149-470: Jakks Pacific, Inc. is an American toy manufacturer founded in January 1995. The company is best known for producing licensed action figures , playsets, dolls , plush toys and dress-up sets . The company was founded by Jack Friedman , who had previously founded the toy and video game companies LJN and THQ . Friedman presided over the company, until retiring as CEO and chairman after March 31, 2010,
298-599: A Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania that her father had purchased from one of his clients, and she spent her summers at her family's vacation home in Stone Harbor, New Jersey , where she occasionally performed acoustic songs at a local coffee shop. She is a Christian and attended preschool and kindergarten at a Montessori school run by the Bernardine Sisters of St. Francis before transferring to
447-701: A stalker in Gelsenkirchen , Germany, and three children were killed in a stabbing attack at a Swift-themed workshop in Southport , England, leading to civil unrest in the UK . In August, all three of the Eras Tour concerts in Vienna were canceled following the arrest of two suspects for allegedly planning an Islamic State -inspired terrorist attack in the city . The plan was uncovered by US Intelligence and
596-399: A "bait-and-switch maneuver, planting roots in loamy country soil, then pivoting to pop". Clash wrote that she has the versatility to "no longer [...] be defined by any genre or sound label". According to Ann Powers , Swift's sound is genre-agnostic, blending and "reconfiguring" elements of country, R&B, indie pop , and hip hop. Swift possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range and
745-511: A computer repairman and local musician who also assisted Swift with writing an original song. In 2003, Swift and her parents started working with the talent manager Dan Dymtrow. With his help, Swift modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch and had an original song included on a Maybelline compilation CD. After performing original songs at an RCA Records showcase, 13-year-old Swift was given an artist development deal and began to travel regularly to Nashville with her mother. To help Swift break into
894-890: A corresponding melody. On her first three studio albums, love, heartbreak, and insecurities, from an adolescent perspective, were dominant themes. She delved into the tumult of toxic relationships on Red , and embraced nostalgia and post-romance positivity on 1989 . Reputation was inspired by the downsides of Swift's fame, and Lover detailed her realization of the "full spectrum of love". Other themes in Swift's music include family dynamics, friendship, alienation, self-awareness , and tackling vitriol, especially sexism . She often references or draws inspiration from historical events and figures. Swift's confessional lyrics received positive reviews from critics, who highlighted their vivid details and emotional engagement, which they found uncommon in pop music, although some perceived her as
1043-468: A deal for DC Super Hero Girls related merchandise. In July 2017, Jakks signed a deal with Chicco to manufacture and distribute inspired merchandise for the United States and Canada. In January 2023, Jakks Pacific signed a deal with Nintendo and Illumination to create toys for The Super Mario Bros. Movie . In October 2023, Sega and Jakks Pacific formed a deal to make toys for Sonic
1192-519: A defining sound of her recalibrated pop artistry and image, inspired by the music of Phil Collins , Annie Lennox , Peter Gabriel , and Madonna . 1989 , the first album in this direction, incorporates electronic arrangements consisting of dense synthesizers and drum machines . Swift expanded on the electronic production on her next albums; Reputation consists of hip hop, R&B, and EDM influences; and Lover features eclectic elements from country, pop-punk, and folk rock . When Swift embraced
1341-468: A documentary about Faith Hill , she became determined to pursue a country-music career in Nashville, Tennessee . At 11, Swift traveled to Nashville with her mother to visit record labels and submit demo tapes of Dolly Parton and Dixie Chicks karaoke covers. She was rejected by all the labels, which led her to focus on songwriting. She started learning the guitar at 12 with the help of Ronnie Cremer,
1490-596: A five-year deal with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), to commence in 2010. The existing WWE deal would expire in December 2009. In March 2008, the company announced it had signed a deal with Taylor Swift and the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to produce a licensed series of dolls. In June 2008, Jakks Pacific announced it had signed a four-year deal with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to produce action figures and licensed toys. In 2010,
1639-792: A fort with empty cereal boxes and tissue paper spools, or a toddler playing with a broken TV remote control. The term "toy" can also be used to refer to utilitarian objects purchased for enjoyment rather than need, or for expensive necessities for which a large fraction of the cost represents its ability to provide enjoyment to the owner, such as luxury cars, high-end motorcycles, gaming computers, and flagship smartphones. Playing with toys can be an enjoyable way of training young children for life experiences. Different materials like wood, clay, paper, and plastic are used to make toys. Newer forms of toys include interactive digital entertainment and smart toys . Some toys are produced primarily as collectors' items and are intended for display only. The origin of toys
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#17327905689501788-469: A fragile, juvenile artist, a label she has consistently challenged. Critics also praised her melodic compositions; Rolling Stone described Swift as "a songwriting savant with an intuitive gift for verse-chorus-bridge architecture ". NPR dubbed Swift "a master of the vernacular in her lyrics", remarking that her songs offer emotional engagement because "the wit and clarity of her arrangements turn them from standard fare to heartfelt disclosures". Despite
1937-401: A generally soft and breathy timbre that Rolling Stone deemed versatile. Reviews of Swift's early country albums criticized her vocals as weak and strained compared to those of other female country singers. Despite the criticism, most reviewers appreciated that Swift refrained from correcting her pitch with Auto-Tune and how she prioritized "intimacy over power and nuance" to communicate
2086-551: A genre-spanning record that incorporated eclectic styles of pop and rock such as Britrock , dubstep , and dance-pop . The album opened at number one on the Billboard 200 with 1.21 million sales and was Swift's first number-one album in the UK. Its lead single, " We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together ", was her first number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and its third single, " I Knew You Were Trouble ", reached
