July 27th is Barbie In A Blender Day

In 1999 Tom Forsythe created a series of photographs titled “Food Chain Barbie”, depicting America’s sweetheart in a variety of compromising nude poses with common kitchen appliances. When Matell discovered the artwork they demanded that Forsythe stop selling his prints and filed a lawsuit against him, citing copyright infringement. The case, which called into question the rights of free speech and fair use of cultural icons, persisted a grueling five years before it was finally settled in 2004. At settlement a federal judge ruled in Forsythe’s favor, instructing Mattel to pay the artist 1.8 million dollars in legal fees and court costs. A few years later, Freeculture.org, an international student movement known for championing the right to free speech and “open cultural space”, founded Barbie In A Blender Day as a way to commemorate the precedent setting struggle. Celebrated each July 27th, Barbie In a Blender Day encourages participants around the world to take and share their own photos inspired by Tom Forsythe’s case. Rebekah Baglini of Freeculture.org calls the project “a response to…a rare triumph in a time in which too often elements of our culture are off-limits and fair use rights challenged.”