Toy Monster

An eye-popping, unauthorized expos? of the House of Barbie From Boise to Beijing, Mattel's toys dominate the universe. Its no-fun-and-games marketing muscle reaches some 140 countries, and its iconic products have been a part of our culture for generations. Now, in this intriguing and entertaining expos?, New York Times bestselling author Jerry Oppenheimer places the world's largest toy company under a journalistic microscope, uncovering the dark side of toy land, and exploring Mattel's oddball corporate culture and eccentric, often bizarre, cast of characters. Based on exclusive interviews and an exhaustive review of public and private records, Toy Monster exposes Mattel's take-no-prisoners, shark-infested corporate style. Throughout this scrupulously reported, unauthorized portrait, you'll discover how dangerous toys are actually nothing new to Mattel, and why its fearsomely litigious approach within the brutal toy business has helped their products dominate potential rivals such as Bratz. Introduces you to the larger-than-life personalities that have shaped Mattel's eccentric world Offers an inside look- from an experienced author-at the scandals that have been a part of this iconic company Jerry Oppenheimer is also the author of Madoff with the Money, an in-depth look at Bernie Madoff the man and his billion dollar scam Engaging and accessible, Toy Monster shows you why today's toy business isn't always fun and games.

Part One: The Barbie War and the Handler-Ryan Era 1 Chapter 1: Barbie’s Untold Heritage 3 Chapter 2: A Shocking Cover-Up 13 Chapter 3: From Weapons of Mass Destruction to Barbie, and the Knocking Off of a German Doll 19 Chapter 4: Putting the “Matt” in Mattel, and How the Toymaker Became a Hotbed of Aggressive Hotheads 37 Chapter 5: Real-Life Barbie Dolls 51 Chapter 6: Horrific Scandal, Controversy, and Indictments 65 Chapter 7: A Civil War and a Hollywood Romance 81 Chapter 8: A Bloody Tragic Ending 89 Part Two: A Drama Princess and the Barad Era 103 Chapter 9: “Miss Italian America” 105 Chapter 10: From “He-Man” to Home Depot 121 Chapter 11: A Fearsome and Firing Diva and the Great Whistleblower Debacle 135 Chapter 12: The Princess Diana Fiasco, Praying for Success, and Demi Plays Barad 147 Chapter 13: Another Whistleblower in the Ranks, Toyland’s Worst Acquisition, and the End of a Reign 161 Part Three: Toy Terror, the Bratz Attack, and the Eckert Era 181 Chapter 14: The Processed Cheese Savior 183 Chapter 15: Barbie’s Aging, Eckert’s Making Excuses, and the Bratz Pack is Booming 193 Chapter 16: Toy Terror 2007 201 Chapter 17: An Outrageous Apology 213 Chapter 18: “Like Something Out of The Exorcist” 227 Chapter 19: Keep It Out of the News! 235 Chapter 20: Don’t Diss Barbie, and the Toy Trial of the Century: Bratz vs. Barbie 247 Author’s Note on Sources 265 Selected Bibliography 267 Acknowledgments 269 Index 273