Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket

Monday, September 22, 2008

Punk My Little Ponies + Museum of Ephemerata

So in honor of the Favorite Toy poll that we ran here at That Austin Girl last week - and then I promise I'll let it go - we had to talk about these special new edition My Little Ponies.

To celebrate My Little Pony's 25th year anniversary, Hasbro is having celebrities decorate their own My Little Ponies, auctioning them off, and donating the proceeds to sick children. Isn't that great? (Boo-ya, Legos people!!) Even more great, though, are some of the participating celebs...which are a little more random than you may think.

Now, asking celebs to do anything is always a gamble, so I should start out by saying how wonderful it is that they are even participating. That being said, John Stamos (i.e. Uncle Jessie), Kimora Lee Simmons, and Amy Grant (?) all have decorated My Little Ponies that are making me giggle. Kimora Lee's in particular, which could totally kick John Stamos' pony's ass. Check out the full gallery here.

Speaking of galleries, celebrities, and toys. Have any of you all been to the Museum of Ephemerata? It used to be in this fabulous little house on 34th St., but now it has moved to the east side (of course!) and has set up shop at 1808 Singleton Avenue. I haven't been there in years, but R. and I went once when we were first dating. The visit is a little fuzzy, but I do remember it was the place where I first discovered kombucha (they make their own, and host workshops), learned how to play a Jew's harp, and saw a vial filled with somebody's sleep. As in, the stuff from the corner of your eye. Which is a little disgusting, but also incredible (once you get past the disgusting).

If you haven't heard of it before, the Museum is basically a little collection of curios and oddities that date back to 1921, which are owned and proudly displayed by Jen Hirt and Scott Webel. The top attractions? A lock of hair from the head of Elvis (word), a two-headed ant, and - if memory serves - a stuffed jackalope. (Which looks like this and this. I know, the realism is stunning).

Anyway, all this talk about toys reminded me of the Museum of Ephemerata, which is getting kind of famous these days! The Chicago Sun-Times included them in an Austin travel story earlier this year (writer Lori Rackl also took note of the sleep), and I remember seeing the museum's two curators on the cover of the Chronicle this summer. So, Scott and Jen: Any plans for a "toys" exhibition in the future? (And might I suggest a rare Kimora Lee Simmons edition My Little Pony if so?)

Lastly: New poll everyone. Favorite (mainstream) superhero - Spidey, Aqua Man, or someone else entirely? Go vote at the top right-hand corner of the screen.

4 comments:

Raychelle said...

I LOVE My Little Pony! I wish I knew what happened to all of my old ones.

I'll totally have to check out the Museum of Ephemerata. I've never heard of it before your post.

Thanks for the great info!

Anonymous said...

No freakin' way! That's a blasphemy to the MLP culture! For the record, I owned (still do) 60+ My Little Ponies. They played with my He-Man characters in Castle Grayskull.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, the minute I saw those ponies on notcot I flipped. Junko Mizuno is one of my favorite graphic novelists and she did a pony good. My mom made me sell most of mine but I hung on to three, including one of the dude ponies with the big hairy feet and a construction helmet. I wish I has saved the Indian instead..seriously, I was a policeman and a sailor short of the Village Pony People

Austin Eavesdropper said...

Rachel, you win the award for Best Blog Comment Ever.