2235-534: A global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group after her 16-year contract with Sony/ATV expired. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Swift surprise-released two "sister albums" that she recorded and produced with Antonoff and Aaron Dessner : Folklore in July and Evermore in December. Joe Alwyn co-wrote and co-produced a few songs under the pseudonym William Bowery. Both albums incorporated
2384-613: A joint-license agreement with THQ to release WWF video games, to release their first title in October 1999. Under the deal, publishing would be handled by THQ, and with most of the development being handled by Yuke's . In October 2004, it emerged that the (since renamed) WWE had filed a lawsuit against Jakks Pacific, alleging that both parties had given bribes to the WWF executive Jim Bell and agent Stanley Shenker to hide 'superior' pitches from other publishers, such as Activision . The federal suit
2533-464: A large and important part of human existence, the toy industry has a substantial economic impact. Sales of toys often increase around holidays where gift-giving is a tradition. Some of these holidays include Christmas, Easter, Saint Nicholas Day , and Three Kings Day . In 2005, toy sales in the United States totaled about $ 22.9 billion. Money spent on children between the ages of 8 and twelve alone totals approximately $ 221 million annually in
2682-408: A model Noah's Ark with miniature animals and objects from other Bible scenes. With growing prosperity among the middle class , children had more leisure time on their hands, which led to the application of industrial methods to the manufacture of toys. More complex mechanical and optical -based toys were also invented during the nineteenth century. Carpenter and Westley began to mass-produce
2831-408: A month before his death on May 3, 2010. Jack Friedman had previously founded THQ (Toy Headquarters), with the business producing both toys and interactive software. In 1994, the business would become solely focused around interactive software, with Friedman feeling discontentment from this. He decided he wanted to go back to toys, so founded Jakks Pacific in January 1995. His first master toy license
2980-448: A muted indie folk and alternative rock production; each was supported by three singles catering to US pop, country, and triple A radio formats. The singles were " Cardigan ", " Betty ", and " Exile " from Folklore , and " Willow ", " No Body, No Crime ", and " Coney Island " from Evermore . Folklore was the bestselling album of 2020 in the US and, together with "Cardigan", made Swift
3129-643: A near- rap delivery which emphasizes rhythm and cadence over melody. She uses her lower register vocals extensively in "Cardigan" and both her lower and upper registers in Evermore ; the musicologist Alyssa Barca described her timbre in the upper register as "breathy and bright" and the lower register as "full and dark". Reviews in The New York Times , Variety and The Atlantic were more appreciative of Swift's vocals in her later albums. She ranked 102nd on Rolling Stone 's 2023 list of
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#17327905689503278-528: A non-recoupable portion of the proceeds among its artists. Swift's first album with Republic Records, Lover , was released in August 2019. She produced the album with Antonoff, Louis Bell , Frank Dukes , and Joel Little . Lover peaked atop the charts of such territories as Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and the US. The album spawned five singles: " Me! ", " You Need to Calm Down ", " Lover ", " The Man ", and " Cruel Summer ";
3427-569: A pop identity, rockist critics regarded her move as an erosion of her country music songwriting authenticity, but others regarded it as necessary for Swift's artistic evolution and defended her as a pioneer of poptimism . Her 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore explore alternative and indie styles of rock and folk , and both incorporate a subtle, stripped-back soundscape with orchestration , synthesizers, and drum pads. The latter experiments with varied song structures, asymmetric time signatures , and diverse instruments. Critics deemed
3576-413: A rebellious teenager in an CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode and hosted and performed as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live ; she was the first host ever to write their own opening monologue. Swift's third studio album, Speak Now , was released in October 2010. Written solely by Swift, the album debuted the Billboard 200 with over one million US copies sold first week and became
3725-553: A series of child labor laws, putting an end to child labor in nations such as the U.S. (1949). This fully entrenched, through law, the Western idea that childhood is a time for leisure , not work—and with leisure time comes more space for consumer goods such as toys. During the Second World War , some new types of toys were created through accidental innovation. After trying to create a replacement for synthetic rubber ,
3874-744: A single repository. Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her biographical songwriting, artistic reinventions, and cultural impact , Swift is a leading figure in popular music and the subject of widespread public interest . Swift signed to Big Machine Records in 2005 starting as a country singer with the albums Taylor Swift (2006) and Fearless (2008). Her singles " Teardrops on My Guitar ", " Love Story ", and " You Belong with Me " found crossover success on country and pop radio formats. She experimented with rock on Speak Now (2010) and electronic on Red (2012), later re-calibrating her image from country to pop with
4023-480: A slight vocal twang , in addition to pop melodies and rock influences; Speak Now draws on rock styles such as pop rock , pop-punk , and 1980s arena rock . Critics argued that country was an indicator of Swift's narrative songwriting rather than musical direction and accused her of causing mainstream country music to stray from its roots. After the critical debate around Red 's eclectic pop, rock, and electronic styles, Swift chose 1980s synth-pop as
4172-478: A specific age range can even harm the development of children in that range, such as when for example toys meant for young girls contribute to the ongoing problem of girls' sexualization in Western culture. A study suggested that supplying fewer toys in the environment allows toddlers to better focus to explore and play more creatively. The provision of four rather than sixteen toys is thus suggested to promote children's development and healthy play. Age compression
4321-427: A study found that parents who demonstrated some androgynous behavior have higher scores in support, warmth, and self-worth in regards to the treatment of their children. Even as this debate is evolving and children are becoming more inclined to cross barriers in terms of gender with their toys, girls are typically more encouraged to do so than boys because of the societal value of masculinity. With toys comprising such
