacos) which you can pour into his bowl. Tanner eats them, and then by pressing his tail down, he poops them out. Barbie can then use the popper scooper to pick them up and put them in the trash can–though she might as well just put them back in his bowl because he’s going to eat them again anyway.

Yeah, it’s a little gross. Mattel did recall the dolls in 2007, because the magnets in the scooper accessory were coming lose. You can still buy the set on Amazon for about 8.

Want to see the dog in action? Check out the Fail Toys Video Product Review.

3. Boob Growing Skipper

Skipper is Barbie’s younger sister. Apparently she was a little too young, because in 1975 Mattel decided it was time to grow-up. “Growing Up Skipper” was released with a new special feature: if you rotated her arm she grew half an inch in height and suddenly sprouted breasts!

Obviously this was an attempt by Mattel to teach girls about the wonders of puberty. Surprisingly, people were outraged. According to Dollrefernce.com: “just about every newspaper in the U.S.A. carried a story about her, some women’s groups & a few parents wrote to complain, but with sales expected at 1 1/2 million, the doll must go on to market.” And she did.

Check out a video of her magically growing chest:

4. Tramp Stamp Barbie

Now that Skipper’s all grown up, maybe she’d like to join her sister Barbie on a little trip to the tattoo parlor. Why a tattoo Barbie? Want to be a little edgier? Trying to be a role model like Amy Winehouse? Mid-life crisis?

With the introduction of Totally Stylin’ Tattoos Barbie in the Spring of 2009, parents were outraged. Not only did Barbie come with her own tattoos–and the ever classy tramp stamp of Ken’s name–she included tattoos for the young girls to wear as well, and a fake tattoo fun for easy application.

This one has yet to be recalled, so hurry up and grab one before they do.

5. Oreo Barbie

In 1997, Nabisco and Barbie teamed up for what they surely thought was the most amazing and lucrative cross-promotion opportunity of the decade. Take America’s favorite fashion doll and team it up with America’s most dunkable cookie and you have Oreo Barbie.

The doll was doing great, until they decided to release an African American version. Suddenly the Oreo Barbie didn’t seem like such a good idea anymore.

Back in 1997, their marketing team obviously didn’t have access to Urban Dictionary to look up the term “oreo.”

Term for African Americans that the black community is generally offended with for betraying their roots usually for dating caucasion girls, dressing too white, talking too white, etc. The term is branded OREO since they are “Black on the outside, White on the inside”

So the public’s response was not so great. It sold poorly and was recalled as a result, but is now a big hit among collectors. Good job Mattel.

Some toy companies just don’t know what they’re doing. They think they have a great idea, but they just don’t quite think the concept through. That’s how we end up with all of these weird and slightly disturbing toys.

1. Bebé Glotón

I originally saw this on the news, and there has been much debate over whether or not it’s wrong. In the least, it’s a little weird. Bebé Glotón is a doll designed to teach children about breastfeeding, which is a little strange. Watch the video to see the doll in action.

2. The Face Bank

Nothing like combining two great American past-times (wasting money and gluttony) to make one very informative toy. This face bank not only devours you money, it burps.

3. The “Butt Toy”

I guess we could call this “educational.” It teaches children about…well.. It’s basically a toy of a man, and when you stick a pencil in his butt, he moans and exclaims all kinds of things.

4. Phallic Shaped Kid’s Slide

So, your kid is turning 8 and you’re having a birthday party. You want to get something inflatable and fun for the kids to burn off all that sugar energy from the cake. Bouncy castle? No, too cliche. Penis-shaped slide? Perfect.

5. Baby Pee Pee

I’m not sure what’s creepier, the baby with the moving penis that sprays you right in the face, or the father in this commercial.

I can give excuses. I was moving. I was unemployed. I was distracted by Iran. I was moving again. But really, that doesn’t make it ok.

I am alive. This site has not been abandoned.

