MAXIE: Hasbro’s Ambitious Attempt to Challenge Barbie
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- čas přidán 4. 09. 2023
- Have you heard about Maxie, Hasbro's attempt at challenging Mattel's Barbie doll? In this video, we'll be taking a look at this short-lived line and some of the challenges Hasbro encountered while trying to break into the fashion doll market.
Copyright Disclaimer:
Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research.
Maxie, Jem and associated characters are the property of Hasbro.
Barbie and associated characters are the property of Mattel.
#hasbro #maxiedoll #barbie
In my opinion, Bratz was Mattel’s karma for how they did Jem & the Holograms 😂😂😂 The Pink Beret’s were ruthless
PREACH!
Yeah, bratz really did shake barbie up, but ultimately Barbie did come out on top and has remained the #1 doll line of all time. As much as I love Barbie, I wouldn’t wanna fuck with her because behind that smile is one brutal bitch lol
Real 😭
Absolutely agree!!!! Barbie was untouchable until they decided to be sneaky! Bratz was huge karma!
I never thought about that, but I like it
Mattel making a doll called Jazzie when Hasbro had Maxie is actually insane 💀
Esp since Maxie already sounds similar to Barbie lol
I had a jazzy doll back then she was my favorite she was like Barbie but a bit younger cooler and prettier, she was like my prized doll I had for years. I’m pretty sure I had a maxi doll too but it could have been another obscure line, I used to pretend she was drew Barrymore, because I thought the doll
looked like her and I seen the movie poison ivy on HBO and thought it was cool when I was like 7. I also had all the gem dolls including the misfits and later I had all the NKOTB dolls.
The frontman of the band Faithless was called Maxi Jazz. Probably a coincidence.
@@samsalamander8147 same! I loved Jem and had a first gen Jem, Rio, a second gen Gem (Glitter and Gold I believe) and Synergy. I really, really wanted the Misfits, but I never got them. I also had Maxie, in the polka dot dress/jean jacket, and really liked the doll a lot. I also had Jazzie and loved how different and fun she was as well - she had flat feet and a build similar to Maxie. I had all the NKOTB dolls, the entire line of 90210 dolls, AND MC Hammer lol
@@SpookyDarling A couple years later I had the whole family from full house and I was super excited about it because children dolls that matched Barbie were rare back then around the same time my cousin had a Barbie set that was Barbie getting married and it had everyone in it including jazzie and boy counterpart, it had a boy counterpart to skipper, Kelly and Chelsea too I think but I forget the boys names maybe Tommy and tod but they were listed on the box, I wanted it so bad just for the boys and my Mom looked everywhere for it but it was some type of special or promotion of some kind and we never did find one for me.
Barbie being called an “older yuppie” is still the funniest part of all of this
It's accurate tho 😄
On a side note, the Jem cartoon was legitimately good
loved the theme song.
"Truly truly outrageous!!"
The show inspired my drag name and aesthetics.
Fun fact about the commercials for Maxie: The actress that played live action Maxie was Debbie in Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.
The actress was Brooke Theiss.
She was also in the tv series: Just the Ten of Us.
@@tarabuffI LOVED Just the Ten of Us.
She’s been in a lot
OMG I LOVE THAT MOVIE!
Poor Jem, I loved that doll. I had the original one, a gold one with gold bits in her hair and one with extra long hair but she didn’t have the flashing earrings. 🌟
I didn't like how none of my Barbie clothes fix Jem.
@@karil6461 barbie’s clothes weren’t good enough for Jem.🤩
I loved Jem, and jem and the holograms ❤
Maxie is such an underrated line, and I'm glad to see it's getting more attention! They also reused some molds that were used with the Jem line as well, including the hoop earrings from the Hula Hoop and Sun Splash dolls, and the zig zag bracelet used in fashion/accessory packs!
I have noticed her popularity rise alot in the us 🇺🇸 alot in the last ten years .
The all American teen girl is absent from pop culture for the last 30 years !
Maxie represents that to a t !
We really need a reissue of her !
Id love to see an updated version of her and the cartoon !
Although the doll line would suffer from 2023 quality all doll line do , but man a big wave it would make for the doll world !!!
They were going all in with the Valley Girl vibes, and I love it!