4470-518: A toy bow and arrow from their father while young girls receive a toy basket from their mother. In North African and Saharan cultural communities, gender plays a role in the creation of self-made dolls. While female dolls are used to represent brides, mothers, and wives, male dolls are used to represent horsemen and warriors. This contrast stems from the various roles of men and women within the Saharan and North African communities. There are differences in
4619-763: A wide range of other skills. One example of the dramatic ways that toys can influence child development involves clay sculpting toys such as Play-Doh and Silly Putty and their home-made counterparts. Mary Ucci, Educational Director of the Child Study Center of Wellesley College , has demonstrated how such toys positively impact the physical development , cognitive development , emotional development , and social development of children. Toys for infants often make use of distinctive sounds, bright colors, and unique textures . Through repetition of play with toys, infants begin to recognize shapes and colors. Play-Doh , Silly Putty and other hands-on materials allow
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4768-767: Is prehistoric ; dolls representing infants, animals, and soldiers, as well as representations of tools used by adults, are readily found at archaeological sites. The origin of the word "toy" is unknown, but it is believed that it was first used in the 14th century. Toys are mainly made for children. The oldest known doll toy is thought to be 4,000 years old. Playing with toys is an important part of aging. Younger children use toys to discover their identity, help with cognition , learn cause and effect, explore relationships, become stronger physically, and practice skills needed in adulthood. Adults on occasion use toys to form and strengthen social bonds, teach, help in therapy, and to remember and reinforce lessons from their youth. A toymaker
4917-413: Is facilitated by children through the use of toys to enact scenes recognizable in their community such as hunting and herding. The value is placed in a realistic version of development in preparing a child for the future they are likely to grow up into. This allows the child to imagine and create a personal interpretation of how they view the adult world. However, in other cultures, toys are used to expand
5066-490: Is generally not as looked down upon for girls to play with toys designed "for boys", an activity which has also become more common in recent years. Fathers are also more likely to reinforce typical play and discourage atypical play than mothers are. A study done by researcher Susan Witt suggests that stereotypes are oftentimes only strengthened by the environment, which perpetuates them to linger in older life. This stereotypical attribution of sex-typical toys for girls and boys
5215-408: Is gradually changing, with toys companies creating more gender neutral toys, as the benefits associated with allowing children to play with toys that appeal to them far outweighs controlling their individual preferences. For example, many stores are beginning to change their gender labels on children's play items. Target removed all identification related to gender from their toy aisles and Disney did
5364-518: Is isolated and independent of the social constraints placed on society leaving the children free to delve into the imaginary and idealized version of what their development in life could be. In addition, children from differing communities may treat their toys in different ways based on their cultural practices. Children in more affluent communities may tend to be possessive of their toys, while children from poorer communities may be more willing to share and interact more with other children. The importance
5513-428: Is key in the toy industry and to succeed one must create a 'wow' moment for kids by designing toys that have fun, innovative features and include new technologies and engaging content." In an effort to reduce costs, many mass-producers of toys locate their factories in areas where wages are lower. China manufactures about 70 percent of the world's toys and is home to more than 8,000 toy firms, most of which are located in
5662-403: Is no gender neutral section on their website. Those which are generally deemed for both genders more closely resemble what many would label "boy toys," as they relate closer to the stereotype of masculinity within play. Traditions within various cultures promote the passing down of certain toys to their children based on the child's gender. In Indigenous South American communities, boys receive
5811-424: Is the modern trend of children moving through play stages faster than was the case in the past. Children have a desire to progress to more complex toys at a faster pace, girls in particular. Barbie dolls, for example, were once marketed to girls around 8 years old but have been found to be more popular in recent years with girls around 3 years old, with most girls outgrowing the brand by about age 7. The packaging for
5960-470: Is the name of someone who makes toys. Toys and games have been retrieved from the sites of ancient civilizations, and have been mentioned in ancient literature. Toys excavated from the Indus valley civilization (3010–1500 BCE) include small carts, whistles shaped like birds, and toy monkeys that could slide down a string. One of the earliest examples of children's toys is a set of three stone balls found in
6109-399: Is the use of meta-analysis , which provides a way to assess patterns in a systematic way, especially relevant for a topic such as gender, which can be difficult to quantify. Nature and nurture have historically been analyzed when looking at gender in play, as well as reinforcement by peers and parents of typical gender roles and consequently, gender play. Toy companies have often promoted
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6258-429: Is tracked in young infants, infant girls show a visual preference for a doll over a toy truck (d > 1.0). Boys showed no preference for the truck over the doll. However, they did fixate on the truck more than the girls (d = .78). This small study suggests that even before any self-awareness of gender identity has emerged, children already prefer sex-typical toys. These differences in toy choice are well established within
6407-612: The 2009 Country Music Association Awards , Swift won Album of the Year for Fearless and was named Entertainer of the Year, the youngest person to win the honor. Throughout 2009, Swift featured on and wrote other musicians' releases. She featured on " Half of My Heart " by John Mayer , whom she was romantically linked with in late 2009. She wrote " Best Days of Your Life " for Kellie Pickler , co-wrote and featured on Boys Like Girls ' " Two Is Better Than One , and wrote two songs—" You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home " and " Crazier "—for
6556-599: The 2014 American Music Awards , Swift received the inaugural Dick Clark Award for Excellence. On her 25th birthday in 2014, the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live opened an exhibit in her honor in Los Angeles that ran until October 4, 2015. In 2015, Swift won the Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist . "Bad Blood" won Video of the Year and Best Collaboration at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards . At
