Venture

When Venture first launched in 1985, one stated goal was to be a TV version of the Wall Street Journal's front page: lively, lucid and wide-ranging. It's about business, but it's not just for businessmen and businesswomen. Venture covered all the aspects of the economy in Canada and beyond: prices, profits, personnel, innovation and ideas as they affect any business. From farms to fishing boats, boardrooms to barbershops, Venture was about the business of making a living. CBC cancelled Venture in 2007, after an amazing 22 seasons on the air. Twenty-three years after Venture's debut, the CBC Digital Archives focuses on the show's first season, under host Patrick Watson.

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Barbie says, 'Math class is tough'

Broadcast Date: Dec. 20, 1992

In the toy business, staying on top of the times and keeping up with current values may be job number one. Mattel failed to do that in 1992 when they created a Barbie that said, "Math class is tough." Girls didn't like the perceived negative message and newspapers jumped all over the story. But 10 years later, this 2002 clip from CBC-TV's Venture shows that Mattel weren't the only company to drop the proverbial ball. Canadian Tire put together a girl's back-to-school pack that included a weight-control drink. Meanwhile Labatt's got into hot water with a contest in Newfoundland that offered the winner a job.

Barbie says, 'Math class is tough'

• The Barbie that emitted the controversial "Math class is tough" phrase was called Teen Talk Barbie. It was released in July 1992 by Mattel. This Barbie also spoke a number of other phrases, including "Will we ever have enough clothes?", "I love shopping!" and "Wanna have a pizza party?" Each doll was programmed to say four out of 270 possible phrases, so it wasn't likely that two dolls would be the same. In fact, only about 1.5 per cent of the Barbies spoke the controversial phrase.

• The math comment was attacked by the American Association of University Women which denounced the doll as having short-changed girls. In response Mattel announced in October 1992 that Teen Talk Barbie would no longer say the phrase. The company offered to exchange the doll of anyone who owned an offending Barbie.

Barbie says, 'Math class is tough'

Medium: Television

Program: Venture

Broadcast Date: Dec. 20, 1992

Guest(s): Ann Boden, Tony Long, Vaughn Whelan

Host: Linda Sims
Reporter: Dianne Buckner

Duration: 4:48

Last updated:
Nov. 9, 2009

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Barbie says, 'Math class is tough'

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