But just to prove I haven’t been in a coma this whole time, check out 5 other site’s (humorous) lists I’m enjoying today.

1. The 9 Stupidest Products Of All Time
I still cannot believe “The Tiddy Bear” is serious. Includes the wonderfully named “Ayds Diet.”

2. 9 Toys That Prepare Children for a Life of Menial Labor
Who would want to play working at McDonalds?

3. 5 Ways People Are Taking Harry Potter Waaay Too Seriously
A man changed his name to “Harry Potter” to win an election for Governor. Seriously.

4. 13 Things That Change the World (by Getting Thrown Away)
Funny results of a photoshop contest.

5. 15 Weirdest Etsy Finds
Ever wanted a necklace of intestines? Your dreams are about to come true.

Luckily, there are some people who use this technology for good, and create clever and often humorous videos. Some of the most ingenious are the trailer remixes.

Basically someone takes a movie, edits the footage, dialogue, slaps on a little music, and then can completely change the movie’s plot or genre. Sometimes they’re crap, sometimes they’re okay, and sometimes they’re absolutely brilliant.

Here are the five best trailer remixes:

5. Sleepless in Seattle

One of the essential, classic rom coms, what if it were a thriller with an obsessed Meg Ryan stalking the lovable Tom Hanks? This trailer dares to wonder…

4. The Ring

Now what would happen if something did the opposite: took a scary film and turned it into a tear-jerker? Then you’d end up with a heartwarming version of The Ring.

3. Brokeback to the Future

Using the Back to the Future films, this trailer teases the touching story of a forbidden love that crosses decades.

(I promised myself I would only feature one Brokeback Mountain parody on this list, but I just have to link to Star Wars: The Empire Brokeback–the story of forbidden love between two droids, R2-D2 & 3-CPO.)

2. 10 Things I Hate About Commandments

Did you ever wonder what the Charlton Heston Classic The 10 Commandments would be like if it were a teen comedy? I didn’t either, but I’m glad someone did. This remix is absolutely brilliant!

1. Shining

This is hands down, the best movie trailer remix I have ever seen. I have only ever seen The Shining once, and it was so disturbing that I will never watch it again. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be possible for The Shining to be a feel good movie. This video proves that anything is possible.

If you are one of that majority, then I think you will enjoy my list of ways to score something awesome for free.

1. Craigslist

I absolutely love Craigslist. It is an amazing resource for finding things, people, places, and even pets. One of it’s best features is it’s free section.

You can get anything from moving boxes, to furniture, or even love. The site has a search function, which makes it easy to find the coffee table or 1980s encyclopedia set you’ve just got to have.

Personally, I enjoy just browsing the page. You never know what you could score. There was even a guy who traded one red paper clip, and then kept trading over Craigslist until he ended up with a house.

2. Freecycle

They put it best: “Freecycle provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to “recycle” unwanted items. One person’s trash can truly be another’s treasure!”

Similar to Craigslist in some ways, Freecycle has groups available in different cities. You do have to join the groups before you can access the postings. Messages are posted in two categories, Offers and Wants. So if you’re looking for something in particular you can post a WANT ad.

Once you find something you like, all you have to do is go get it!

3. Samples

I love samples. They’re free, they give you a chance to try something new, and a lot of time’s they’re really handy.

You can score them at the store or also sign up for them online. Walmart.com’s samples are some of the best around. There are also many blogs devoted to the subject, a few of my favorites being Hey It’s Free! and Sweet Free Stuff.

A lot of times the samples are “travel sized,” perfect for traveling or tossing in your purse or backpack. I’ve never bought lotion to carry in my purse, I’ve just used sample bottles.

4. Coupons

Coupons have been getting a lot of buzz lately as a great way to save money, but they’re also a great way to get products for free! Many times you can get coupons that are for a free product, or buy one get one free. The majority of coupons are for reduced prices on items, but combining them with sales can sometimes make the items completely free.