6705-467: The 2020 Sundance Film Festival . Swift's re-recordings of her first six studio albums began with Fearless (Taylor's Version) and Red (Taylor's Version) , which were released in April and November 2021. Both peaked atop the Billboard 200, and the former was the first re-recorded album to do so. Fearless (Taylor's Version) was preceded by " Love Story (Taylor's Version) ", which made Swift
6854-585: The 50th Annual Grammy Awards . In 2008, she opened for Rascal Flatts again and briefly dated the singer Joe Jonas . Swift's second studio album, Fearless , was released in November 2008 in North America, and in March 2009 in other markets. On the Billboard 200, Fearless spent 11 weeks at number one, becoming Swift's first chart topper and the longest-running number-one female country album. It
7003-555: The 58th Grammy Awards (2016), 1989 won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album , making Swift the first woman to win Album of the Year twice. Swift dated the DJ Calvin Harris from March 2015 to June 2016. They co-wrote the song " This Is What You Came For ", featuring vocals from Rihanna ; Swift was initially credited under the pseudonym Nils Sjöberg. She recorded " I Don't Wanna Live Forever " with Zayn Malik for
7152-698: The Billboard Hot 100. According to Billboard , Swift was the top-earning solo artist in the US and the top-earning musician worldwide of 2021. She won six American Music Awards including Artist of the Year in 2022 . At the MTV Video Music Awards, Swift won her third and fourth trophies for Video of the Year with All Too Well: The Short Film , her self-directed short film that accompanies "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)", in 2022 and "Anti-Hero" in 2023 . During this period, Swift won three Grammy Awards: Best Music Video for All Too Well: The Short Film and Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of
7301-609: The Grammy Award for Album of the Year , MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year and the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year at least four times each. She is an advocate of artists' rights and women's empowerment. Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in West Reading, Pennsylvania . She is named after the singer-songwriter James Taylor . Her father, Scott Kingsley Swift,
7450-577: The Hello Kitty brand and the Disney Princess franchise. Boys have shown an interest in computer games at an ever-younger age in recent years. Certain toys, such as Barbie dolls and toy soldiers, are often perceived as being more acceptable for one gender than the other. The turning point for the addition of gender to toys came about in the 1960s and 1970s. Before 1975, only about two percent of toys were labeled by gender, whereas today on
7599-611: The Pearl River Delta of Guangdong Province . 75% of all toys sold in the U.S., for example, are manufactured in China. Issues and events such as power outages, supply of raw materials, supply of labor, and raising wages that impact areas where factories are located often have an enormous impact on the toy industry in importing countries. Many traditional toy makers have been losing sales to video game makers for years. Because of this, some traditional toy makers have entered
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#17327905689507748-574: The Speak Now World Tour from February 2011 to March 2012 and the live album Speak Now World Tour – Live . At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012, Swift performed "Mean", which won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance . She was named Songwriter/Artist of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association (2010 and 2011), Woman of the Year by Billboard (2011), and Entertainer of
7897-679: The Wyndcroft School . When her family moved to Wyomissing , she attended Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School . As a child, she performed in Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions and traveled regularly to New York City for vocal and acting lessons. Her early love for country music was influenced by Shania Twain , Patsy Cline , LeAnn Rimes , and the Dixie Chicks , and she spent weekends performing at local festivals and events. After watching
8046-498: The kaleidoscope , invented by Sir David Brewster in 1817, and had sold over 200,000 items within three months in London and Paris. The company was also able to mass-produce magic lanterns for use in phantasmagoria and galanty shows, by developing a method of mass production using a copper plate printing process. Popular imagery on the lanterns included royalty , flora and fauna , and geographical/man-made structures from around
8195-496: The soundtrack of Hannah Montana: The Movie , in which she had a cameo appearance. She wrote and recorded " Today Was a Fairytale " for the soundtrack of Valentine's Day (2010), in which she had her acting debut. "Today Was a Fairytale" was her first number-one single on the Canadian Hot 100 . While shooting Valentine's Day in October 2009, Swift dated co-star Taylor Lautner . On television, she made her debut as
8344-660: The soundtrack of Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), she wrote and recorded " Carolina ", which received nominations for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes and Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards. In 2023, Swift was the most streamed artist on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music; and the first act to place number one on the year-end Billboard top artists list in three different decades (2009, 2015 and 2023). She had five out of
8493-475: The synth-pop album 1989 (2014); the ensuing media scrutiny inspired the hip-hop -imbued Reputation (2017). The albums contained the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles " We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together ", " Shake It Off ", " Blank Space ", " Bad Blood " and " Look What You Made Me Do ". Shifting to Republic Records in 2018, Swift released the electropop album Lover (2019) and
8642-501: The world's richest female musician . She has been listed amongst history's greatest artists by publications such as Rolling Stone , Billboard and Forbes , as well as the only individual from the arts to have been named the Time Person of the Year (2023). Her accolades include 14 Grammy Awards , a Primetime Emmy Award , 40 American Music Awards , 40 Billboard Music Awards , and 30 MTV Video Music Awards , having won
8791-548: The "must-have toys" of the 1940s ), Mr. Potato Head , the Barbie doll (inspired by the Bild Lilli doll from Germany), and Action Man . The Rubik's Cube became an enormous seller in the 1980s. In modern times, there are computerized dolls that can recognize and identify objects, the voice of their owner, and choose among hundreds of pre-programmed phrases with which to respond. The act of children's play with toys embodies