I remember _Maxie's World!_ I used to LOVE that show. I was in elementary school when I saw it, but NO ONE around me seems to remember it. ☹️ I'm SO HAPPY to see other people acknowledging it! Also, I had _no idea_ that it was based on a doll line; as a child, I always felt that Maxie reminded me of a highschool, cartoon Barbie, but never imagined how close I'd be to the truth! ♥️
I loved the show, but I don't remember the dolls at all. I'm from the UK and I don't know if the doll was released here
They released the series on DVD a few years ago. I can't imagine it sells for much. I love that this show is part of my random '80s cartoon collection.
I remember it! I can still sing the theme song!🤭❤️🥰
I absolutely remember ❤❤❤.
Jazzie's sculpt wasn't just recycled from the Heart Family collection, but further back than that from the Kelley sculpt, from Mattel's Starr line of dolls from the late 70s.
Before even Maxie, there was blonde highschool teen Starr, and her friends Kelley, Tracy, and boyfriend Sean. (You should do a video on them! Please!)
hasbro still has a lot to improve when making fashion dolls; i think their best recent attempt would be the descendants but the equestria girls and disney princesses left much to be desired.
I agree, the early Descendants dolls had a lot of promise and they did a great job with the Disneyfied-face sculpts of the cast.
Maxie's World was my favourite as a kid, didn't know they have a toyline, but even then I acknowledged she looks like Barbie. However, Jem & The Holograms will always be my childhood 'sweetheart' 😊❤
Ok I just got hit out of nowhere with a nostalgic stick! I remember having a Maxie doll but I didn’t realize how many of my “Barbie” clothes and accessories were actually from the Maxie line! Also we had the New Kids on the Block dolls. I was like 5 and didn’t know/care who they were, but I took that Joey doll with me everywhere, lol
Jems quality was 100 times better then barbie hands down !!!!
If they made flip side fashions today theyed have to charge 150 for each one !!!!
Tge Jem line had an attitude. Barbir is supposed to be more "bland" by design, but Jem and The Holograms and The Misfits have very defined personalities and styles and they felt more real. 17:05
@@MatameVideosyes! I have kept synergy, the blue hair doll, forever. So glad I did. But, the guitar is lost. The quality is truly noticeable when you hold her with Barbie.
wow the maxie clothes look SO nice for the price of these dolls. ive never heard of them before
The quality was very good. Reminiscent of early Barbie. I was an adult when they came out, but that didn't stop me from buying a few. I loved Maxie's shoes.
This isn’t even out and I’m already so excited to see. Glad to see you back!
Thank you so much!!
Why u on grin dr
I never had an actual Maxie doll but I do have vivid memories of going through the catalogue and finding her cool and mysterious because I never heard anyone talk about her. So I enjoyed this trip down memory lane!
Also, Mattel, how do you manage to frustrate me more for every video you're mentioned in?
I remember being obsessed with Maxie’s world cartoon, it was so fun!
I just stayed up watching every episode of Maxie's World I could find online... 10/10
I’ve been binging your videos and am SO excited to see that we get a new one tonight!! You make the BEST videos, I can only imagine how long they take.
Thank you!! It means a lot to know that my videos are bingeworthy 😃
School tends to get in the way of making videos, and I try my best to research my videos as thoroughly as I can. With some older lines, I try to find leads through books and web archives - which takes up a lot of time!
Jazzie was also a re-release of 1980 Starr Doll's torso, legs/feet and basic teenager look .
i like to see Darci from Kenner as Maxie's (from Hasbro) Aunt & legal guardian. As well as Gem characters being relatives .
DARCI!!! YES!!! I was trying to remember her name! She was a flash in the pan, but the best doll ever with her ball joints and funky clothes and curly hair! All my friends were so jealous of me for having that doll 💅
I will always and forever be truly outrageously in love with Jem…and I still have an original JEM doll in the box
I had a Maxie doll, and I was aware of a cartoon tie in, but I was so young and it came and went so quickly, I have no memory of it except the opening. But my Maxie doll was special to me. Out of all my Barbies (or wanna be Barbies), she held the dearest place in my heart.
The Jem toyline was cancelled before I was born, but I watched the cartoon in reruns and I loved it. I own the whole series on DVD now. If I had the money to spend on an original Jem doll, I would do so in a heartbeat. I think history has vindicated Jem as the clear winner between her and Barbie and the Rockers. Jem is a cult classic with a strong fan base. As opposed to whenever someone mentions Barbie and the Rockers, it's usually, "Oh yeah. That Barbie that was made to compete with Jem."
