MAXIE: Hasbro’s Ambitious Attempt to Challenge Barbie
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- Опубликовано: 4 фев 2025
- 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
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
Bratz rocks!!!
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 ❤
I had the regular Jem and the whole band. I **EVEN** had their car. I felt like a baller 🤣😂
@@bronwynecg that’s so cool, you were so lucky! I once saw a video here where spare Jem doll parts were put together and sold cheaply, it lead to some weird combos like Rio’s head on a woman’s body and Jem herself having a generic fashion doll head. 😢
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.
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!
Barbie being called an “older yuppie” is still the funniest part of all of this
It's accurate tho 😄
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!
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.
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 ❤❤❤.
I was the only one of my friends that remembers Maxie.
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!)
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
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
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.
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' 😊❤
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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 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?
Please make more videos 🙂 I love your channel!
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 ❤
🥳🥳🥳‼️ So glad to see you’re back again!! 💗
❤❤❤
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!
My childhood 🥰 thank you for this...a flashback I wasn't expecting but definitely put a smile on my face.
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.
Get so excited whenever you upload, regardless of the topic. Glad to see you back, thanks for another amazing video! 💖
Super glad to see you back!!! Learned about a (new to me) doll line today!!! (:
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."
I will always and forever be truly outrageously in love with Jem…and I still have an original JEM doll in the box
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 never saw or knew about the Maxie cartoon but I did have a Maxie doll and she was my favorite fashion doll.
I had the Maxie vanity that came with a Maxie doll. I loved playing with them!
Watched the video for a second time. It’s such a great video, very informative and well-made. The 1988 Rob head was supposed to be the 1987 Rio head, my guess is the head was a little to small so the didn’t use it. Perfect Prom Maxie shouldn’t have been the only scented doll for 1988, there was to be a scented Hollywood Jem doll too - wearing that pink dress from the end of the episode. If only Hasbro had a little more faith in the 1988 Jem line. Besides the Rockers and Jazzie, Mattel’s Spectra was made to compete with Tonka’s Aurora around the same time. One of the Hasbro employees told me there was a Jem doll box at an Asian tradeshow. The Hasbro salesman threw it away after the show and then the Mattel salesman climbed through the trash and dug it out and send it to California. Supposedly that’s how they knew what ethnicities to make the Rockers, and why Mattel made Rocker’s fashions bight colors because the neon illustrations on the boxes are bight. And Mattel was surprised by the release of the release of the Misfits, because they are not pictured on the Jem box. She told me that her friend who worked at Mattel told her that. But there’s no way to ever find out if that really happened or if it was just a phone call.
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.
8:50 "FLAT FEEEEET!!!!" 🤣🤣😂🤣 sorry I couldn't resist
I did it too! 😂
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.
That Barbie and The Rockers Ken was it. 😍 He's Handsome and built different.
I love your videos!! You're my favorite dolltuber 😁
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😍
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.
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.
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.
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 feel like Hasbro did learn their lesson with Jem. Maxie managed to be on store shelves a year before Jazzie could compete. How Mattel didn’t know, who knows. 😂 Mattel might have been distracted with the 1988 Jem and 1988 UK Sindy lines. But even Maxie’s World aired the same month as Barbie and the Rocker: Out of this World dropped. Rumor has it, that was supposed to be full Rockers series, but Mattel canceled the series because they knew DIC Animation City was making a series for Hasbro. I think the Sindy license played out okay, the bad thing is Mattel started suing because they felt Hasbro was making Sindy look to much like Barbie, after Maxie ended. Hasbro canceled the New Kids as the next patch of dolls and fashion were being developed. There was few bad headlines and trashed hotel rooms was a little too much for Hasbro at the time.
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!
6:24 As an 80s kid I swear that Marie's World cartoon look a lot like the Beverly Hills Teens cartoon I remember watching way back then. 🤨🤔
I got the Prom Maxie doll for my 6th or 7th bday- she was my favorite for a long time!
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’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 to rewatch the video😂 Wanted to say is there any time you could look into Barbie S.I.S (So in style) dolls? I just found out about then myself!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH 30mins I CAN'T WAIT😭😭😭😭 I LOVE THIS CHANNEL ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️😭😭😭😭
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)
I used to watch Maxie when I was a kid. I was soooo upset when it got canceled.
Thank you so much for the video! I love your channel
I loved Maxie's world cartoon. I used to rent it at Blockbusters ❤️
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!
Every video you put out is an event for me
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.
where are youuuuuuu? I miss ur videos!!! 🩷
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 😂
The Maxie doll was so cute too! 💖
Yay, welcome back! 💖
Thank you!! Glad I can share a new video!
I'd love a video on Janay dolls from Integrity toys!! xoxo
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 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
Maxie is a high quality doll line that I have enjoyed collecting!
I had Maxie dolls and the her house. My parents (at my urging) purchased both. I had Jazzie too! Shoot I had (4) of the Rockers line 😮 I wanted the Jem dolls but they were hard to find.
I loved my Jem and Maxie doll!
I had a Cheerleader Maxie doll and the Cool Locker when I was 9 or 10 years old in the early ‘90s which is perfect for my dollhouse my dad built.
Very interesting to see the early nineties and all the beach themed doll lines loll ❤ very 80’s
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 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 liked Maxie!!! They should try again....Bring Maxie Back!!!
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.
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 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.
I had Barbies but I always loved the Jem dolls more they were just cooler looking.
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.
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 freaking loved Maxie she was one of my favorites
I love both Jem and Maxie so much!!!!
The only real True Rival of Barbie were the Bratz Dollz
This is a really great video! Maybe a good topic would be cancelled doll lines?
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.
Gotta love these 80s fashions!
I kinda need that Rockin' Pretty line, shame it never happened
Maxie is so pretty, I love her!
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?
It’s a shame Maxie didn’t catch on. She was adorable.
Hasbro had an another doll brand to stop to Mattel. This doll was called Sindy and they had so many commercials, but I think this brand is discountenied, because copyright reasons. This doll brand commercials also aired in Hungary,but I think commercials was unsucessful in there too.
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 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.
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 like the new voice for the voiceover
Had to laugh at “hyoo-la hoop”. 🤭