8940-454: The 10 best-selling albums of 2023 in the US, a record since Luminate began tracking US music sales in 1991. Besides music, Swift had a supporting role in the period comedy film Amsterdam (2022) and began writing an original script for her directorial feature film debut with Searchlight Pictures . In March 2023, Swift embarked on the Eras Tour , a retrospective tour covering all her studio albums. Media outlets extensively covered
9089-445: The 1750s, including A Journey Through Europe . The game was very similar to modern board games; players moved along a track with the throw of a die (a teetotum was actually used) and landing on different spaces would either help or hinder the player. In the nineteenth century, Western values prioritized toys with an educational purpose, such as puzzles, books, cards and board games. Religion-themed toys were also popular, including
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#17327905689509238-471: The 19th century. In 1903, a year after publishing The Tale of Peter Rabbit , English author Beatrix Potter created the first Peter Rabbit soft toy and registered him at the Patent Office in London, making Peter the oldest licensed character. It was followed by other "spin-off" merchandise over the years, including painting books and board games. The Smithsonian magazine stated, "Potter
9387-465: The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time: "A decade ago, including her on this list would have been a controversial move, but recent releases like Folklore , Evermore , and Midnights officially settled the argument." Laura Snapes of The Guardian said that Swift's "vocal directness" enables her to express wide-ranging feelings, highlighting some trademarks such as "yo-yoing vocal yelp" and "climactic, processed cri de coeur ". Amanda Petrusich praised how
9536-469: The American Earl L. Warrick inadvertently invented "nutty putty" during World War II . Later, Peter Hodgson recognized the potential as a childhood plaything and packaged it as Silly Putty . Similarly, Play-Doh was originally created as a wallpaper cleaner. In 1943 Richard James was experimenting with springs as part of his military research when he saw one come loose and fall to the floor. He
9685-640: The American Music Awards, Swift won three awards including Artist of the Year for a third record time ( 2020 ) and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Album ( 2021 ). Swift played Bombalurina in the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber 's musical Cats (2019), for which she co-wrote and recorded the Golden Globe-nominated original song " Beautiful Ghosts ". The documentary Miss Americana , which chronicled parts of Swift's life and career, premiered at
9834-822: The CD single to country radio stations. She spent much of 2006 promoting Taylor Swift with a radio tour and television appearances; she opened for Rascal Flatts on select dates during their 2006 tour, as a replacement for Eric Church . Borchetta said that although record industry peers initially disapproved of his signing a 15-year-old singer-songwriter, Swift tapped into a previously unknown market—teenage girls who listen to country music. Following " Tim McGraw ", four more singles were released throughout 2007 and 2008: " Teardrops on My Guitar ", " Our Song ", " Picture to Burn ", and " Should've Said No ". All appeared on Billboard ' s Hot Country Songs , with "Our Song" and "Should've Said No" reaching number one. "Our Song" made Swift
9983-624: The Disney store's website, considered a dominating global force for toys by researcher Claire Miller, all toys are labeled by gender. The journal Sex Roles began publishing research on this topic in 1975, focusing on the effects of gender in youth. Too, many psychological textbooks began to address this new issue. Along with these publications, researchers also started to challenge the ideas of male and female as being opposites, even going as far as to claim toys which have characteristics of both genders are preferable. A milestone for research on gender
10132-456: The English lawyer Angelo John Lewis , writing under the pseudonym of Professor Hoffman, wrote a book called Puzzles Old and New . It contained, among other things, more than 40 descriptions of puzzles with secret opening mechanisms. This book grew into a reference work for puzzle games and was very popular at the time. The Tangram puzzle, originally from China, spread to Europe and America in
10281-444: The Eras Tour (2023–2024), and its accompanying concert film are respectively the highest-grossing tour and concert film of all time. Her fans are known as Swifties . Swift is one of the world's best-selling music artists , with over 200 million units sold and a record seven albums that moved one million copies first-week . She is the highest-grossing female touring act , the first billionaire with music as primary income, and
10430-897: The Hedgehog 3 . In May 2024, it was announced that Jakks Pacific and its costume division Disguise entered into a partnership with Dav Pilkey to make merchandise based on the Dog Man comic book series and film . Toy manufacturer A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment . Simple examples include toy blocks , board games , and dolls . Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pets. Toys can provide utilitarian benefits, including physical exercise, cultural awareness, or academic education. Additionally, utilitarian objects, especially those which are no longer needed for their original purpose, can be used as toys. Examples include children building
10579-534: The TV Games series had sold 1 million units. As of 2007, Pac-Man TV Games sold over 15 million units. In December 2002, FUNimation Entertaiment awarded Jakks Pacific with the master toy license to produce toys based on the Dragon Ball , Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT licenses. In February 2005, Jakks Pacific was instructed to restate the financial statements for fiscal year 2003 to account for
10728-461: The U.S. It was estimated that in 2011, 88% of toy sales was in the age group 0–11 years. Toy companies change and adapt their toys to meet the changing demands of children thereby gaining a larger share of the substantial market. In recent years many toys have become more complicated with flashing lights and sounds in an effort to appeal to children raised around television and the internet. According to Mattel 's president, Neil Friedman, "Innovation
10877-558: The US Billboard 200 , on which it spent 157 weeks—the longest stay on the chart by any release in the US in the 2000s decade. Swift became the first female country music artist to write or co-write every track on a platinum-certified debut album. Big Machine Records was still in its infancy during the June 2006 release of the lead single , " Tim McGraw ", which Swift and her mother helped promote by packaging and sending copies of