The Maxie doll with the jean jacket looked so high quality and far more fashionable than barbie. Her hair especially looks so classic 80s, like DJ and Stephanie from full house😍
Thank you so much to provide more doll history and I'm glad to see you back!!
-Barbie love, Roberto Marín.
I absolutely love how detailed all your doll analyses are. Absolutely love this channel. ❤️
I used to watch Maxie when I was a kid. I was soooo upset when it got canceled.
My childhood 🥰 thank you for this...a flashback I wasn't expecting but definitely put a smile on my face.
Get so excited whenever you upload, regardless of the topic. Glad to see you back, thanks for another amazing video! 💖
Great video. The Jazzie Dude doll is the Derek doll from Barbie and the Rockers - so Mattel used that same mold to complete with both Jem and Maxie. Mattel’s biggest advantage was they could use the old playsets from the 70s, like the Osmond’s stage and the Barbie camper for BATR, so these didn’t have to waste the time and money to make new playset molds. Jem, Maxie and Sindy shared a lot of accessories, even NKOTB used Jem’s microphone. Even My Little Pony shares a few accessories with Jem. One of the main designers on Jem, also designed for Maxie, and when Maxie ended she moved to the UK to continue work on Sindy.
I vaguely remember Maxie but she's a little before my time. My first Barbie was Light's & Lace Barbie. Got her when I was 5 in 1991~ 💖 Pretty sure my older cousin's who are gen x had a few Maxie doll's. I asked them what the doll's were back then & they said 80's barbie doll's. I knew they were Maxie because I remember seeing the name on the box though when my older cousin got one. Pretty sure the Maxie doll's were still being sold in the early 90's back then. I remember seeing them in the Toy's R Us back then as well.
Me & My friends were Jem girls. The play sets were cute, the roadster was cool, but the dolls were hideous.
Dude was Jazzie's boyfriend. I think Maxie's boyfriend was named Rob.
I had Barbies but I always loved the Jem dolls more they were just cooler looking.
🥳🥳🥳‼️ So glad to see you’re back again!! 💗
❤❤❤
So I did have this doll… her body was thicker then Barbie too. Her height, hands, feet, body was bigger but not by much. But almost a clone! I never knew until now that it was a completely different brand!
Jem was too big and fashion packs were not enough. That’s what killed her sales sadly because I LOVE JEM
The fact that a sequel series for Jem was scrapped in favor for Maxie’s World also killed Jem. The follow up would have had Jem and Pizzazz going to Hollywood without their band mates and both would become superstars out there. Jem’s new circle we’re going to have Danse, Astral, and Video while Pizzazz’s group was going to include a new character named Graphicz and I believe Clash.
Super glad to see you back!!! Learned about a (new to me) doll line today!!! (:
I loved Jem dolls. I was no fan of the Barbie and the Rockers. I got tired of Barbie having her version of everything other fashion doll out there when there was room for everyone.
Besides, Mattel assuming we as consumers wouldn’t spot the unimaginatively named cash grab that is ‘Barbie and the Rockers’ ugh…
They still do it , all the extra line Is inspired in lol dolls
I actually love the Rocker line of Barbie mainly because of the hair and 80s fashions. Jem I loved because of the show and music. In my mind, I think both can coexist peacefully.
I got the Prom Maxie doll for my 6th or 7th bday- she was my favorite for a long time!
I liked Maxie!!! They should try again....Bring Maxie Back!!!
Happy to see you back❤❤ love your content and the in delth analysis!! Myscene brought me here and your other videos kept me to stay so 🎉
Thank you! So glad to have a community that loves doll history ❤
Have you heard?-a fashion doll retrospective
For another upcoming video can you talk about the history of the Sindy doll ?
I really want to learn of what happened to that one that Hasbro made
I was so naive. I thought the cartoon was first and inspiration for the doll. I had the Jem dolls but was so disappointed they were larger to Barbie because then dimensions were off and I couldn't world-build with them together. BUT now I see they probably did it to avoid litigation.
Can you do a video about the Blythe doll? She's my favorite fashion doll
I had a lot of Barbie dolls when I was little. I got a Maxie doll as a gift, and immediately cut all her hair off and colored it with markers. She became the cool punk rock friend of my Barbies.
