Kenner Blythe Extraordinaire: Yatahbazah

I wish I could import a picture but Mr. Samaras is very protective of all his promotional material. And rightfully so because it is the some of the most immaculate, amazing Kenner Blythe work you will ever see.

The solidification of my obsession with Blythe took place as I explored the Blythe world on flickr but when I first saw Mary Collins in Yatazah's photostream it was like, I'd landed on another planet. Here he, was a male, of all people who took the life of this doll so seriously and treated her with such reverence and genuine communion that I was completely moved and totally sold on the Blythe spirit. So much of what I found in his collection drives home the fact to me, that a doll is only as amazing, as lively, as soulful, as mysterious and provocative, as complex or as lovely as it's owner.

Please read this interview with Yatabazah on Mademoiselle Blythe. It really is very good. Yatahbazah is obssessed primarily with Kenner Blythes which are the original Blythes first released in the 70s by Kennet. The asking price for these dolls now are ridiculously astronomical in my opinion and I have never trully craved one but what he does with them is just sheer divinity. He does have an aversion to neo Blythes which are all the Blythe molds that came out after Kenners, eg. Takaras, ADGS, SBL, etc. and thinks that SBLs are "hideous" but I can't hold that against him just because I don't feel the same. He's an intense guy and his work is phenomenal. I have yet to be exposed to his work in movies but I am fascinated at the odd juxtapostion of acting career and Doll expertise. That just blows me away every time. Anyway, enough of my blathering. Go read this!

MOLLY'S HERE!

Her face is shinier, her boobs are more matte, her underwear is fancier and her hair is sort of flat and greasy looking but that changes when you comb it. The click in her eye mechanism is more audibly pronounced when you pull her string. Her cheeks are rosier and her legs bend more readily.

Sorry about the yellowness of the pictures. I didn't get to open the box until I got home in the evening so I had to take them under those yucky florescent lights. More to come.

She arrived first thing this morning!!!! I'm dying! She arrived from Hong Kong and was placed on the reception desk in front of me before 10:00AM. The box is a little bit crushed from being under the weight of other boxes I imagine but she appears to be in perfect condition. She is my first vintage, Takara Blythe. Emily was made in China but was sold here in the US under the Ashton Drake Hasbro label. But Molly is officially from China. Blythes made by Takara, the first company to replicate the initial run of Blythe Dolls made by Kenner were only sold in Hong Kong I believe. I could be wrong. A complete history of Blythe is here. However, interestingly enough, Molly is a "Pow Wow Poncho" theme Blythe (ridiculous name isn't it?) just like Emily so they're twins!

Ok, I'm like screaming internally because I can't wait to get her home. You have no idea how much price comparison shopping I had to to, not to mention rationalizing with my poor lady budget the legitimacy of buying this doll which I have to say was a bit more expensive than Emily. She's brand new but was sold naked, which brought the price for a Takara Blythe down considerably less than usual but still,this is going to be it for awhile. I'm addicted but not crazy. Okay, I'm a little crazy but I do know when to stop. I hate being broke.

Molly certainly need never concern herself over clothes. I've got a veritable Blythe wardrobe waiting for her. She'll be styling in no time.

As I mentioned before, my next Blythe will be purchased solely for my Black Blythe Project and that may not happen for several months. Incidentally, I named this Blythe Molly because of a girl I knew at Bard College named Molly who had long red hair that I loved as well. I'm a big fan of red hair. I think it's many variations are beautiful but I think it also has something to do with the deviant behavior associated with it particularly among white women back centuries ago who were often put to death in the dark ages simply for being born with red hair. It was automatically assumed that the they were more susceptible to evil because of it. Just another destructive reaction of patriarchal dominated rule to an inbred fear of the power of beauty, a beauty so bewildering as to provoke sanctioning through death sentencing; another way to effectively cut down the population of female resistance to conformity at the time. So it was that simple. I started calling her Molly maybe before I even bought her. I just can't believe she's here already. I was being so cautious about not counting the days until she arrived based on the E.T.A. quoted to me by the Ebay seller. One day after my birthday!!!! Uncanny.