Just in time for the upcoming Runaways biopic—directed by Floria Sigismondi and starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning—the Mattel toy company is unveiling its “Ladies of the ‘80s” collection’s Joan Jett Barbie. The collection also features Debbie Harry and Cyndi Lauper dolls, available in December.

Although I wholeheartedly approve of this, the first thing that came to mind was: What, no Annie Lennox or Siouxsie Sioux dolls? No Pat Benatar? No Lydia Lunch? Give ‘em time; the nostalgia machine will eventually crank ‘em all out.

(Note: There is also a Barbra Streisand Pink Label Barbie, but it’s ‘60s Barbara, not “Yentl”-era Babs.)

Below, Joan Jett and the Runaways perform Cherry Bomb in Tokyo in 1977:
 

 
Cross posting this from Brand X

You Go Barbie…forget about those hippocrite MABB(Mothers Against Bad Barbies) Moms and Start The New Barbie Revolution in The Toy Doll Industry.Cant Wait for the Sixties Rock n Roll Sumertime Blues Icon Release of Janis Joplin Barbie. wooo…wooooo.

The Runaways were a perfect corporate product, so was Debra Harry.  “Blondie” songs are used to advertise “Swiffer” mops, it seems like such a short skip to Barbie.

Annie Lennox’s Basic Training haircut scares and confuses small children.

Siouxsie? It would come in two models:  Pre Geffen era, sporting a swastika armband and Luftwaffe pin, post Geffen era lots of spangles and a Mogen David tea shirt.

A Lydia Lunch Barbie?  You’d need to make it about half the normal height and increase the breast size.  I could also see her as a “Real Doll”; it would come with a straight razor, and shoot jets of blood.

A Pat Benatar Barbie could come with a carrot training aid.

An industrious toy-retooler could easily craft a Joan Jett Barbie into a Teenage Jesus-era Lydia by shortening her a bit and stressing out her mop and using Sculpey to give her face that patented, Lydia fuck you snarl. Nose ring a must (remember how transgressive a nose ring looked back then?)