The
release of Trash Talkers at the Las Vegas Gift Show
in August almost didn't happen. After being banned by
both the San Francisco Gift Show and the Boston Gift
Show, the Las Vegas Show organizers had reservations
about allowing the dolls in. Said Frank Makan, VP of
JDK Products, the creator of the dolls: "Nobody
has ever seen a line of dolls like these in the USA.
It was like those album burning protests when the Beatles
first came to America in the early 60's. Trash Talkers
got a real bad rap without anyone really understanding
what they were all about."
What
these dolls are all about, according to Makan, is a
new generation of talking dolls that are in tune with
American culture. They are not intended for kids under
14 years of age, but they seem to have fans ranging
from 14 to 79 years old. Although different age groups
find the dolls appealing, what is more interesting to
Makan is the fact that different SOCIAL groups have
some of their favorite dolls in common: "Our Jewish
American Princess has been a success with the Jewish
population. But we're discovering that the Gay community
also loves her. Actually, they love to hate her."
But
the response at Vegas was not all rosy. Some buyers
walked away with bewildered looks on their faces. A
few were even offended. "We did have our share
of customers who didn't appreciate our vision or our
humor. People told us America is not ready for dolls
that look or speak like this. We understand that not
everybody is comfortable with Gay dolls that talk openly
and humorously about their lifestyle. Or a JAP doll
that talks about her aversion to oral sex. And I encourage
those people not to listen to our dolls."
The
dolls are set to hit stores in mid October. The first
5000 of each style are all hand-numbered and will be
a special limited edition series. The dolls will retail
for between $12.95 and $14.95.
