Diva Starz: The Lost 2000s Robot Dolls
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- Diva Starz were a peculiar line of robot dolls from the technology-obsessed early 2000s. With their arguably creepy designs, they could talk and interact with you in unique ways. While a nostalgic relic of the past today, there's an interesting story behind how and why the dolls evolved, including controversies, outrage and fights between doll companies. There's also a variety of lost media, including the online webisodes and games, and a mysteriously cancelled animated series. Today on strawberry sprite, I'm looking through all of that and reminiscing on this forgotten little franchise.
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4-Ever Bratz Video: • Diva Starz: The Cancel...
sugar software's Video: • i found some lost diva...
Diva Starz Pitch Bible: drive.google.com/file/d/1Fk_I...
Chapters 💫
0:00 Intro
01:16 Premise and characters
04:21 Wave 1 dolls
08:27 Controversy and outrage
11:03 Wave 2, mini dolls and more
14:15 Fashion Diva Starz
21:10 Diva Starz .com
24:37 Video games
26:26 Lost webisodes
36:06 Cancelled animated series
Keywords: nostalgia, lost media, 2000s, y2k, bratz, barbie, diva starz, diva starz doll, robot doll, webisodes, pc game, fashion diva starz, diva starz.com, deep dive, video essay, long video, analysis, strawberry sprite, izzzyzzz, li speaks, girly, alexa, tia, nikki, summer, flo, miranda, girly lost media, girly deep dive, lost dolls, cancelled dolls, cancelled animated series, fruitiger aero, pixelchix, furby
This video is not made for kids, but for a mature audience (13+)
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, education and research - Zábava
I love how every 2000s doll line had to use "z" instead of "s" for zome reazon
becoz it waz super cool 😎
@@strawberrysprite *zuper
i think the bratz started the trend! lol
diva starz came first!
@@strawberrysprite really? omg i didn't know that.
I screamed in delight when i read the title!!
I owned a Tia doll, she had three different phrases, but i only remember "I've got the fashion 411!" and "Lets hit the mall, cuz I'm walking tall!" She had extra attachments to make her platform boots even taller and i loved that her lips lit up when she talked. I loooooooved Tia, and when the website came out, i was on it EVERY DAY.
no way! i was born in 1994 (6 years old when they first came out) and had a first generation alexa doll! this video jogged my memory so much; i could never forget clipping on her black skirt and pink tank top (the cutest combo she had), the huge feet to house the batteries (starting me out young with wanting platform shoes for the rest of my life), and the unique robotic element that set them apart. im so glad this came up in my recommended! unfortunately, even though i was allowed on my family's e-machines computer, i mostly stuck to CD-ROMs, and the occasional website for brands, like cereal company's games on their sites (lol) and the bratz website. i was actually pretty in the dark about diva starz' online presence and unfortunately i have no memories of the games or webisodes. nevertheless, thank you for making this video! i cant believe i almost forgot about these dolls. lost media is a very interesting topic to me, and its sad to see that some of the earliest internet media has been lost to time before people got as serious about archiving.
I was also a 94 baby! I don’t remember playing with my Nikki doll,(My Mom saved it for collecting.) & I really don’t remember them from childhood AT ALL! But I still have her a o I’m looking up videos to see what they are all about lol
I was a big fan of Diva Starz when they came out. I was in 4th grade and had the Summer doll who was my favorite character. My older sister and I used to play the PC game every day. We spent hours on dressing up the characters and changing their hair. I am 33, and I still would play that game for hours.
the actual dolls freaked me out as a kid but i LOVED their website games and the webisodes :')
The Diva Stars website had the best games. And, honestly, the animation was very trendy and pretty high quality for the time. I was very sad when those games stopped working. I probably would have enjoyed the tv series, too. It sounds very "Scooby-doo/Powerpuff girls" meets "Mary Kate and Ashley".
I was obsessed with the diva starz website!
It was one of my favorite websites to go on when I was a kid.