Barbie and The Rockers also came with a cassette tape. I got the whole set for Christmas one year. I wore the tape out.
I loved Jem! I remember going to buy the doll with my birthday money. She didn’t outlast my love for Barbie.. but I still loved her! Wish I’d kept that doll.
I still find it hilarious that my parents bought my sister all the barbie rocker rage including stage when she was completely hooked on maxie 😂
If only hasbro released Sindy in the US but knowing Mattel that probably would’ve been cancelled in the US too
I really like some of the 90s Sindy dolls I’ve seen on eBay particularly the ones with the hair that could bend and twist, Pop Singer Paul, and the Surprise Jeans dolls.
I LOVED my Maxie doll. I didn’t realize how much Maxie stuff I had until this video like the locker. I loved her flat feet and that her hair was a little different. I remember watching the cartoon before school. Thank you for the memories.
I just want to say, this is one of my favorite channels. I'm a mostly barbie collector, but I love pretty much any fashion type toy and I love learning about so many I have never heard of before. Thank you for covering this fun niche!
That Barbie and The Rockers Ken was it. 😍 He's Handsome and built different.
11:41
A boyfriend named Dude… Could they not think of a better name?
At least his name wasn’t a repeat. Did you know that there are three characters named Becky and one of them is Asian while the other is a toddler and the third one is the wheelchair doll whose hair was always a different color? And then there’s Todd who went from being a small child to an Adult who got married back to a kid again.
I was Barbie and the Rockers for Halloween and a big Jem fan. I guess they were the Nicki and Cardi of our times 😂
That’s a brilliant comparison 😂
Thank you so much for the video! I love your channel
The Maxie doll was so cute too! 💖
As a kid, I loved the Jem cartoon and got all the dolls, except for Kimberly. Got a few of the Maxi dolls too :o)
What Mattel did to Jem was messed up, but at least it had its cartoon fans. It seems like doll lines do better when they don't try to look like Barbie. I had the Maxie party place and bathroom vanity but thought that Maxie herself was a less cute Barbie clone. In hindsight I can appreciate what Maxie was going for, but trying to beat out Barbie in the 80s and 90s with a similar doll... I dunno if that was ever going to work out.
Oh definitely, look at the success of Bratz and Monster High! Jem is such a big what-if story, and could have been a legacy brand for Hasbro like GI Joe, MLP, and Transformers with the right reboot.
Hope you still have the Party Place! That set is quite hard to find nowadays!
I love your videos!! You're my favorite dolltuber 😁
Welcome back! I missed your videos!! Also, thank you for this one, I feel like Maxie gets lost in the shuffle a lot. I never had one, but I did have Hawaiian Fun Jazzie.
Yay, welcome back! 💖
Thank you!! Glad I can share a new video!
I had the Maxie vanity that came with a Maxie doll. I loved playing with them!
I really like this channel, its very objective and i love how you talk about doll websites (my parents wouldn’t buy me dolls alot of the time when I was younger so the websites was how I got to enjoy them most of the time). Here’s a suggestion, Novi Stars or the short lived La Dee Da dolls by spinmaster
I love both Jem and Maxie so much!!!!
I’m happy you back 😁
I need for you to do one on Moxie Teenz.
Thanks BB! I'd love to cover Moxie Teenz at some point!
Back then when i was 12 yrs old year 2000s. my mom gave a "wendy" doll to me as a bithday gift. I didnt know it was only a barbie clone bcuz they bought it in the mall and the doll really is a legit clone of 80s and 90s barbie. The face, the bend & snap legs, the hair, shoes, and comb. Everything looks the same as the 80s and 90s barbie. You really cant see any difference. I was sad to not see a history of this doll. I looked online to see pictures but i cant find any version of the superstar facemold wendy doll. Maybe mattel will sue the creators of this since they legit copied everything 90s and 80s barbies.
I never saw or knew about the Maxie cartoon but I did have a Maxie doll and she was my favorite fashion doll.
Every video you put out is an event for me
I loved my Jem and Maxie doll!
I remember Maxie’s World, but I had no idea it started out as a toy line. Then again, I should have known as pretty much every cartoon in the 80s-early 90s was a glorified toy advert.
You are back!!! Yayy
Maxie deserves a reboot
8:50 "FLAT FEEEEET!!!!" 🤣🤣😂🤣 sorry I couldn't resist
I did it too! 😂
All 3 doll lines are cute,But I love Barbie and Jem and the holograms the most.😁👍
I also have some Maxie accessories I found in doll lots I got from Goodwill and Flea Markets I use on my other dolls.
