I vaguely remember this. The only difference was that it was easier to dress. I don't know how they are now, but original Barbies were a pain in the ass to put clothes on sometimes.
Actually, the first Barbies had hard, straight legs; I remember when they introduced "Living" Barbie, with bendable legs, "twist 'n' turn waist," and movable wrists. "My First Barbie" sounds like she just harkened back to the old Barbie doll with straight legs and arms.
Barbie was modeled after "Bild Lilli (http://www.dollreference.com/bild_lilli.html)," a German sex/fashion doll. And so it goes.
Oh, quit your whining! It was good for your hand-eye coordination. Of course, developing your fashion sense was more important, but this was a secondary benefit. ;)
I remember receiving a My First Barbie for my 3rd birthday in 1982. The arms and legs couldn't bend and the legs were smooth instead of the slightly sticky plastic of the regular legs (so that it was easier to take clothes on and off).
This was my niece's very first barbie, much as the ad says. I remember that the differences were yes, that she wasn't bendy at all and the fashions for her were much easier to put on and take off.
They were nice in that they allowed little people to have the same dolls as the 'big girls'without the frustration of trying to dress them in clothes that were just too complex for chubby toddler fingers to handle.
I had one of these as well. The smooth legs made things much easier. Unfortunately, as I discovered when I brought my barbie box down from the closet shelf, smooth-legs Barbie has since become melty-legs Barbie. Pretty gross.
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Date: 2011-06-12 11:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-12 11:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-13 05:11 am (UTC)Barbie was modeled after "Bild Lilli (http://www.dollreference.com/bild_lilli.html)," a German sex/fashion doll. And so it goes.
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Date: 2011-06-13 11:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-12 11:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-13 10:58 am (UTC)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au-QUyjOF7A
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Date: 2011-06-13 12:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-14 02:06 am (UTC)(I don't really believe in a Poltergeist curse, just that ..well, tragic and untimely for both.)
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Date: 2011-06-14 02:24 am (UTC)yeah, i don't think there's a poltergeist curse either, just tragic and untimely for them all.....
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Date: 2011-06-12 11:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-13 01:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-13 01:24 am (UTC)They were nice in that they allowed little people to have the same dolls as the 'big girls'without the frustration of trying to dress them in clothes that were just too complex for chubby toddler fingers to handle.
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Date: 2011-06-13 01:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-13 02:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-13 03:43 am (UTC)It's sad what happened to Heather, though. RIP :(
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Date: 2011-06-13 11:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-13 01:16 pm (UTC)I am about five years older than Heather, but looked EXACTLY like her as a child.
Sad she died so young.
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Date: 2011-06-13 05:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-13 06:15 pm (UTC)(she looks friendly, though, and not too sexy.)