11026-544: The US, Midnights was her fifth to open atop the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of over one million copies, and its tracks, led by the single " Anti-Hero ", made Swift the first artist to monopolize the top 10 of the Hot 100. Globally, the album broke the record for the most single-day streams and most single-week streams on Spotify and peaked atop the charts of at least 14 countries. The album's two further singles, " Lavender Haze " and " Karma ", both peaked at number two on
11175-559: The US. Its singles " ...Ready for It? ", " End Game ", and " Delicate " were released to pop radio. Reputation was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. Swift featured on the country duo Sugarland 's " Babe " (2018). At the 2018 American Music Awards , Swift won four awards, which made her accumulate 23 trophies in total and become the AMAs' most awarded female musician, surpassing Whitney Houston . The same year, she embarked on her Reputation Stadium Tour , which became
11324-465: The Warren Brothers and formed a lasting working relationship with Liz Rose . They began meeting for two-hour writing sessions every Tuesday afternoon after school. Rose called the sessions "some of the easiest I've ever done. Basically, I was just her editor. She'd write about what happened in school that day. She had such a clear vision of what she was trying to say. And she'd come in with
11473-628: The Western World. At this point, name-brand toys became widespread in the U.S.–a new phenomenon that helped market mass-produce toys to audiences of children growing up with ample leisure time and during a period of relative prosperity. Among the more well-known products of the 1950s there was the Danish company Lego 's line of colourful interlocking plastic brick construction sets (based on Hilary Page 's Kiddicraft Self-Locking Bricks, described by London's V&A Museum of Childhood as among
11622-475: The Year and Favorite Country Album. Billboard named her the 2009 Artist of the Year . She won Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year for "Love Story" at the 2009 CMT Music Awards , where she made a parody video of the song with rapper T-Pain called "Thug Story". At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards , Fearless was named Album of the Year and Best Country Album , and "White Horse" won Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance . At
11771-738: The Year by the Academy of Country Music (2011 and 2012) and the Country Music Association in 2011. At the American Music Awards of 2011 , Swift won Artist of the Year and Favorite Country Album. Rolling Stone named Speak Now on its list of "50 Best Female Albums of All Time" (2012). Red , Swift's fourth studio album, was released in October 2012. On Red , Swift worked with Chapman and new producers including Max Martin , Shellback , Dan Wilson , Jeff Bhasker , Dann Huff , and Butch Walker , resulting in
11920-460: The Year for Midnights . Swift became the first artist to win Album of the Year four times in Grammy history. Swift's next two re-recorded albums, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and 1989 (Taylor's Version) , were released in July and October 2023. The former made Swift the woman with the most number-one albums (12) in Billboard 200 history, surpassing Barbra Streisand , and the latter
12069-401: The Year for "You Need to Calm Down", becoming the first female and second artist overall to win the category for a self-directed video. While promoting Lover in 2019, Swift became embroiled in a public dispute with the talent manager Scooter Braun after he purchased Big Machine Records, including the masters of her albums that the label had released. Swift said she had been trying to buy
12218-479: The acquisition of Toymax, Trendmasters, and P&M Products. Also in 2005, Jakks signed a toy deal with Black+Decker . In February 2006, Jakks Pacific announced it had signed a partnership with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) to make toys and playsets based on the Rocky franchise . In June 2006, Jakks and Pokémon signed a master toy licensing deal. In February 2008, it was announced that Jakks Pacific would sign
12367-528: The album opened atop the Billboard 200 with 1.28 million copies sold. Its singles " Shake It Off ", " Blank Space ", and " Bad Blood " reached number one in Australia, Canada, and the US, with the first two making Swift the first woman to replace herself at the Hot 100 top spot . Other singles include " Style ", " Wildest Dreams ", " Out of the Woods ", and " New Romantics ". The 1989 World Tour (2015)
12516-465: The archaeological record. Small figurines and models found in tombs are usually interpreted as ritual objects; those from settlement sites are more easily labelled as toys. These include spinning tops, balls of spring, and wooden models of animals with movable parts. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome , children played with dolls made of wax or terracotta : sticks, bows and arrows , and yo-yos . When Greek children, especially girls, came of age, it
12665-538: The authors William Shakespeare , Nathaniel Hawthorne , F. Scott Fitzgerald , and the poets William Wordsworth , Robert Frost , and Emily Dickinson ; the last of whom was a distant cousin of Swift. In The New Yorker in 2011, Swift said she identifies as a songwriter first: "I write songs, and my voice is just a way to get those lyrics across". Her personal experiences were a common inspiration for her early songs, which helped her navigate life. Her "diaristic" technique began with identifying an emotion, followed by
12814-557: The autobiographical documentary Miss Americana (2020), explored indie folk styles in the 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore , and subdued pop genres on Midnights (2022) and The Tortured Poets Department (2024). She began re-recording her Big Machine albums as Taylor's Version since 2021, due to an ownership dispute with the label . Through the 2020s, she garnered the US number one songs " Cardigan ", " Willow ", " All Too Well ", " Anti-Hero ", " Cruel Summer ", " Is It Over Now? ", and " Fortnight ". Her sixth concert tour,
12963-469: The building of working models and mechanical devices. Dinky Toys pioneered the manufacture of die-cast toys with the production of toy cars, trains and ships and model train sets became popular in the 1920s. The Britains company revolutionized the production of toy soldiers with the invention of the process of hollow casting in lead in 1893 – the company's products remained the industry standard for many years. Puzzles became popular as well. In 1893,
13112-503: The chart. In 2009, Swift toured as an opening act for Keith Urban and embarked on her first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour . "You Belong with Me" won Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards . Her acceptance speech was interrupted by the rapper Kanye West , an incident that became the subject of controversy and widespread media coverage. That year, Swift won five American Music Awards, including Artist of