Maxie is a high quality doll line that I have enjoyed collecting!
I used to love my maxi and Jem dolls! I was 6. Iused to remember waking up in the middle of the night to play with my dolls. That was the good old days.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH 30mins I CAN'T WAIT😭😭😭😭 I LOVE THIS CHANNEL ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️😭😭😭😭
Maxie is so pretty, I love her!
Gotta love these 80s fashions!
Omg I just found your channel and it's giving me soooo much nostalgia. If you are taking suggestions for future videos I would love to see one on Betty Spaghetty
I think that Hasbro’s mistake was trying to make Barbie clones I mean Jem and Maxie look a lot like Barbie in these commercials and Sindy resembles Barbie a lot too they should have made them brunettes, redheads, or African Americans
The cartoon lowkey looks really cute; I'd give it a watch if I could find it online...
Yay!!! I missed your videos!!!
This solved a huge childhood mystery for me! When I was little, my family friend/babysitter gave me a VHS tape for Christmas one year that had two episodes about this teenage girl who looked and acted suspiciously like Barbie named Maxie, with an earworm theme song. I remember immediately thinking it was a Barbie rip-off and disliking it, both for that and because it just wasn’t very good (chocolate sauce mixed into a pizza crust? Yuck!). I think I eventually donated it to Goodwill. But the theme song has remained in my head ever since, occasionally popping up to rattle around my train of thought before vanishing back into the recesses of my mind. I’ve been wondering what the heck that tape was off and on since I got it in the 90’s. Now I know, and I think my initial impression of a Barbie rip-off was spot-on. Thank you for finally clearing this up for me!
I loved Maxie's world cartoon. I used to rent it at Blockbusters ❤️
Hello - There was talk of Hasbro reviving the Maxie line. The three girls had a lovely 80s vibe about them, especially with regard to their earrings and unique shoes. The outfits are all of high quality and sought after today.
I freaking loved Maxie she was one of my favorites
Ahh the memories 😊
There's a real brand story here. It's interesting that it took as long as it did for fashion dolls to meaningfully compete with Barbie. Extra possibility was something I wanted from the doll, so, when they released Workin' Out Barbie, an exercise doll with a tape, I bought it. It wasn't because I was particularly taken with the 80s aerobics theme, but because the doll had so much more possibility and I was excited about the included cassette tape. All this sounds a lot like what the Maxie doll was innovating with and there seem to have been more stuff in with the dolls for the money. Slowly, doll brands did begin to compete but, as a kid, they were completely off my radar (remember Gem and likely these other were often only cable TV, and I never had cable). The possibility and choices of aesthetic in today's dolls assumes a level of choice and diverse artistic influence I that did not exist in my world where all such dolls, regardless of brand source were referred to as my "Barbies" with the assumption that anything else was a cheaper knock-off.
I had only seen the intro 8d Maxie's World, snd what I though was "she feels like Barbie", I had no idea of the toy line.
I had the Maxie prom doll. It was pretty but I hated the fact that it was too tall to play with my ponies, and too short to play with my Barbies. So, I ended up not playing with it much.
I had at least two different Jen dolls but not her friends or the Misfits. I had a Maxie doll or two as a kid and I would’ve just sworn she was another Barbie. Does anyone remember Jazzie?
I always thought Barbie was cuter than Jem, but Maxie is MUCH cuter than Jazzie, imo.
Very interesting to see the early nineties and all the beach themed doll lines loll ❤ very 80’s
I like the new voice for the voiceover
I kinda need that Rockin' Pretty line, shame it never happened
My Maxie and Jem dolls were my favorites ❤
Maxie doll really had that pretty hair! And yes i truly loved my jem dolls and my misfits they were so dope! And had wild color hair before that was a thing with dolls besides my beloved she ra dolls!
I'd love a video on Janay dolls from Integrity toys!! xoxo
Barbie and the Rockers were the REAL Misfits!!!!!!!
I would love it if you make a video about the history of Middle Eastern or Muslim dolls, specifically Fulla, Razzane and Simba's Jamila. There is also an Italian doll line called Tanya that I hope to see a future video on and also Winx Club dolls. Thank you so much for your incredible and informative videos.