The Shape Of Things To Come?

When you see shapes not normally encountered in real life, it catches your eye.

The Slice heard about a 5-year-old Spokane girl named Cami who was looking over her dad’s shoulder as he flipped through a Victoria’s Secret catalog that had just arrived.

“Those are Barbie people,” said the perceptive little girl.

* Which brings us to… : Would there be an audience for a series of movies based on the full-figured adventures of those odd creatures? You know, “Attack of the Barbie People,” “Revenge of the Barbie People,” “Night of the Living Barbie People,” “Barbie People In Love,” and so on.

Then we remembered. Half the movies, TV shows, magazine covers and CD inserts we see today already feature Barbie People. They practically define pop culture.

* Which is not to say that… : Barbie People cannot be considered attractive. Let’s be real.

It might be a better world if men were drawn first and foremost to feminine grace and compassion. But some guys watch a show like “Star Trek: Voyager” and find themselves thinking that the actress who plays Seven of Nine — a sure enough Barbie Person — is, um, rather striking in her snug uniform.

* Of course, it’s worth noting… : Even women who are bright, articulate and accomplished have been known to briefly fantasize about joining the ranks of Barbie People. The notion of being desired that way is, well, intriguing, even if guilt-inducing. Or so we’re told.

* Just wondering: Would people at your workplace be startled if the women there adopted those pouting thrusted-lips looks popular with Barbie People?

* One more: Would you watch these TV shows? “Who Wants To Be Barbie People?” “West Wing Barbie People,” “Barbie People’s Island,” “My Favorite Barbie People,” “McHale’s Barbie People,” “My Three Barbie People,” “Barbie People, U.S.M.C.,” “The Barbie People Files,” “Little Barbie People on the Prairie,” “Highway to Barbie People,” “Barbie People’s Creek,” “Barbie People Blue,” “The Barbie People of Hazzard,” “Law and Barbie People,” “The Barbie People Years,” “Barbie People Patrol.”

* Warm-up questions: What percentage of the Inland Northwest’s population is made up of Barbie People? What’s the defining characteristic of males who are Barbie People?

* Today’s Slice question: What percentage of Spokane-area teens yearn to be Barbie People?