I would always freeze my computer playing the games 😂
I had these dolls as a kid, I had the 1st gen Alexa and I think 3rd gen Summer. I LOVED these little weird things and think about them randomly, this was the first doll line I fell in love with
I work at a thrift store and I saw them come in this past year, and the style of the doll was so interesting, so I’m surprised I remember it! I think I even remember taking a photo of it, and it was the blonde.
I was just about to comment that as a kid I found one of these at a thrift store and was surprised i remembered it! I was so excited but when I took it home it kinda sucked to played with lol
I was born in 1993 so my friends and I would obsess over these dolls and play the webisodes over and over. Thank you for going over their history. I really hope the lost webisodes are found someday
omg tysm for crediting me. im always so happy to see other people fan girling over the series. i was hoping i wasnt the only one who still remembered when i did my search. this stuff deserves to be archived, theres so much joy in finally finding something you havent seen in a long time that used to make you so happy
no problem thanks so much for your help recovering the webisodes 💗
Thank you for your work in recovering the episodes!
sometimes the algorithm will slingshot you a dose of nostalgia like you really yanked this out of my memory, thank you!
I remember Diva Starz, I had Nikki when I was little. They were so different to other fashion dolls at the time I remember being really interested in how cool they were. The fact that they were also similar to Furby also peaked my interest. Then Bratz came out a year later and I forgot all about them.
23:46 “In Happy Starz Treat Toss, Tia will throw food and you control the puppy with your arrow keys to collect good food for points while avoiding spoiled food.”
…why is Tia throwing spoiled food at her dog?
tysm for making this specifically for me
omg what a fun surprise! I think I had one of these dolls as a little kid (they have such a specific texture and weight to them...... plus i can never forget the eyelids lol) but the CD ROM game lives rent free in my head!
I used to own two of these, and now decades later I have four Sony Aibos, including the model you showed early on in the video!
I didn’t realize how ingrained “press yes to see my clock” was ingrained into my childhood head.
I had wave 1 Alexa and Summer. Things are different in hindsight, but at the time I never found them creepy. Then again, I liked WuvLuvs. If you haven’t heard of those, I REALLY suggest looking into them. Very, very very weird toys.
the cute sound effects you used tripped me out for a second heehee. I was like "who is trying to be my friend on animal jam???" you slay thank u for ur hard work soldier
Did I have my own Diva Starz doll? No. Will I watch it to support our amazing Strawberry? ABSOLUTELY! 💜💜
perfect for keeping me entertained during my drawing studies, keep it up 🥰
Oh. My. Gosh!! i've been searching for these dolls for 3 years now, since i forgot their name and had no idea how to go about searching. i remember their site was part of the everything girls sister sites along with barbie's site. And i spent hours dressing the toon gals up and playing mini games in their site. For 3 years i've been searching for their names and your video finally put my mind to rest. Edit: YES Summer was my favourite too!! Oh i missed them so much!!
I had never heard about these dolls so imagine my surprise when at 12:52 I noticed the cat doll, which I used to have but never knew where it was from. This was a rather nice discovery! Your content is not only nostalgic but also informative! Thank you so much for your videos!
Summer was my favorite doll out the line. I remember getting for my birthday and loving her hair! What a time! Summer was one bad bihhh💅🏽
First learned about Diva Starz weirdly through Brutal Moose's vid on the PC game, now I'm getting more into dolls your vid was so detailed in their history! Loved it!!
I love Brutalmoose's videos on old CD-Rom games!
oh wow I completely forgot these existed! so excited to watch this ❤️
I got Alexa for Christmas as a kid and it was my most memorable gift for YEARS!... I also had the small plush of her cat which my childhood cat (who lived from 1996-2018, bless her) stole as her toy and we called it her "baby". I still have that ratty pink cat! 🥲🥺 Diva Starz was so special to me! I love this video.
I had NEVER heard of this line before, I feel like I wouldn’t have cared for it as a kid. But Summer was so cute!! 💜💜
That's the one I had (as well as some McDonald's toys; I know I had a little Alexa from there).
I wouldn't mind seeing a deep dive into Bratz in the future. I always used to find dolls creepy as a kid (my mom used to own these victorian dolls which would stare off into the distance and my sister used to collect Barbie too, alongside Bratz, Build-A-Bear and My Little Pony), and to an extent, I still find them uncanny and off-putting. But I can appreciate the appeal and honestly, your videos have given me newfound respect for old toy brands that I never even knew about. As someone who identifies as a male in real life, I'm not ashamed to admit that your videos are very informative and entertaining to watch. I've always held a massive appreciation for action figures myself, such as Action Man and the Megazords Bandai used to make that had less articulation than their sentai counterparts (I own the Storm Megazord from Power Rangers Ninja Storm currently). I never got the chance to try out Transformers, G.I. Joe or Masters of the Universe though. (Which were enormous "boy brands" back in the day.)
one collectible I'd love to delve into more research on are PEZ. Those small sweet-spewing toys. I currently own Flounder (The Little Mermaid), Pikachu (Pokémon) and Liberty (Paw Patrol).
I've been looking for this website forever!! 😭 never had the doll but i loved to play the games and watch the webisodes. Episode 13 was my fave
I had the PC game as a child. I think they could make a comeback honestly, but they do badly need a bit of a redesign because their legs look like they're being poured into their shoes. I remember being distinctly uninterested in Miranda when she was added to the website lol. I confused her with Alexa. Ahhh I remember the webisodes. :O
Was a huge fan of these as a kid. My sis and best friend all had one and we had a ton of fun with the feature that let them talk to each other.
Their voices on the website give me such a rush of nostalgia everytime.
Thank you so much for doing a video in this. The nostalgia is so strong! I swear I grew up entirely on the flash games and webisodes of this era, and though we never had the dolls, my sister and I played these constantly. I would cycle through them all the time. I remember the way my heart broke when I looked them up a few years later only to find the website completely gone. It’s so nice to see again those little clips and images again, it’s like coming home!!
Oh! And I remember every single one of those lost webisodes as well, but it’s hazy which bums me out. I’d give anything to see even a screenshot of them. I remember loving the fireworks and litter cleaning one!
I remember being interested in these dolls especially the webisodes they have! I hope the webisodes get recovered somehow tho
Thank you for unlocking this core memory. I spent SO much time on that website.
My sister used to have one. I actually found it half a year ago in her closet when we were doing house cleaning. I thought it was creepy, and when we put batteries in it, it did nothing. So we got rid of it, and I have no idea where it is now.
I really wish The Big Dance episode could be found! Me and my sister still joke about the way their hair stylist said “SAY CHEESE” before taking their picture 😂😭
You are soooo under rated all your videos are soo good :)
thank you sm ✨
Honestly I have to tell you how amazing you are. Your videos are so lovingly crafted and feel so much warmer than like a typical video essays. You're so pretty and your voice is soooooo sweet and soothing. Your room is super cute too. I love everything about your content especially the scrapbook pages you make. You definitely have something special, keep making videos. I love your videos, each one is a cosy little corner I can come back to whenever I need to. I love the effort you put into it and it is definitely very appreciated. Have a great day 🐇❄️💗🧁🧸
this comment means the world to me thank you so much 🥹💗
Got my snacks ready! Thank you for the work you put in your videos. You are incredible🫶🏼
aww thank u :))
Their website games were top tier. I remember coming back from school and going through them. I didn't collect the dolls because parents were too poor back then.
The massive shoe size of characters for doll companies or TV shows is something that I notice was common in the 2000s. Bratz comes to mind, for example. The characters in the 2D movies and drawings have massively big feet too.
Kingdom hearts lol it wasn’t just dolls
This has awoken a small but hidden memory of my childhood. I know I saw this doll ONCE, whether because a friend had it or I saw it in a toy store, who knows.
From what I remember, there was a webisode that explained that Summer went away to go on an ocean expedition. That was the "canon" reason she was replaced with Miranda who was interested in magazines. She even had her own magazine mini game on the website
OMG I REMEMBER THE LOST FIREWORKS ONE!!!
That just unlocked a memory that I had no idea I had!!
thank you for showing the flash episodes/mini games. I'd seen the surface divastars content again but, haven't seen the webisodes since I was a kid but once I did, I definitely remember playing them over and over after school 😂
My sister and I were OBSESSED with Diva Starz. We always went on the website to play the games and I even remember most of the web episodes too and playing them! I had Alexa and my sister had Nikki; she liked purple and had dark hair like Nikki which was perfect for her. Alexa was the closest match to me but when they came out with Miranda, that was my go-to doll because she had green eyes and blonde hair like me. We made a huge backstory for them where Nikki and Miranda were cousins and Alexa became the bad girl and it was set a thousand years into the future. I still have my drawings of the Diva Starz to this day...which I drew them a lot! We gave them full names like 'Nikki Star Diva' and 'Miranda Shay'. Into my early teen years, we made Sims characters of the Diva Starz too. That's amazing that there was an actual story arch of the characters with supporting characters but was never launched...wish it was though! Thank you for the trip down memory lane.
Found a box of fashion diva stars in our family storage unit, and had NO idea what i was looking at lol. Turns out they belonged to my older sister who was definitely more into fashion dolls as a little kid than i was. Now I’m obsessed with fashion dolls, and this was a very interesting find
“If I was alive when these were around” girl you damn near killed me with that line. Im old af
I totally forgot these existed and watching this unlocked memories in my brain !!!!! These are iconic
I completely forgot that these existed, and that i even had one myself: first gen. Nikki!
Thanks for this video, which unearthed a memory i did not even know i had forgotten.
I only knew about these from the website i’m pretty sure! I had one of the big footed dolls i got from the thrift store but i preferred the website to the actual doll 😂 the fashion show/dressup game and the cat game i played so much
Made me so happy to unlock my memories of the webisodes. Can’t tell you enough how amazingly made and researched this video is.
Thank you so much for allowing me to relive my childhood!
holy cow this video just unlocked an avalanche of memories for me and my sister!!
10 year old me loved these so much. My sister had summer and I had Alexa. I loved the clip on clothes. The hair rooting and the fact that the clothes didn’t wrap around to the back was unnoticeable to me. I want one now so I can remember how happy these made me lol.
Wow, thank you for unlocking a core memory. I never owned a doll, but i remember visiting the web site often at that time.
I kind of wish you had touched on how Diva Starz influenced cartoon pixel dolls at that time. "Diva" style were my favorites. I remember my very first cartoon pixel doll site was actually called "Divaz Galore" lol. Maybe thats a better topic for a future video, though.
I have been waiting for someone to talk about these! I remember them so vividly.
Great video as always, loving the use of 'shocking' sound effects in this!!
im litterally obbsessd with your videos!! i binge them all the time, I think its because of your calm voice and how nostalgic it is
AAAAAA TY FOR MAKING THIS I LOVED DIVA STARZ SO MUCH NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT EVER
Summer was absolutely my favourite and it was DEVASTATING when they removed her from the lineup.
Other than the creepy McDonald’s toys, the only Diva Starz doll I had was the 1st Miranda release. My mum got me it for my birthday because I begged for one. I was obsessed with the website and begged her to get me a Summer doll, but she couldnt find one. I had no idea who Miranda was but when I found out she’d replaced Summer, I felt like such a traitor.
I'm so happy you covered this topic! Despite never owning the dolls, I adored the website games! I adore your content and keep up the good work!
Astounding video! I've never heard of this franchise before,so it was interesting to see this video. I'm incredibly happy that you posted ❤
And by the way, Happy late New Year!
i saw the thumbnail of this and it unlocked something in my brain; i had the og alexa doll and i loved talking to her. god, i feel like i was just taken back to 2000.
I’m so pleased that you uploaded this, thank you! I’m subscribed to a lot of nostalgic-esque creators and no one had made a diva starz episode (until you!) which made me sad because I used to be OBSESSED with these dolls. I loved Nikki the best and I remember in her room she had a skateboarding mini game you could play where you played as her and could do lots of different tricks on a half pipe. It’s a bit silly to admit this perhaps but the reason I got into skateboarding as an adolescent was because of her but I’m still into it 20 years later so thanks Nikki! I had her bug eyed talking doll for a while too.
I was so upset when they replaced Summer with Miranda (I remember watching all the webisodes and saw Miranda with her pink streaks and hated her on sight haha) I liked they were all different girls in the core four and then Miranda just seemed like Alexa with pink streaks and paler blonde hair.
This was such a well documented and incredibly nostalgic episode, thank you again. Subscribed and can’t wait to see what you put out next!
your videos are so fantastic! i always watch when i've had a bad day and just need some cozy calm vibes. Thank you for making these!
Me and my sister had Alex and Summer from the original run. I remember being so amazed by them being able to recognize what outfit they were wearing
I had an OG Alexa and this got me so nostalgic. Thank you for doing such thorough and interesting research!
Amazing video, for real. I never had the chance to own any of these dolls, I don't even think they were sold in my country, but their website is one of the most important parts of my childhood, I would spend literally weeks or months there and I still miss it so much it hurts.
I was born in 1995 and you just took me back so fast! I had a first gen Alexa and totally remember getting some of summers clothes for her because I liked those more!
I also had the CD-ROM game and I remember being OBSESSED
23:27 I remember the moment I saw the updated website. I remember exactly where I was, what I was thinking and how I felt. I was so upset they replaced the original designs, I hated the new ones, and I was just left really bummed that I'd never be able to play on the original site ever again. It's actually really cool that people have preserved the original site.
I love revisiting memories i haven’t thought about in such a long time
This was so fun to see after COMPLETELY forgetting! I had Summer and remember her long yellow skirt. The bald back was a shock from the video though lol
Great job on this video, and thank you so much for the shoutout and credits!!! The Diva Starz were definitely an interesting yet charming relic of the early 2000s. I never grew up with them when they were out, but I became a big fan of them circa. 2012. While they're admittedly a little strange and I can see why many are put off by them, they're still pretty cute dolls, and their whole aesthetic is pretty Y2K-more than Bratz, if you really think about it. 💞
Diva Starz also had a sponsorship deal with Neopets at one point, the game was pretty simple and a reskin of another game. You picked the Diva of your choice and used the arrow keys to navigate through different parts of her room, looking for certain fashion items. The quicker you found them, the better your score. I used to milk this for neopoints, as I was quite good at it.
The reason why I remember this game so well? Whenever the girl you controlled would find one of the items, an audio clip of those weird Diva catchphrases would play - in Nikki's case (who was my favorite), it was HYPERSWEET! So bizarre, not once did I hear an actual person say that out loud. These were definitely unique dolls, alright.
U unlocked a memory girl! I wanted one of these and the password diary . I was born in early 94. This hitting
great video and i looove your makeup!!
"press yes to set my clock! time to set my clock!" forever haunts me. it did not matter how many times you set it, you were never free from setting the clock. i had all four of the original line. i dont remember their lack of backside ever bothering me because you didnt really play with them like barbies or other fashion dolls, they were so huge and chunky, they were more about the interactive tech. interactive tech in which they were always telling you how you had shit taste when dressing them up. loved em!
the website was so basic and redundant but i loved being on there too, just good vibes.
dont know where mine are now, no memories of giving them away. might be buried in boxes. though i do still occasionally see alexas pink not gameboy kicking around my room time to time.
and as someone who has had bigass feet all their life, i appreciated the representation lmao.
My sister and I had all four between us! We loved them, they were definitely a core part of my childhood.
Forgot about these!!🥹 They kinda scared me like how did they know what they were wearing 🙊😬 I love your character collages so much every time!!!
i very much blame having these dolls as a kid for why i love animatronics so much as an adult. I think it was the first toy i ever had that could "talk" to each other?? It was very very cool
I had one of these! I seem to remember the momentum of their head moving side to side would make it fall over.
I had first gen summer! My cousin had first gen Alexa. I never got another diva stars doll but I loved them so much. I had the CD-ROM game and I played it allll the time, especially the style spot. I remember seeing their naked feet for the first time in that webisode and it is jarring even years later. Thanks for this!
I remember the site so well. I had no idea the dolls were AI-based until I started watching these Y2K nostalgia videos though. And interestingly, "Tia" and "Summer" have been reused as names for Barbie's friends (whose looks are similar to the respective Diva Starz). I think it would be neat to see the Starz re-released with today's technology and improvements to the hair and dress up mechanics.
I am literally living for this. ❤😂
You just unlocked a memory for me, I was OBSESSED with flash games as a child and distinctly remember playing Budster Starz Doghouse and the fashion game in the last webisode. I got a laptop from Make A Wish when I was 7 in 2004, and Barbie was my jam, I found a bunch of other brands but got very into Diva Starz for some reason, and after they were discontinued I believe my mom got me a used lot of all of the originals from eBay and they no longer did the interactions but I still thought they were so cool. I was blonde haired, blue eyes and a major girly girl so of course my favorite was Alexa but my other favorite was Summer because I loved her vibe
I remember that I got the og Alexa for christmas when the commercials took over my side of the globe, and I recall feeling so hyped for an electronic doll, but in hindsight, it was no surprise that the dolls ended up forgotten quickly, because, even if they were very unique, the lack of ears and backhair definitely didn't leave a lasting positive impression on me. Still, i got to be a cool kid for like a few days when i showed my Alexa to other friends back then, and it did feel like one of the coolest things a kid could get as a xmas gift...
As an amateur pixel doller, I mainly know about diva starz as the inspiration for a certain type of base that used to be popular
Thank you for the nostalgia. Its really pure. I grew up getting dolls and keeping up with fashion. And now I’m 25 and I’m a mommy of an 8 year old who wants to spend $50 on LOL dolls every week. 😩🫶🏽 dolls really were a big part of our lives .
I definitely had one of the Summer dolls, but can’t recall which eye color. I had all of the clothing items shown on both though! I remember the McDonalds toys too and had the flip-mirror style one 😋
Oh my gosh in my memory I totally thought that they were the first Bratz. I’m glad for this info and memory correction.
hey Queen! love the video and the sounds of animal crossing to the music soundtrack and the little sounds it’s just perfection! am glad to suscribe to your channel! 💓
I had one, ONE Diva Starz doll as a kid and I loved them!! Tamagotchi and Barbie, the Sims were more my thing when I aged though I also loved the old everything girl website
Summer was my favorite! I had one of the original Summer dolls, and as soon as she said, "you're the coolest of the cool" it really brought back a ton of memories. My cousin had an Alexa doll and I feel like they talked to each other? But maybe I'm misremembering. I do remember my mom and aunt thought they were creepy and I also remember that their phrases got repetitive QUICK. I also hated the hair! It bothered me that they didn't have hair on the back of their head. I don't remember anything about the online stuff, my cousin and I moved onto Bratz like the second they were released and forgot about Diva Starz. Although, I do remember my cousin having a Diva Starz bath towel because I always wanted to use it when I would stay the night lol.
omg I had an alexa doll and DEFINITELY remember summer’s fish tank game on the website 💗💗 I would have never remembered this on my own, thank you so much for making this video!!
oh my god another trip down memory lane - I had one of the Fashion Diva Starz dolls from a flea market in Spain and I never understood her when I pressed her head to hear her speak lmao
I’ve always lovvvvved the art style of diva stars, but as a kid I always went for toys with more physical playability. I would love to get one of these someday
My sister had those. I was so confused why she liked those dolls and not Bratz dolls that came out around the same time.
Wow.... I've been waiting for someone to do a video about these
YAY NEW STRAWBERRY SPRITE !!!
This video is really nostalgic and brings me back to my childhood. I got the blonde one for Christmas when I was five or six. It's interesting to see the history behind the toy.
I'm not sure if this is on purpose, but I noticed the iPod shown at 14:22 is the second generation iPod touch. Those didn't come out until 2008 (when I was in middle school). The one that came out in 2002 was clunky with a way smaller screen.