There are countless blogs with different methods for best utilizing coupons to score free products. I recommend checking out Money Saving Mom as a starting point.

Here’s a video that shows not only how you can get free products, but also make a little money back at Rite Aid:

5. Dumpster Diving

It may seem gross and icky, but dumpster diving is one of the most fun ways to score new and interesting things for free. Dumpster diving doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go dive in a dumpster, it can be as simple as walking or driving around an area and looking at items placed out for the trash.

Living in the city, the week period surrounding the end of one month and the beginning of the next, when a lot of people are preparing to move, is an absolute golden opportunity to go scouting for new treasures. About 50% of the furniture in my first apartment were items discovered in the alley behind our building. Beyond that I’ve scored books, a TV antenna, vase, flower pots, and other random knick nacks.

For more info, check out How To Dumpster Dive for a ton of smart tips.

Though I don’t have the patience or the interest to sit around and list five wonderful/ romantic/ creative/ affordable gift ideas, I can post about five absolutely horrible gifts that you should not buy if you want your special someone to stick around.

So take a gander at these awful, and even bizarre, gifts.

1. Candy G-String

Candy is one of the classic Valentine’s Day gifts. The seasonal aisle of grocery stores is always filled with heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and other assorted sweets for your sweetheart.

Though your lady may be expecting something edible, I doubt she wants you to give her a Candy G-String. Just like those candy necklaces enjoyed in childhood, imagine your lady’s joy when you present her with candy she can wear between her butt cheeks.

The Candy Bra is also available if you really want to go all out and get your lady the complete set.

2. Your Face on an Adam & Eve Painting

I love art, but talk about creepy. Personalized gifts especially made for a couple can be a great gift, but this one is just a little strange. Basically they take a photo of you and your beloved and then photoshop your faces onto a painting of Adam & Eve.

Sure, you may think, aw that’s cute or original. But imagine you walk into someone’s house and you see that hanging on their walls. Talk about uncomfortable. And what lady or guy would open this up and say “Oh, it’s what I’ve always wanted.”

3. Erectile Quality Monitor

Want to make the man in your life just a little more self-conscious? Give him an Erectile Quality Monitor.

Though it’s touted to be a great tool for detecting the on-set of Erectile Dysfunction, if you gave this to a guy, the subtle message would instantly shrink his Johnson in shame.

4. LED Light Bra

Lingerie is usually a great gift for a girl on V-day, but she’s probably looking for something lacy and slinky, not something that lights up your bedroom like Vegas.

The LED light bra features stylish feather, effective in the seduction of any man or woman of your choosing. Honestly, no girl wants her rack to look like a neon sign.

5. Elephant Poo Flowers

Flowers, especially roses, are a staple of the Valentine’s Day tradition. For an interesting twist on the classic gift, you could buy her Elephant Poo Paper Roses.

This gift is touted as eco-friendly since these odorless roses are handmade in Thailand from animal poop. You can read all about how they do it here. Though it may be better for the environment, I don’t think anyone would feel comfortable sniffing these roses.

Sometimes they don’t quite make sense, but most of the time they’re hilarious, especially the shorts featuring songs created by the group The Lonely Island.

Their first studio album, Incredibad, comes out tomorrow, and features some of the best songs from the SNL Digital Shorts. Watch the five best below.

1. Lazy Sunday (f/Chris Parnell)

This is the short that started it all. Although this was the second of the Digital Shorts to air on SNL, this song swept the internet like a plague in December of 2005. Enjoy the hilarity of Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell rapping about such hardcore topics as cupcakes and the Chronic (what) cles of Narnia.

2. Natalie’s Rap (f/Natalie Portman & Chris Parnell)

Proving she’s a million times cooler than we already thought, Natalie Portman pairs up with Chris Parnell to mock her perfect and clean image in this profanity-laced rap.

