From Top, cover of Title 9 catalog, back page of Athleta catalog
From Top, innards of Athleta catalog, innards of Title 9 catalog
Clearly Title 9 is the victor as they have a cooler schwinn and the cover model actually riding the bike (the catalog also has a lemond city bike and a generic stepthrough in other photos). But well done to both catalogs in capturing the fat bike zeitgeist.
I do have to admit being very nostalgic for the Title 9 catalogs of 10 years ago or so which used to feature what I called the "Title 9 Barbies" (ironically, see below) who usually were shown surfing or skateboarding or gardening their organic farms or building a school for impoverished children with descriptions such as "working on her third PhD, raising her 4 adopted children on her organic turkey farm, still finds time to shred the morning break" or "built her own wooden yacht and sailed around the world in between her career as pro kiteboarder and her current job as CTO of a biotech startup". There was one page of the catalog I used to carry around in my lab book for inspiration when I was working on my dissertation, I can't find that page anymore, but I figured if she could look great in yoga pants and get her PhD while she was skateboarding/surfing/alpacafarming, well then, I could finish my dissertation while living by myself and riding my bikes a whole bunch, with little pressure to look great in yoga pants (even though I could totally rock those if I wanted to). I used to call them the barbies as those were the type of barbies I would like my future daughter to play with, alas, now that I actually have a daughter, the current Title 9 catalogs have dispensed with the awe inspiring overachievers for less impressive and breezy descriptions of the models.
5 comments:
Man, oh, man, those were the girls we all wanted to meet. Beautiful, successful on all battle fronts, and for some reason still want to meet us.
I was working on my dissertation when Flashdance was the big movie (yeah, that dates me...). The Barbie Dolls were wearing those fluffy leg warmers. I was riding to school in those days from six miles out and those furry leg warmers were cheap and effective warmth for those really cold Long Island winter mornings (way cheaper than Protogs full wool tights). They made me stand out in a pretty obvious way, but I had a better physique than the guys who were calling me a fairy, etc, so I tossed off the Lawn Guyland insults with a shrug.
I do wonder the reason for the lack of polymath models. Title IX can't afford them anymore? The ladies have found another cause and no longer have the time to model? Please let us know, Tarik!
My favorite was Six-Toed Title 9 Barbie, some years back. Six, count-em six, perfectly formed toes on each perfect foot, like exclamation points at the end her perfectly toned legs.
Talk about an overachiever.
The catalog (I think it was Title 9) withheld her hometown in her bio for fear of an invasion of foot fetishists.
I've never seen either of these catalogs before, but as the father of two girls I concur with the conceptual value of brainy and/or multifaceted Barbie-alternate role models. The incorporation of fatbikes and a Schwinn as props are frosting on the cake.
I find it awe-inspiring that she is actually pedaling those leaden Large Marge rims. Do not fear, these are actual role models for your daughters! Wouldn't it be great if young women eschewed typical success to simply travel the land by fatbike? I think so (of course).
Good stuff Tarik.
nicholas
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