2013 is going by so fast!

We're already heading toward the seven-months mark here at the Museum...Can you honestly believe it's lasted so long? I look back to December 2012, and my mind boggles at the thought of it.

Anyway, on to the items!

It has often been said that June is the best month for weddings. In fact, it’s been said so often that most people take it for granted without knowing why this is so.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at Millennium Bride Barbie, or at least this advertisement for her, which was printed in Dolls January 2000. 

I have to say, she looks like she actually had some thought put into her. The worldwide production run of 10,000 meant that you were highly unlikely to find her anywhere but specialty doll stores geared toward the adult collector. Also, her Swarovski crystal-encrusted dress is a good sign that she is not for “ages three and up.”

Like last week’s “Millennium Salute G.I. Joe,” I’m disappointed with Millennium Bride Barbie. It’s not that she isn’t well-made, but I’m not really getting the “Millennium” link. In this case, the advertisement is better than what it’s selling. 

I picked this up at the Flea Market for $2 today! Having taken a look at it, I’ve deduced that this edition of “Trivial Pursuit” continues the “historical/cultural preservation” motif so prevalent in Millennium-themed merchandise. Questions about William Shakespeare and Leonardo da Vinci sit comfortably alongside questions about NASCAR and “The Tonight Show,” indicating that this is definitely not as highbrow as some of the items I’ve found (but more on them later).

Also note the “globe” motif. The image of the world globe appeared on a lot of Year 2000 stuff, but I myself haven’t found many examples, save for the “BBC World News” ident and the “ABC 2000” video. About all I can say for it is that we all had this idea that we were going to be part of a “global community” thanks to the Internet and other technologies. Whether or not we are a part of that global community in 2013 is still up for debate.

I say that we’re connected, but there’s not a lot of actual sharing going on, which is a real shame given the optimism I associate the turn of the millennium with.

 

June 2, 1999: President Clinton increases U.S. troops for Kosovo force

June 2, 2000: Politics clouds global warming

(NOTE: I think this might be an op-ed piece, but it's still interesting all the same.)