Banned Dolls shatter sales records in Vegas!

August 21, 2002 - Author: Poppa

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.