Barbie rules...

Dear Amarinda,
Here is your horoscope for Tuesday, January 29:
You have a revelation today. Something you've mulled over for weeks suddenly becomes clear. Don't waste time over thinking the next step. Tune into your instinct and act quickly before the opportunity passes.

Oh boy! A revelation! And there’s mulling involved and I am not to think….sounds like a day at work.

Finmctionwere – what does this mean? I write these obscure abbreviated notes to myself as I am writing. I saw this one today. What was I thinking? It’s obviously some brilliant abbreviation for some fantastic idea I had but I will never know. So – leave a comment on this blog (with your email address) with what you think Finmctionwere means and the answer I like best will receive the first copy of Shades of Gray when it is released 6th February through Ellora’s Cave. The competition closes at midnight (USA EST) Thursday 31st January and the winner will be announced on Friday 1st February’s blog. Enter as many times as you like. If you are under Witness Protection and don’t want everyone knowing your email address then by all means email your answer to me on amarinda_jones@yahoo.com.au – put ‘Amarinda comp’ in the subject line.


My editor sent me edits – as Editors do – that’s why they’re called Editors as opposed to people who read manuscripts and put red marks all over them …anyway one of her comments was about ‘checking my Barbies’ when it came to a particular sex scene. Were you aware that some writers use Barbie dolls for ‘positioning’. I find it fascinating as it would never have occurred to me to do this. Unfortunately I cannot find anyone who admits to putting Barbie into compromising positions for the sake of art. I am sure it’s because writers all write from experience when it comes to sex…if you believe that I have a bridge in Sydney with harbour views I’d like to sell you…just drop me an email with “bridge sale" in the subject line.

So Barbie – glamorous, unrealistic blonde bimbo or manipulative, power hungry kick arse role model? I like Barbie. I liked her when I was a kid chopping off her hair and I like her as an adult. Yes, she is blonde and ridiculously shaped but


the thing is to me she is an icon of power. How so? Barbie is always in control. She is the star and it’s all about Barbie. She can do anything from riding a horse to having a baby or to being a nuclear physicist. She does not need a man to be complete. I don’t see her as a threat to young girls. I see her as a woman who knows she can be any thing she wants if she chooses to. That’s power. The choice to be what you want to be. I am a great believer that the way someone looks is irrelevant. Be fat, or thin or black or white – it’s what inside that counts. So why don’t we look at Barbie like that? She is anatomically ridiculous but she is a product of her environment – and yet she has the balls to go out and be a ballerina - despite her boob size, an ice skater – despite her silly, weak looking ankles or a Doctor – despite the perception that no one takes the blonde hair seriously. She is putting herself out there and trying to succeed. How is that a bad role model? I say go Barbie.

Ken – poor, misunderstood Ken. I don’t believe Ken has to be gay. I think Ken is just a quiet guy doll who got caught up in the whole Barbie hoop-la and is wondering what the hell he is doing in it. He is like ‘Mr Barbie’ and that has to piss even the mildest man off. Sure, in the past he has made some bad choices when it comes to clothes and he has had some suspect hairstyles but what man hasn’t? And why is everyone so fixated on whether Ken has a penis or not? Doesn’t this remind you of real life where men are bombarded with advertisements about penis enlargement? How can Ken get a break? I say let’s leave Ken alone to be whomever he wants to be. I am starting the official ‘Let Ken be’ association on the Amarinda blog.

And what about GI- Joe? No one questions his virility as he comes across as Mr Macho in his fatigues. No one questions why he carries around some enormous gun or phallic rocket launcher as he goes off to defend whoever he is defending or is he just some red neck armageddonist stockpiling weapons? We just assume he’s the good guy who is our protector. He’s silent, follows orders and supposedly keeps his homeland safe. I say Joe is a bigger worry than Ken yet people admire Gi-Joe's plastic parts. How could the likes of Ken compete with Joe? He can’t so therefore people assume Ken is gay. Poor bloody Ken. I think he is the fall guy in the whole doll community.

So, I say take a look at these dolls again. Don’t just make an assumption on looks or behaviour.

The competition everyone is talking about….would I lie to you?

What could you spend an eternity doing? What is your passion? Your hunger? Your deepest desire? Each day beginning February 5 and running through February 14 one of the ten authors will complete the line, "My darling I could spend eternity…" on either their blog or website. Collect all ten answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with Eternally Yours in the subject line to win some hot, romantic books. There will be three lucky Valentine winners.

The prizes –

1st prize--5 books

2nd prize--3 books

3rd prize--2 books

Entries must be in by February 16 at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.
The authors – well, there’s the Jones girl, Anny Cook, Kelly Kirch, N J Walters, Cindy Spencer Pape, Sandra Cox, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Mona Risk and Elyssa Edwards….what a stellar line up. It’s a damn shame I can’t enter myself.

Anny is talking about Parrots going into space on www.annycook.blogspot.com and Kelly has the reasons pigeons like to carry messages on www.kkirch.blogspot.com

www.freewebs.com/amarindajones/
Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?
amarinda_jones@yahoo.com.au