26 Things You Didn't Know about Barbie - mental_floss List Show Ep. 335
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- A weekly show where knowledge junkies get their fix of trivia-tastic information. This week, John tells you some things you probably didn't know about Barbie!
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When he listed the siblings... he left out Skipper...
I feel so old for remembering that :(
I literally yelled at the screen "What about Skipper?" at that part.
+desertraven He gave a list of "cast-out" siblings. Skipper is still a part of the Barbie line.
+desertraven what about kelly? he did mention kelly
+trueloveis4u oh wait kelly still exists my bad
+trueloveis4u Kelly is kind of gone. she's now Chelsea and is a little older. in Ireland and UK and Europe she was called Shelly. I was like "but Shelly is gone!" but nope. now she's replaced by an older Chelsea.
Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse is really good actually.
Yeah I watched one episode. Not bad. If I were a kid I would watch it.
+WonderfulAkari My 7 year old daughter watches it... She loves it.
It's targeted to kids of course, but it is a GOOD kids show.
+WonderfulAkari I first saw it on Tumblr and I started watching it and now when my little sister (she's 6) comes home, we watch new episodes. It's hilarious!
It's really funny because it's self-aware and kinda meta
A John Green reality TV show? I can see it now. Instead of crappy housemates, John has to deal with a series of annoying existential crises. Which soul-crushing realization of mortality and the ephemerality of secular existence will John have to vote out of his head this episode?
+Dan Heidel Yes!
All of this and more on a comedy podcast
+Dan Heidel Sounds like an average episode of Louie.
I really want this to become a reality.
+Dan Heidel DEATH, the best fear to have, according to Hank
27: Barbie makes a show called Geography Now on TH-cam.
Lol :P
+KinRedysko Barby
+KinRedysko So I'm back after going over and watching all of his videos yesterday... I thank you
Another fun fact about Barbie: Pixar originally wanted Barbie to be in Toy Story but Matel wouldn't release the rights, so Barbie became Bo Peep.
But Barbie is in Toy Story...or 2 and 3 at least
Not the original. They didn't want her involved in it, then it became successful. Honestly it probably also had something to do with the romance between Bo/Barbie and Woody vs. Barbie and Ken
+ImJustBeingMary I think it also was because they didn't want to give Barbie a personality, as children should imagine it themselves. But I guess that's scratched now, with all the Toy Story stuff, Life in the dreamhouse and all...
I'm so glad he still does Mental Floss even though I'm sure he totally doesn't have to!
The Dreamhouse show is actually cleverly written. Many jokes and references.
Yes!
John + Hanging at home with Alice = episode of Mental Floss on Barbie!
I have that shirt!!!! John and I own the same shirt!!!! This makes me so happy!
When I heard he was coming to Penguin Random House for visiting, I was super excited, I wanted to tell him so much, face-to-face, how I really enjoyed his show, Mental Floss.
John, you and the yeti are obviously the most famous couple of all time.
My Barbies went on adventures in space with me and saved their kens from dragons. :-)
My barbies dumped Ken for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Oh the 90s.
+slainterock my barbies spent their life in an underbed storage bin i had over 12 of them but i hated girl toys i wanted hot wheels, legos and such but all of my reltives since i was born a girl assumed i wanted female toys
My Barbies were Tarzan
I had two Barbies growing up: one of my mom's from the early 70s, and the Barbie/Tanner the dog gift set. It's important to note that the poops that Barbie could clean up with her magnetic pooper scooper were not just poops: they were designed to look like either kibble or poops, so they could go in one end of the dog and out the other.
Finally a facts video about barbecues!... Oh nvm...
John: Would Willows, Wisconsin have potential to be a Paper Town then?
+Nick S No. A paper town is a fake town put in maps for copy-write reasons. They kinda just made up a town & said Barbie is from there. It's not on a map.
I think Barbie and Ken are more internationally known than Kimye :D
I know that this is probably super insensitive, but at 5:08 the first barbie could literally be a stick with a cloth over it and nobody would be the wiser.
Barbie's Dreamhouse is hilarious. It pokes fun of itself and even references being plastic despite being a cartoon.
I am such a fan of John Green. My husband and I just put together that your the author of TFIOS and the love just blossomed. Lol
The most famous couple of all time is John and the Yeti, yes?
5:11 -- "And she's also popular with Peeta, believe it or not." So there's a Barbie-Hunger Games connection?
Oh, wait ... Never mind.
My school watches your world and U.S. History crash courses in social study's, it's kinda funny watching a bunch of 8th graders get SUPER exited about humming the intro song:)
Alt title: 26 Times John Was Barely Holding It Together Trying Not To Laugh.
Stupid stolen joke time:
Why can't Barbie get pregnant?
Because Ken comes in a different box.
+videogamefan004 box = vagina, Come = pun on cum, i.e. Ken cums in someone else's vagina, thus Barbie can't get pregnant.
+Terminator You know.....sarcasm? and also...that joke was funny even without the sex layered pun
Patrick Allen How is it a joke without the double entendre though?
Cardboard box? silly thus funny
Patrick Allen But how would cardboard boxes be related to Barbie not getting pregnant, if not used in a sexual manner?
life in the dreamhouse is a shockingly brilliant show xD
My Barbie dolls didn't live in the Dreamhouse. They lived in a suitcase that when you opened it up, had fold-out beds on one side and a closet and storage on the other side. We had many adventures together as well as careers and love affairs. ;D
Barbie: Life in the Dream House is hilarious 😂
Gasp! "... Barbie going through her closet, and talking about fashion." It's a lot more than that. It's probably one of the nerdiest shows I've seen! References to Star Trek, Star Wars, Space Odyssey, Futurama... Give it a chance! (Also, pretty great animation.)
He must not have seen it yet... :/
Love the crash course reference.
You should do a show about "Facts about Mental Floss."
Do they really say "don't forget to be awesome in John's home town?
Does the pork chop fund really go to buying pork chops - lol.
Who is behind the camera?
What are the things on the shelf - do they change and how often?
How do you prepare for an episode?
Who does the research and how?
When did mental floss start?
What was it like when it first started?
i remember the barbie tanner poop scoop up, Barbie really has done it all 😂
Barbie's Life in the Dreamhouse is a brilliant meta-satirical comedy appropriate for all ages and I would highly recommend it to both children and adults.
Yep!
Romeo and Juliet is probably the most famous couple of all time. People have been reading about those two for 400+ years. Barbie and Ken have yet to make it an entire century.
Though I suppose Romeo and Juliet didn't technically make it very long either...
+LitJitsu I thought Dick & Liz were pretty famous. Charles & Dianna had its moments, several of them. And Cleopatra was a partner to a couple of well known Romans, which we've been chuckling about for just over two thousand years now... The next person who shouts out 'Cleopatra, show us your asp!' is going to get egged.
+Kneedragon1962 Those are all high in the running, though they do get a slight unfair advantage in that they actually existed. But as far as "famous for being a couple" goes, I'm not sure even that bunch can compete.
Looking at that list, though, it appears being a famous couple all but ensures that it won't end well.
+LitJitsu I was thinking of Mary and Joseph (Christian faith) or Adam and Eve (also Christian faith). More modern couples like Kermit and Miss Piggy (Muppets) won't likely stand the test of time.
+Nightenstaff Kermit and Piggy aren't even a couple on the latest Muppets TV show! :)
+LitJitsu i never read it its a stupid romance that ends in sucide
yay, John!
I totally had the barbie that picks up dog poop and I actually LOVED IT
1. I totally had the Barbie picking up after her dog doll.
2. Really? No mention of any of the Barbie movies? Those were my entire childhood!
The most famous couple will forever be Mrs. Piggy and Kermit. They may have split but they will forever be in our hearts as the best couple ever.
hahaha the story of barbie not being able to program is hillarious
my niece plays with lego. she's going to be an engineer.
Well, if Barbie were from Malibu, then every Barbie would be Malibu Barbie, and that would just be chaos!
Fun fact about #24: it's also popular in Norway, as well as a handful of other European countries, though the content varies a bit in each country.
I really enjoy your videos, truly proven to prevent brain cavities 😉
I'm fairly certain that you *do* have a reality show. Each episode is about 4 minutes long and it airs once per week.
John, I just saw Paper Towns! It was so good! Btw my name is also Quentin!
I was told Frozen merchandise started outselling Barbie merchandise.
Fact or not?
I'm 21 and after watching this I really have an urge to get on Amazon and buy my first barbie in 10 years
I think Romeo and Juliet may be the most famous couple.
+Thiago Monteiro I'd argue that Adam and Eve are more well-known.
+Jake Pillsbury Taking in account that half the population of the world lives between India, China, Indonesia and the southeast asia, none of those countries are majoritarily christian and all of them had brittish influence, Romeo and Juliet might be more famous.
+Thiago Monteiro using your same statistics, I will wager Barbie and Ken are more famous since the British influence in those parts of the world actively discouraged native populations form learning of learned things like the works of Shakespeare, but the American corporate influence in those regions has actively promoted Barbie and Ken to the natives.
A romance a lot more terrible than that of our two plastic friends I must say!
tem razão!
2:52 - poorly disguised Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen&touch ))) I was using one while watching this video!
I think you kind of undersold "Life in the Dreamhouse". It's surprisingly funny!
I completely agree
3:10 Yeah, because in real life, all aspects of game development are always done by individuals because it's so easy and not at all a huge task that requires a team.
It's probably because I'm not 6 anymore, but I didn't realize how popular barbies still are. Holy crap.
I had the Teacher Barbie that was on the wall. I think she was the only one that survived my childhood with her head still on her shoulders...
I had a blond Barbie, a Brunette Barbie, and a Ken. Blond Barbie dumped Ken and fell in love with Brunette Barbie. They had a kid and lived happily ever after (now in a box in my mom's attic).
I never had a barbie. NEVER- I am the 1 percent!
+hkreinke i would have been fi my reltives werent sexist and assumed since i was born a girl I WANTED DOLLS but no i wanted hot wheels legos and other boy items but i never got any of them until i was abit older and only from my mom becuase i was raised to say thanks for every gift i ever reciveed and never reject anything
+hkreinke #OccupyMattel
Barbie life in the Dream House is actually amazing...
Completely amazing
Did anyone else read that PETA quote as "... She's actually been a furry for her entire history..."?
+Ionlymadethistoleavecoments no
Ah Barbie. :3 The lovely thing about those dolls is they can be what ever you want them to be. :) I remember I had SOOO many of them it was stupid. :P
Harry and Louis are obviously the best couple ever
I want to know what's going on behind the camera. John seems to be on the verge of laughter throughout most of the show. (Although maybe it's just that he finds Barbie hysterically funny?)
Barbie wasn't fur-free in my house. My grandma actually sewed fur jackets and stoles for my sisters' Barbies. Take that, PETA!
but how many little boys have Barbies?
I personally didn't, but damn if I wasnt' jealous of my sister's Barbie Dream House playset.
I had the dog pooping Barbie. I remember liking it a lot and being really sad when I lost the magnet poops.
I wonder which part of Barbie the missle designer designed?
You've gone from Mr. Rogers and climate change to Barbie. A downward slide not seen since the reign of Caligua, well done.
I had a Barbie or two when I was little, but I never played with the actual figures. I'd only ever play with the animals that came with her. Barbie got immediately tossed to the side, animals got played with exclusively.
You will be surprised to know that Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse is a hilarious stroke of genius that seems to have been written by a team of geeky guys. It is delightfully self-aware, makes fun of Barbie and materialism, the characters are actually interesting, and makes references from 2001 A Space Oddessy, Spider-Man, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Star Trek, Sims... Just to name a few in the first episode. It's on Netflix!
John Green's reality show on E! "John Green: The Puppy Sized Elephant Life" which will mostly be about Willie.
Why does John say at the end of each video, "I return to my salon" when there was no indication that he ever left it?
+Marlar House the camera angle changed
+Kat Reynolds I guess that's one explanation!
When I was a kid I played with Tonka trucks and ran around outside all summer and stayed inside most of the time in winter to play with my Barbies. My Barbie was dating G.I. Joe.
I had the Barbie puppy training set! It was so weird.
His eyes look beadier. Guess the success of his movie hit hard.
They should release a Social Activist Barbie. After about a year, City Councillor Barbie, then Mayor, then state-level Representative Barbie, then Governer Barbie, then Congresswoman Barbie, then Senator Barbie, and finally President Barbie. By having a series of Barbie's showing her progression up the ranks, girls will not only believe they can be great, they won't get discouraged when they find out how long the road to the top really is.
Bonus fact: Barbie's body design is designed so that it makes changing clothes easier, not to give young girls an impossible body image goal.
I wasn't aware that John Green is a real life Waylon Smithers.
The most famous couple of all time is Mickey and Minnie, silly!
Being popular with PETA is not a good thing.
+Denni Bryant actully i did have a chrtismas barbie that had a fur callor..... so....
+trueloveis4u I highly doubt it was real fur though.
Are Barbie dolls referred to as action figures now?
+ljmasternoob I wouldn't be surprised
+ljmasternoob One thing's for sure: they're not girls' toys.
So barbie has had well over 100 different careers, started at the bottom with a one bedroom apartment and eventually moved into a 27 million dollar mansion, AND she's always been portrayed as an independent woman with her choice of me. So how on earth was that experiment conducted that made little girls think they had fewer career choices? Were the researches just like "Here ya go little girl, here's Barbie, her kitchen, and her minivan. Go make Ken a sandwich"?
Aren't the Vlogbrothers updates technically a reality show?
126 Barbies was sold during this video!
Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse is actually hilarious. However the youngest sibling Kelly seems to have gone MIA and been replaced.
Yes! I love it!
Insect is what John was getting at with #7
The marines aren't their own branch of the military, rather they are just the largest part of the Navy.
+Devistnathan They fall under the Department of the Navy but they are a separate branch.
I guesses for most famous fictional couple is either Mickey and Minnie, the previous couple of Kermit and Piggy or Gomez and Morticia!
Lizzie and Darcy are obviously the real most famous couple in history
JOHNY! Where have you been?
i used to have that peeing dog barbie set! so much fun. i have no idea why i liked it so much, but i did.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse are clearly the most famous couple of all time
I owned only two Barbies, and both were Padmé from Star Wars. I wasn't allowed to have any other Barbies. :P
My parents wouldn't let me have a Barbie doll (although I never particularly wanted one) and I am grateful.
I'd say Romeo and Juliet are better known than Barbie and Ken. Even without the bestselling toy line.
I had both the dog play sets lol
Don't forget the Barbie and Ken Star Trek set.
What no mention of Sindy, my sisters had Sindy not Barbie.
Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse is hilarious!! Seriously, go watch it right now!
Agreed :)
kanye: now listen my fiance is smoking hot and is most certainly not a hobbit. she may live in a hole in the ground, have hairy toes, smoke a pipe, and have a friend named gandalf who just happens to be a wizard but I . . . .*dials phone* bitch how you not a hobbit again
By the time I was 12, I had at least 20 barbies, including the ones I've lost and got from my mom
I HAD THE BARBIE AND TANNER SET LOL
BEARD :O I remember you saying in Crash Course how you envied the beard of some Greek philosopher but I BELIEVE IN YOU. Just don't shave and you'll be sporting a great wisdom beard in no time.
I'd argue that Adam and Eve are the most well-known couple of all time. They play a major role in the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths and have been depicted in pop culture, art, etc., the world over. They've even pervaded the scientific community, with the terms Mitochondrial Eve and Y-chromosomal Adam.