13261-427: The child by the age of three. Another study done by Jeffrey Trawick-Smith took 60 different children ages three to four and observed them playing with nine different toys deemed best for development. They were allowed to play with the toys in a typical environment, a preschool classroom, which allowed for the results to be more authentic compared to research done in a lab. The researchers then quantified play quality of
13410-595: The child places on possession is dictated by the values in place within the community that the children observe on a daily basis. Toys, like play itself, serve multiple purposes in both humans and animals. They provide entertainment while fulfilling an educational role. Toys enhance cognitive behavior and stimulate creativity. They aid in the development of physical and mental skills which are necessary in later life. Wooden blocks , though simple, are regarded by early childhood education experts such as Sally Cartwright (1974) as an excellent toy for young children; she praised
13559-478: The child to make toys of their own. Educational toys for school age children of often contain a puzzle , problem-solving technique, or mathematical proposition. Often toys designed for older audiences, such as teenagers or adults, demonstrate advanced concepts. Newton's cradle , a desk toy designed by Simon Prebble , demonstrates the conservation of momentum and energy . Not all toys are appropriate for all ages of children. Even some toys which are marketed for
13708-431: The children with each toy based on factors such as learning, problem solving, curiosity, creativity, imagination, and peer interaction. The results revealed that boys generally received higher scores for overall play quality than girls, and the toys with the best play quality were those identified as the most gender neutral, such as building blocks and bricks along with pieces modeling people. Trawick-Smith then concluded that
13857-849: The clarity and tone of Swift's live vocals accentuate her lyrics. Swift's fascination with songwriting began in her childhood. She credited her mother with igniting confidence and early songwriting interests by helping her prepare for class presentations. She enjoyed Disney film soundtracks and would make up lyrics once she had run out of words singing them. Her lyrical influences include female country songwriters such as Patsy Cline , Loretta Lynn , Tammy Wynette , and Dolly Parton ; 1990s songwriters such as Melissa Etheridge , Sarah McLachlan , and Alanis Morissette ; Joni Mitchell ; and Fall Out Boy . She listed Paul McCartney , Bruce Springsteen , Emmylou Harris , and Kris Kristofferson as career role models, citing their both evolving and consistent songwriting outputs. Her literary influences include
14006-523: The company formed Pacific Animation Partners LLC, a joint venture between that company and Dentsu Entertainment USA , Fremantle , and Topps , to launch the Monsuno property in 2012. In 2012, Jakks Pacific announced the successful negotiation of licences for The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man , promoting new toy ranges at the New York and other International Toy Fairs. In 2014,
14155-596: The company launched Jakks Meisheng Trading, a joint venture with Meisheng Culture and Creative Corp., to bring its toys to China. In 2016, the two created Studio JP, a joint venture to produce animation. In September 2015, it was announced that Jakks Pacific had signed a new licensing deal with WWE, but this time with Jakks making role-play sets and action figures, but only for Asian-Pacific region. Jakks would also work alongside Vivid Imaginations and Headstart Toys to make Oooshies, collectible rubber penciltips. In February 2017, Jakks and Warner Bros. Consumer Products signed
14304-515: The country music scene, her father transferred to Merrill Lynch's Nashville office when she was 14 years old, and the family relocated to Hendersonville, Tennessee . Swift attended Hendersonville High School before transferring to Aaron Academy after two years, which better accommodated her touring schedule through homeschooling. She graduated one year early. In Nashville, Swift worked with experienced Music Row songwriters such as Troy Verges , Brett Beavers , Brett James , Mac McAnally , and
14453-627: The daily flux of making and consuming, of getting along. They had no autonomy, separate statuses, privileges, special rights or forms of social comportment that were entirely their own." As these ideas began changing during the Enlightenment Era, blowing bubbles from leftover washing up soap became a popular pastime, as shown in the painting The Soap Bubble (1739) by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin , and other popular toys included hoops , toy wagons , kites , spinning wheels and puppets . Many board games were produced by John Jefferys in
14602-465: The development of a child's cognition in an idealistic fashion. In these communities, adults place the value of play with toys to be on the aspirations they set forth for their child. In the Western culture, the Barbie and Action-Man represent lifelike figures but in an imaginative state out of reach from the society of these children and adults. These toys give way to a unique world in which children's play
14751-520: The dolls labels them appropriate for ages 3 and up. Boys, in contrast, apparently enjoy toys and games over a longer timespan, gravitating towards toys that meet their interest in assembling and disassembling mechanical toys, and toys that "move fast and things that fight". An industry executive points out that girls have entered the " tween " phase by the time they are 8 years old and want non-traditional toys, whereas boys have been maintaining an interest in traditional toys until they are 12 years old, meaning
14900-608: The fact that they are relatively easy to engage with, can be used in repeatable and predictable ways, and are versatile and open-ended, allowing for a wide variety of developmentally appropriate play. Andrew Witkin, director of marketing for Mega Brands , told Investor's Business Daily that "They help develop hand-eye coordination, math and science skills and also let kids be creative." Other toys like marbles , jackstones , and balls serve similar functions in child development, allowing children to use their minds and bodies to learn about spatial relationships , cause and effect , and
15049-483: The fastest-selling digital album by a female artist. Speak Now was supported by six singles: " Mine ", " Back to December ", " Mean ", " The Story of Us ", " Sparks Fly ", and " Ours ". "Mine" peaked at number three and was the highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, the first three singles reached the top 10 in Canada, and the last two reached number one on Hot Country Songs. Swift promoted Speak Now with
15198-488: The field of electronic games and have even been turning audio games into toys, and are enhancing the brands that they have by introducing interactive extensions or internet connectivity to their current toys. In addition, the rise of distributed manufacturing enables consumers to make their own toys from open source designs with a 3-D printer . As of 2017 consumers were already offsetting millions of dollars per year by 3D printing their own toys from MyMiniFactory ,