3. Dick in a Box (f/Justin Timberlake)

(this is the uncensored version)
The next year, Andy Samberg paired up with Justin Timberlake to present this R&B parody. It was also a huge hit online after NBC posted the uncensored version on Youtube, and it went on to win the Emmy for Outstanding Original Lyrics and Music

4. Jizz In My Pants

I know some of the reactions to this short have been mixed, but I think it’s absolutely hilarious. I know premature ejaculation is a serious matter, but the heightening of the ridiculous causes builds up to the perfect crescendo of jizzing. Yeah, it’s a little immature, but it’s still funny.

5. I’m On A Boat (f/ T-Pain)

(That’s the explicit version. You can watch the clean version here)
This is the latest of the shorts, which premiered this past Saturday. In this parody, the guys are joined by T-Pain to rap about their experiences on a boat. They’ve got their swim trunks and their flippy-floppies, and you just have to watch it to really experience the magnificence.

People love following their friends, complete strangers, and now can even follow legit posts by the rich and famous. Though there are a lot of posers, here are five actual celebrities with Twitter accounts.

1. LeVar Burton

Known best for his role on Star Trek: The Next Generation and promoting literacy on Reading Rainbow. He just began working on a play called The Caterer which will be opening in LA this spring.

LeVar discovered Twitter in Dec of 2008 when he learned of an impostor using his name. Now the account belongs to the real guy, and he updates constantly, recently about his new struggle to quit smoking cold turkey.

2. Stephen Fry

The British comedian and actor Stephen Fry, is well-known for his show A Bit of Fry and Laurie, featuring his friend Hugh Laurie.

He discovered Twitter in October of 2008, and updates it constantly.

As of this month, he is the second most followed person on twitter, only beat by President Barack Obama.

3. Ashton Kutcher

Best known for his role as Kelso on That 70s Show and his prank show Punk’d, Ashton Kutcher has also appeared in many feature films, and produced some successful TV series.

In addition to his work, he spends time with his notable wife, Demi Moore.

I don’t know how long Ashton’s been on Twitter, but he updates several times a day with such thought-provoking messages as “seahorses for eva.‘

4. Demi Moore

One of the hottest actresses of the 1990s, Demi Moore is best known for classic films like Ghost and Striptease. In recent years, she was in the spotlight for her unconventional relationship with the much younger Ashton Kutcher, whom she married 2005.

Again, I’m not sure when Demi discovered Twitter, but like her husband she updates it constantly and often replies to her follower’s messages.

5. Britney Spears

Britney Spears, the pop star (sometimes attempted actress), is known for hot pop songs, marrying (and divorcing) a douche bag, and scandal, scandal, scandal. Her newest CD, Circus came out in December 2008, and she’s revving up for her tour, which begins in March.

She started her account in October of 2008, and along with pertinent updates from her manager about album sales, Britney candidly posts about preparing for her tour and taking care of her sons.

For more celebrities on Twitter, visit The Busy Brain.

Though their elections may not seem as significant as that of our nations first African American president, their entry into the White House marked the beginning of significant shifts–both good and bad–in the future of the country.

Take some time to review the speeches of our last five presidents, and then appreciate the hope and optimism for the future of our country that comes with Obama’s highly anticipated Presidency.

1. George W. Bush - 2001

2. Bill Clinton - 1993

3. George H.W. Bush - 1989

4. Ronald Reagan - 1981

5. Jimmy Carter - 1977

View the full speech here.



Edit 1/21/09:
As a bonus, here’s the video of Barack Obama’s 2009 Inaugural Address:

1. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

Heath Ledger was the heartthrob who rose to fame in films like Ten Things I Hate About You, A Knights Tale, and Brokeback Mountain. After finishing filming as the Joke in the highly anticipated The Dark Knight, Ledger began work on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. In the story he plays a mysterious outsider named Tony, who joins a theater troupe on a mission to rescue a girl.

About half way through filming, on January 22 2008, Ledger was found unconscious in his bed by his housekeeper and masseuse. His death was rule an accidental overdose of prescription medications.

