The next July 20 will be released Barbiethe long-awaited Greta Gerwig film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling that will take us on an existentialist adventure in which the most famous doll in the world will have to discover what is the purpose of its existence. But did you know that there was a movie with Barbies about Karen Carpenter before?
Before going on to that, we have to say that Barbie It is the most anticipated film of this 2023 (HERE the complete list of releases) and expectations are full with a sensational cast in which we will be able to see faces like that of Dua Lipa (who also released the theme song for Barbie) and America Ferrara, to that of Michael Cera and Will Ferrell.
However, as we told you, Barbie It is not the first attempt to use the doll idea on the big screen. For example, we know of a movie starring Amy Schumer (HERE we leave the details). But much earlier, in the 80s, a movie with Barbies was made to tell a fairly media story.
It turns out that Todd Haynesthe director of great titles such as Poison, I’m Not There o Carolworked in a production to tell the story of Karen Carpenter, the singer and drummer for Carpenters who died at the age of 32 as a result of anorexia.
The movie with Barbie about Karen Carpenter
In 1987, a couple of years after graduating, Todd Haynes wrote and directed an experimental film titled Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story where archival materials such as interviews are seen; also dramatizations. But the story is told through dolls, specifically Barbies.
Todd Haynes bought Barbies at some garage salesO well, doll parts that were reconstructed to put some characters such as Karen Carpenter, Richard or his mother Agnes. This prevented him from dropping the flyer with Mattel. This was told by producer and collaborator of Haynes, Christine Vachon.
However. The film was shown on the New York independent circuit in 1987, but was short-lived. The reason? Richard Carpenterbrother of Karen and the other half of Carpenters, sued Todd Haynes for the use without permission of various songs by the band.
However, many believe that the demand came from the way the Carpenter family was portrayed in history. That is to say, as collateral responsible for what happened with Karen Carpenter.
The Karen Carpenter Story
Karen Carpenter was born on March 2, 1950 in Connecticut. His brother Richard was four years older, and together with him he formed one of the most important bands of the 70’s under the name of his own last name: Carpenters.
Karen played the drums and sang. A few years after having started her path in the world of music with a couple of instrumental bands, which did not represent any kind of success, They decided to put together a duet in which Karen would not only take the drums but also the voice.
And it seems that this was the key, because in 1969 as Carpenters, They recorded their first album titled Ticket to Ride (Offering). And a year later, they had their first hit song with “They Long to Be (Close To You)”. From there, Karen and the Carpenters became one of the biggest bands of the ’70s.
Songs like “Goodbye to Love”, “Superstar”, “Yesterday Once More”, “Another Song”, “Top of the World”, “For All We Know” and more, they have transcended in the industry, but always taking the figure of Karen Carpenter as their image.
However, despite everything, Karen’s life was very complicated. When the excessive success began to arrive, the singer developed a problem with her body image that led her to suffer from anorexia, an eating disorder in which the person seeks to lose weight from the decreased food intake, induced vomiting, use of laxatives and/or diuretics, or intense exercise.
Anorexia by Karen Carpenter
Much has been speculated about the reasons that triggered Karen Carpenter’s disorder. And several biographies point, mainly, towards the figure of her mother, Mrs. Agnes, who controlled all aspects of her daughter’s lifeas well as having an emotional “preference” towards Richard.
Many people close to Karen said in an interview that while the singer sought her mother’s approval, she developed anorexia as a way to gain some control over herself; that is, through his body.
For example, in a lengthy article by The Guardiantalk about how Karen Carpenter wanted to cancel her wedding to a guy named Tom Burris when she found out he had had a vasectomy despite the fact that the singer’s goal was to have a family.
But her mother insisted that she get married. They also say that Burris had a huge debt that he hoped to pay off with Karen’s money. Their marriage was short-lived, and it was she who filed the divorce petition. During this stage, Karen Carpenter’s health continued to decline.
The death of Karen Carpenter
On the night of February 3, 1983, Karen went to sleep at her parents’ house, since in a few days the divorce process would be finalized. That was how, on the morning of the 4th, Agnes found Karen’s body. She was dead.
The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was cardiotoxicity induced by the use of syrup of ipecac.which is used to induce vomiting in case of overdose or poisoning.
Her mother Agnes revealed that because of the position in which she found Karen’s body, you can deduce that he fainted and died. His body was naked and his eyes were blank.
