If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

In response to last week’s question, “If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends? ”, my friend Richard concluded, “because truly “plastic people” only have friends who are also plastic.  You have to have money to attract truly plastic people, and they don’t grow on trees, you know … Although it is easy to see how you could think they do from watching “reality shows” on TV.  To this my friend Tracey, whose son did a great performance in a local production of Rent,  expanded, “Think Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie or any of the Kardashians.” My sailing friend Kurt agreed, adding, “but who really wants to be their friends?”

My birthday bud Jon replied, “That's a tough one, well beyond my Ken.”  But my friend Royce found an answer, “Sounds like Barbie got elected to Congress.”

My sailing friend Mike observed, “Heck you have to BUY Barbie herself.  Does that make her a hooker….or is she too high-classed for that (an escort!)?   My dad used to tease me that women were like boats.  It wasn’t the cost of the hull that’d break the bank, it was the cost of the rigging!”  My cycling friend Ted agreed, “We all know that Barbie's real profession is a rather old one, and as they say--birds of a feather flock together!”

My cable marketing friend Patrick shared, “She’s obviously in a sorority.”  My sailing and writing friend Rich concluded, “because she has such a plastic personality.”  My friend Swany thought it was “to pay for all the 'plastic' surgery.”  My comedic friend Bruce explained, “it’s because Mattel didn’t make play money for her to buy them herself.”  Keeping up to date with current trends, my dad’s beach buddy Bob knew it was “because Ken is finally fed up with the tattoos.”

Then my TKE friend Alan countered that “somebody has to idolize her otherwise she wouldn’t know she’s so popular.”

My social-business co-chair Andy “blamed Facebook for devaluing the interpersonal relationship.  (See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2058281/So-Facebook-Most-people-TWO-close-friends.html?ito=feeds-newsxml)    Now I'm off to buy followers on twitter.  :)   ”  

And then my neighbor Al put all of this into perspective, writing, “In one way or another we all buy our friends.  A true friend is a great investment of time, love, honesty, and respect.  An acquaintance is the new investment which has not yet reached as high of a rate of return.  ( And sadly we all have a few junk bonds in our portfolio.)”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' “:

If you're a size 0, do you exist?"  (from my friend and former colleague Kerstin)

Today is the oldest you’ve ever been yet the youngest you’ll ever be.  Enjoy this day while it lasts and remember to smile.

Hal

If you’re in ATL on Thu evening, join us for a inspiring, uplifting and humorous community event.  For info, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ecumenical-Thanksgiving-Service/119602054760740