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CNN Live Today

Model Discusses Plus-size Fashion Doll

Aired October 08, 2002 - 11:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A new namesake for the world's leading plus-size model being unveiled today, called the Emme doll. For decades, one of the standards of beauty and feminine perfection had been the Barbie doll. In the past two years, critics have complained Barbie's image is unrealistic because she doesn't accurately depict the average woman. Isn't that the truth?
So Emme decided to take things into her own hands and break the stereotype. She's come up with the first full-figured fashion doll.

Emme, the model, the person, joining us from New York with her doll to talk about that.

Emme, good morning. A pleasure to have you on with us.

EMME, MODEL: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

KAGAN: So you are a doll. I mean, you're a doll, but you're now literally a doll.

EMME: I heard that comment. That's very, very nice.

KAGAN: Can you show us your doll?

EMME: Yes, of course. And she's premiering over at FAO Schwartz tomorrow at 11:00 to 1:00, in New York City. It's really awesome. I'm having such a kick looking at...

KAGAN: Yourself.

EMME: ... all the different outfits. Yes, it's myself -- Mini- me, as everyone's been saying.

KAGAN: I want to talk about the clothes in just a second. But first of all, going off the Barbie comment. There is so much criticism that Barbie, where do we see a real woman who looks like that? But with your input of this doll, how much of a reflection is this doll to the real Emme in real life?

EMME: If you increase this doll to life-size proportions, she is me. I'm a size 14/16. And her proportions -- she has hips, as you can see: She definitely has hips.

KAGAN: Good for her.

EMME: And, the response is -- my response to just having one type of doll to play with that might not be as realistic as a lot of mothers and kids really would like, I thought, you know, why don't we have a diversification of body shapes. And on top of that, Emme's going to have friends who are diversified in color as well, which is very important. This is not just a one-time release. We're going to be -- this is a limited edition that's first released, but then in January and in months following that, we're going to be in the doll business. And every Emme doll and every friend is going to be either a model and a spy or a supermom or a really great college professor or a student, or whatever. All these different story lines are going to come from this kind of part of a full-figured attitude.

Hopefully, in time we don't have to make this a full-figured issue, that there's just diverse.

(CROSSTALK)

EMME: That the dolls are out there and you have different body types being represented. I think it's just healthier for kids.

KAGAN: I wanted to ask you quickly about the price. It's between $99 and $124. Probably not what I'm going to pay for a little girl to play with a doll.

EMME: Oh, no, no, no. This is a collectible. So there's only a limited edition of these coming out. Now, for the more $20 range, the Emme doll is going to be coming out in spring 2003. So this is -- we're really in the business of the doll business now, and you start with the collectible, and then you have that business kind of -- the collectors out there, it's a huge industry. I played with mud balls and stones when I was a kid. So this was all different for me.

KAGAN: Real quickly. I know you are a relatively new mom, and you have a daughter at home. Will you let her play with Barbie and Emme dolls, or will you keep her away from Barbie dolls?

EMME: No, no, no, I'm not going to keep her away from any dolls. I think she's going to have Emme dolls, she's going to have a whole bunch of dolls in her dollhouse. I think that's the attitude that I hope a lot of parents will have, that there should be diversity within the child's play so that their body image and self-esteem can be more intact when they go into more of the mass culture once they hit 5 years old.

I get letters from moms all the time saying please give us something they can play with that I feel good about. It's not they feel badly about the other dolls. I just think there should be more room within the play time.

KAGAN: In the dollhouse.

EMME: Sure. Absolutely.

KAGAN: All of us dolls come in different colors and shapes and sizes, don't we?

EMME: Yes. And it would be nice to have more diversification, starting with this first (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and hopefully it will encourage other manufacturers to do the same.

KAGAN: Emme, good luck with the doll and all your other adventures.

EMME: Thank you so much. I appreciate that.

KAGAN: Really appreciate it.

EMME: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 8, 2002 - 11:43   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A new namesake for the world's leading plus-size model being unveiled today, called the Emme doll. For decades, one of the standards of beauty and feminine perfection had been the Barbie doll. In the past two years, critics have complained Barbie's image is unrealistic because she doesn't accurately depict the average woman. Isn't that the truth?
So Emme decided to take things into her own hands and break the stereotype. She's come up with the first full-figured fashion doll.

Emme, the model, the person, joining us from New York with her doll to talk about that.

Emme, good morning. A pleasure to have you on with us.

EMME, MODEL: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

KAGAN: So you are a doll. I mean, you're a doll, but you're now literally a doll.

EMME: I heard that comment. That's very, very nice.

KAGAN: Can you show us your doll?

EMME: Yes, of course. And she's premiering over at FAO Schwartz tomorrow at 11:00 to 1:00, in New York City. It's really awesome. I'm having such a kick looking at...

KAGAN: Yourself.

EMME: ... all the different outfits. Yes, it's myself -- Mini- me, as everyone's been saying.

KAGAN: I want to talk about the clothes in just a second. But first of all, going off the Barbie comment. There is so much criticism that Barbie, where do we see a real woman who looks like that? But with your input of this doll, how much of a reflection is this doll to the real Emme in real life?

EMME: If you increase this doll to life-size proportions, she is me. I'm a size 14/16. And her proportions -- she has hips, as you can see: She definitely has hips.

KAGAN: Good for her.

EMME: And, the response is -- my response to just having one type of doll to play with that might not be as realistic as a lot of mothers and kids really would like, I thought, you know, why don't we have a diversification of body shapes. And on top of that, Emme's going to have friends who are diversified in color as well, which is very important. This is not just a one-time release. We're going to be -- this is a limited edition that's first released, but then in January and in months following that, we're going to be in the doll business. And every Emme doll and every friend is going to be either a model and a spy or a supermom or a really great college professor or a student, or whatever. All these different story lines are going to come from this kind of part of a full-figured attitude.

Hopefully, in time we don't have to make this a full-figured issue, that there's just diverse.

(CROSSTALK)

EMME: That the dolls are out there and you have different body types being represented. I think it's just healthier for kids.

KAGAN: I wanted to ask you quickly about the price. It's between $99 and $124. Probably not what I'm going to pay for a little girl to play with a doll.

EMME: Oh, no, no, no. This is a collectible. So there's only a limited edition of these coming out. Now, for the more $20 range, the Emme doll is going to be coming out in spring 2003. So this is -- we're really in the business of the doll business now, and you start with the collectible, and then you have that business kind of -- the collectors out there, it's a huge industry. I played with mud balls and stones when I was a kid. So this was all different for me.

KAGAN: Real quickly. I know you are a relatively new mom, and you have a daughter at home. Will you let her play with Barbie and Emme dolls, or will you keep her away from Barbie dolls?

EMME: No, no, no, I'm not going to keep her away from any dolls. I think she's going to have Emme dolls, she's going to have a whole bunch of dolls in her dollhouse. I think that's the attitude that I hope a lot of parents will have, that there should be diversity within the child's play so that their body image and self-esteem can be more intact when they go into more of the mass culture once they hit 5 years old.

I get letters from moms all the time saying please give us something they can play with that I feel good about. It's not they feel badly about the other dolls. I just think there should be more room within the play time.

KAGAN: In the dollhouse.

EMME: Sure. Absolutely.

KAGAN: All of us dolls come in different colors and shapes and sizes, don't we?

EMME: Yes. And it would be nice to have more diversification, starting with this first (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and hopefully it will encourage other manufacturers to do the same.

KAGAN: Emme, good luck with the doll and all your other adventures.

EMME: Thank you so much. I appreciate that.

KAGAN: Really appreciate it.

EMME: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com