Is Barbie Jewish? JewTube Investigates and Posts the Conclusion on YouTube

With all the publicity surrounding Friday's theatrical release of the long awaited movie Barbie, we just had to delve into the frequently asked question "Is Barbie Jewish?"

Yeah, she's Jewish. BOOM! But how/ why? Well, the same reason anyone is halachically Jewish, her mother is. That's not the whole story though. There's controversy, mystery, and an investigation by JewTube that reaches an inevitable conclusion. Despite her origin as a copy of a German sex symbol named Lili, her creator, Mattel founder Ruth Handler named her after her own daughter Barbara and her boyfriend Ken after her own son Kenneth.

Enjoy!

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The Jewish Roots of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head

Did you ever hear of Henry, Herman and Hillel Hassenfeld? The three Polish-Jewish immigrant brothers were legendary in the world of toys back in 1952 when they sold the first of millions of Mr. Potato Head, and later, his mate, Mrs. Potato Head.

The Hassenfeld Brothers formed a company that they called Hasbro, now the world's third largest toy company. 

As Avishay Artsy wrote in Jewniverse,

Hassenfeld Brothers sold the first Mr. Potato Head as a kit of facial parts. It came with a Styrofoam head and instructions that suggested using real vegetables and fruits instead. After parents complained about rotting vegetables and new government safety regulations restricted toys with sharp pieces, Hasbro began selling the plastic potato body in 1964.

Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to be advertised on television, and it sold more than a million units in its first year. The next year Mrs. Potato Head was introduced, followed by Brother Spud and Sister Yam, along with cars, trailers and other accessories.

Mr. Potato Head has become an American cultural staple. And it all started with vegetables in a Brooklyn kitchen.

Here is one of the first black and white TV commercials for Mr. Potato Head.
 
A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.