Production on The Imaginarium was immediately disrupted, the suspended indefinitely as director Terry Gilliam tried to decide what to do with the film. Deciding to keep Ledger’s footage intact, Gilliam cast Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law to portray transformed versions of Tony as he travels through the magical realms. Filming resumed in March 2008. The release date is set for September 24, 2009.

Here is the official teaser trailer:

2. Brainstorm

Beginning as a child actress in films like Tomorrow Is Forever and Miracle on 34th Street, Natalie Wood went on to appear in the classics Rebel Without a Cause and West Side Story.

In 1981 she was playing a researcher in the science fiction film Brainstorm. On November 29, at the age of 43, while the cast and crew were on Thanksgiving break, she drowned near Catalina Island. Wood, her husband Robert Wagner, and co-star Christopher Walken spent the weekend on the Wagner’s yacht. Somehow she fell from the boat after a night of drinking. There were no witnesses and her body wasn’t found until the next morning. Speculation over the circumstances continues today, though it’s officially ruled as an accidental death.

Her climactic scene and many other crucial shots for Brainstorm had not yet been filmed and it was two years before the film was finished by using body doubles, creative shots, and whatever footage they already had. The film was critically acclaimed but bombed at the box office.

The trailer for Brainstorm:

3. Wagons East!

A hilarious comedic actor, John Candy appeared in such memorable films as Spaceballs, Planes Trains and Automobiles, and The Blues Brothers.

In 1994, he was filming Wagons East! a film he was contractually obligated to complete. On the morning of March 4, his bodyguard discovered him non-responsive in his hotel room. He passed away from a fatal heart attack resulting from a blockage of one of his coronary arteries at the age of 43.

The remaining scenes were rewritten to exclude him, or stand-ins and digital inserts were used. The film was released in August, with John playing an alcoholic wagon master who takes a group of settlers back east to their homes. Though this was the last project he worked on, it was not the last film he appeared in. Canadian Bacon, the only non-documentary film Michael Moore has made, was released in 1995.

This video shows an example of a scene used twice in the movie:

4. Gladiator

A British actor with an impressive resume, Oliver Reed is best known for roles in movies like Oliver! and The Three Musketeers. He also had a notable reputation as a heavy drinker.

In 1999 he was filming the role of Proximo, a former gladiator who trains Russell Crowe’s character Maximus, for the movie Gladiator. After a night of intense drinking at The Pub in Malta, where Gladiator was being filmed, he suffered a heart attack which took his life at age 61. This left the filmmakers with major scenes, including Proximo’s dramatic death, incomplete.

Director Ridley Scott began a $3 million project to digitally recreate Reed’s likeness. His body double was filmed and then a 3D digital image of Reed’s face was embedded onto the double. The film was a box office success and critically acclaimed, with 7 Oscar nominations and 5 wins, including Best Picture.

Here’s Part 1 of the documentary “Resurrecting Proximo,” which covers the cast and crew’s reaction to the tragic loss and the technology they used to bring Proximo to life.

[Part 2] [Part 3]

5. The Crow

The son of Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee followed in the footsteps of his father making action movies like Legacy of Rage and Showdown in Little Tokyo. At age 28, he was filming The Crow, playing Eric Draven, a man who was brutally murdered with his fiancé the night before their wedding, then brought back to life by the crow to enact his revenge.

Towards the end of the shooting schedule, they were filming a scene in which Draven is shot. “Dummy” cartridges were used for filming close-ups of the gun. When it came time for a wide shot of the shooting, the gun was loaded with blanks. No one knew that there was a dislodged bullet left in the gun from earlier shots. As they filmed the scene, Lee was shot in the abdomen and immediately rushed to the hospital. He died later from severe internal hemorrhaging.

The remaining scenes were finished using a stunt double and special effects. Though studios were wary about taking on the film, Miramax promoted it and it did well at the box office, earning over $50 million.

Here is the scene in which Brandon Lee was accidentally shot: