Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel

Toy Monster has ratings and 29 reviews. Ed said: If you are interested in what Mattel is really like as a company and a place to work or if you are t.
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Its no-fun-and-games marketing muscle reaches some countries, and its iconic products have been a part of our culture for generations. Now, in this intriguing and entertaining expos? Based on exclusive interviews and an exhaustive review of public and private records, Toy Monster exposes Mattel's take-no-prisoners, shark-infested corporate style. Throughout this scrupulously reported, unauthorized portrait, you'll discover how dangerous toys are actually nothing new to Mattel, and why its fearsomely litigious approach within the brutal toy business has helped their products dominate potential rivals such as Bratz.

Engaging and accessible, Toy Monster shows you why today's toy business isn't always fun and games. Request permission to reuse content from this site. Executive scapegoats and backpedaling resulted in public lashing from the media and intense public mistrust.

Publishers Weekly , January 26, The Big, Bad World of Mattel. Added to Your Shopping Cart. Description An eye-popping, unauthorized expos? He is in a word, salacious, rather than reasonable or objective because that will sell his product. I think it's instructive that the only positive blurbs on the dust cover are from C.

David Heymann and Kitty Kelley, two other authors who would rather tear down than be objective. If you do want to read this book, save your money and wait a short time until you will be able to buy it at a much reduced price out of the remainder bins at your neighborhood bookstore. Jul 17, Melinda Elizabeth rated it really liked it. Toy Monster is a great expose into the creation, demise, resurrection, and contemporary struggles that Mattel has experienced.

Less about Barbie than you might imagine, this book covers a broad range of topics, focusing on the innovative Jack Ryan and his experience with Mattel, and following the brand through the decades, warts and all.

2-4 | Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel

How did Barbie Toy Monster is a great expose into the creation, demise, resurrection, and contemporary struggles that Mattel has experienced. How did Barbie and Ken live with their toy monikers? There was a slight reference to a struggle with the images, but not enough to really get into the topic. Who knew He-Man was just a marketing ploy to sell those ugly toys? Would have been better keeping those out. May 01, Oolookitty rated it it was ok. I was looking forward to this book as an expose of the inner workings of a massive toy company, and the fight over who really created "Barbie".

Instead, I got a book in which the author's bias is terribly clear: The bias shows up in the language used to describe the various players: And boy, does the author hate Ruth Hand I was looking forward to this book as an expose of the inner workings of a massive toy company, and the fight over who really created "Barbie".

And boy, does the author hate Ruth Handler and Jill Barad, uppity females that they were. It became a joke: The Father of Barbie went outside. The Father of Barbie sat down to dinner. The Father of Barbie answered the phone. It was late, so the Father of Barbie went to bed. The book is also sloppy and repetitive: Of course, there's no documentation for the reality of this, other than the fact that Moore toured Mattel once.

But this writer doesn't seem to feel the need to actually back up any of his claims: Almost unreadable; too bad. I'd love to read a serious book on the subject rather than this gossipy mess. One of my very first work experiences has been as a temporary at Mattel, in Europe. It wasn't bad, even if I were a little more than an intern and I knew there were no chance of staying. We were already in , in the last part of the book and in the less glamorous part of the Mattel history. And I still cherish the Barbie I got for Christmas, a limited edition in a red gown, as a company present.

Unfortunately now that I read this book I will look upon my doll my doll with different, more skep One of my very first work experiences has been as a temporary at Mattel, in Europe. Unfortunately now that I read this book I will look upon my doll my doll with different, more skeptical eyes, because the toy is quite a bully, and a not-so-good example of girl power.

First of all, the mother of Barbie is a father, a Californian playboy who modeled the doll on his playmates. Ruth Handler is indeed the founder of Mattel but not of the doll, although her tenacity in changing the corporate history paid off and now the only name we remember is hers. Oppenheimer took us from the garage where the magic started, to the rise and the mild fall of the toy giant, from the dangerous Polly Pocket to the disappearance of the Bratz dolls.

To me few of these notions are new, but I never read them together and I have to say that it's an impressive chronology. And I'm not impressed in a good way, not at all. Feb 26, Kelly rated it really liked it. I really enjoyed reading this book. What an eye opener! I learned so much about the makings of Barbie and her creators in the first 20 pages than I ever thought I would ever know. I love that this book didn't feel like it held back any and didn't really feel like an expose.

It did however cover everything including the massive toy recall of and the lawsuit with the Bratz dolls. Mar 19, Cindy rated it did not like it. This author wrote a completely one sided story with no facts to support it. Just because he repeats "Father of Barbie" ten million times does not make it true! Jun 01, Lauren rated it it was ok. Skip the first pages about Ruth Handler and Jack Ryan. As stated by someone else, not enough facts and week bibliography.

Jan 16, Anna Lewis rated it it was amazing. Mattel was my family for many years. Interested to see what comes out. Jul 11, Andrea rated it did not like it. I could not get through this book. I only read one chapter and all of that was focused on the escapades of the creator of Barbie, one Jack character. Definitely not worth your time.

Description

Jul 07, Sera rated it did not like it. The book was about as deep and insightful as a copy of "US Weekly": Aug 06, Ellen rated it liked it. Mattel, the world's largest toy company, has had its share of problems and scandals over the 6 decades it has been in business. Beginning with the feud between co-presidents Jack Ryan and Ruth Handler over who really came up with the Barbie doll, up to the latest fiasco involving massive recalls of millions of toys due to high-lead paint content and the even more deadly tiny magnets that were swallowed by children.

Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel

Barbie was the genius invention of Mattel and the largest selling fashion doll in Mattel, the world's largest toy company, has had its share of problems and scandals over the 6 decades it has been in business. Barbie was the genius invention of Mattel and the largest selling fashion doll in the world until what the author calls that "slutty, freaky-looking, upstart" doll line, Bratz, appeared in and Barbie suddenly found herself replaced in the hearts of little girls everywhere. Barbie may have the last laugh on the Bratz Pack as Mattel sued Bratz parent company MGA citing copyright infringement and stating that the designer, who had previously worked for Mattel, came up with the idea for the dolls while working for them.

Mattel won the lawsuit but MGA seems to still be the production company. Through Congressional hearings, misappropriation of funds, Consumer Product Safety censures and grass-roots boycotts by concerned parents, Mattel remains the largest toy manufacturer world-wide.

For the most part I enjoyed this eye-opening account of Mattel's inner workings although, at times, the book seemed like a vicious 'trash and bash' to me. I would think that over 60 years Mattel must have done something good and not be all about profits, but that may just be me being naive. It also makes one wonder about the integrity of other large companies and what skeletons may be lurking in the closets of their own Barbie dream houses. Feb 22, Leslie rated it it was ok Shelves: If you like Mad Men, I think you might find this book fascinating and very entertaining.

The first few chapters were really good, but the rest of this book was so terribly disappointing. The author became extremely caught up in listing dates, names and all kinds of boring details, while focusing less on the anecdotes.

I guess it felt as if he just tried to bang out the rest of the book on a deadline. I came so close to giving up on the book, but I had been dragging through it for so long I just couldn't let myself quit. And the afterward disgusted me. The author came off so egotistical, bragging about how it was the only accurate, unbiased memoir written of Mattel and raked on the other attempts. The entirety of his book was based on hear say, so it was strange he could consider this book gospel.

Of course it was a bunch of differing recounts - that's the whole point of how wacky that place was. And ironically he DID inject his own opinion throughout the entire book. I'm giving it 2 stars simply because it started out fun. Dec 16, Mary rated it liked it Shelves: A fairly quick read, thanks in part to its gossipy tone.

While the book is divided into three sections, the chronology within each section tends to be scattered. The book might have been better if it focused more on the early days with flamboyant Jack Ryan and his nemesis, the Handler couple.

Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel by Jerry Oppenheimer

The section on the recent scandals of Mattel products having lead-based paint or ingestible pieces reads more like the daily news, and while it exposes corporate shenanigans, you really can't call anything A fairly quick read, thanks in part to its gossipy tone. The section on the recent scandals of Mattel products having lead-based paint or ingestible pieces reads more like the daily news, and while it exposes corporate shenanigans, you really can't call anything in this book terribly shocking.

More of a bummer, really.


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Apr 04, PlatKat rated it liked it. I guess three stars is a bit generous, since I started reading it two years ago and haven't bothered to re-borrow it from the library so I can finish it. I don't think I'll be doing that, and I made it through most of the book, so I'll consider it read. It's basically a gossip column in book form--interesting but devoid of useful information.