15347-578: The fifth and sixth consecutive years. At the 2014 Country Music Association Awards , Swift was honored with the Pinnacle Award, making her the second recipient in history after Garth Brooks . The Red Tour ran from March 2013 to June 2014 and became the highest-grossing country tour upon completion. Swift continued writing songs for films and featuring on other artists' releases. On the soundtrack album to The Hunger Games (2012), Swift wrote and recorded "Eyes Open" and " Safe & Sound ";
15496-497: The first artist to debut a US number-one album and a number-one song in the same week; she achieved the feat again with Evermore and "Willow". According to Billboard , Swift was the highest-paid musician in the US and highest-paid solo musician worldwide of 2020. Folklore made Swift the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year three times, winning the category at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards (2021). At
15645-563: The first artist to monopolize the top 14 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the top 10 of Australia's ARIA Singles Chart ; and went on to spend 15 weeks atop the Billboard 200—Swift's longest-running number-one album on the chart. The lead single, " Fortnight ," featuring Post Malone , became Swift's 12th number one song on the Hot 100. After the pandemic, Swift's music releases, touring, and related activities culminated in an unprecedented height of popularity. From 2023 onward, Swift found ubiquitous success, albeit more dominant than before, with
15794-430: The first two singles peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and the lattermost single became a resurgent success in 2023, reaching number one. Lover was 2019's best selling album in the US and best selling album by a solo artist worldwide. The album and its singles earned three nominations at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020. At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards , Swift won three awards including Video of
15943-498: The highest-grossing North American concert tour in history and grossed $ 345.7 million worldwide. In November 2018, Swift signed a new deal with Universal Music Group , which promoted her subsequent albums under Republic Records ' imprint. The contract included a provision for Swift to maintain ownership of her masters . In addition, in the event that Universal sold any part of its stake in Spotify, it agreed to distribute
16092-425: The impact of her fame and musically incorporated electropop with urban styles of hip hop and R&B . Released in November 2017, Reputation opened atop the Billboard 200 with 1.21 million US sales and topped the charts in the UK, Australia, and Canada. The album's lead single, " Look What You Made Me Do ", was Swift's first UK number-one single and topped charts in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and
16241-584: The indie styles a mature representation of Swift's artistry as a singer-songwriter. Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department both incorporate a minimalist , subdued synth-pop sound, making use of analog synthesizers , sustained bass notes , and simple drum machine patterns. With continuous musical reinventions, Swift was described by Time and the BBC as a musical "chameleon". Jody Rosen commented that by originating her career in Nashville, Swift made
16390-420: The joint-license agreement, THQ signed a new eight-year video game license with WWE, without Jakks Pacific. In early 2002, Jakks began working on their own interactive software with creating their own handheld TV games called Plug It in & Play TV Games , where the user plugs the device straight into the television. As of 2002, the original TV Games device from Jakks Pacific sold over 350,000 units. By 2004,
16539-535: The late 18th and early 19th century, many families needed to send their children to work in factories and other sites to make ends meet—just as their predecessors had required their labor producing household goods in the medieval era. Business owners' exploitation and abuse of child laborers during this period differed from how children had been treated as workers within a family unit, though. Thanks to advocacy including photographic documentation of children's exploitation and abuse by business owners, Western nations enacted
16688-487: The latter of which was co-written with the Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett . "Safe & Sound" won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media . She wrote and produced " Sweeter than Fiction " with Jack Antonoff for the soundtrack to One Chance (2013). Swift featured on B.o.B 's " Both of Us " (2012) and provided vocals for Tim McGraw's " Highway Don't Care " (2013), also featuring Keith Urban. She
16837-468: The masters, but Big Machine would only allow her to do so if she exchanged one new album for each older one under a new contract, which she refused to sign. In November 2020, Swift began re-recording her back catalog, which enabled her to own the new masters and the licensing of her songs for commercial use , substituting for the Big Machine-owned masters. In February 2020, Swift signed
16986-487: The messages of her songs with her audience —a style that has been described as conversational. According to Powers, Swift's defining vocal feature was her attention to detail to convey an exact feeling—"the line that slides down like a contented sigh or up like a raised eyebrow". On Red and 1989 , Swift's vocals are electronically processed to accompany the pop production. Her voice on Reputation and Midnights incorporates hip-hop and R&B influences that result in
17135-488: The most incredible hooks." Swift became the youngest artist signed by Sony/ATV Tree Music Publishing , but left then BMG-owned RCA Records (later bought by Sony Music ) at the age of 14 due to the label's lack of care and them "cut[ting] other people's stuff". She was also concerned that development deals can shelve artists and recalled: "I genuinely felt that I was running out of time. I wanted to capture these years of my life on an album while they still represented what I
17284-540: The pieces. In Iran , "puzzle-locks" were made as early as the 17th century (CE). Toys became more widespread with changing Western attitudes towards children and childhood brought about by the Enlightenment . Previously, children had often been thought of as small adults, who were expected to work in order to produce the goods that the family needed to survive. As children's culture scholar Stephen Kline has argued, Medieval children were "more fully integrated into
17433-404: The platform, which prompted Apple Inc. to announce that it would pay artists during the free trial period. Swift then agreed to keep 1989 and her catalog on Apple Music. Big Machine Records returned Swift's catalog to Spotify among other free streaming platforms in June 2017. Swift was named Billboard ' s Woman of the Year in 2014, becoming the first artist to win the award twice. At
17582-450: The primary influencer on the gender roles of their children. Parents, siblings, peers, and even teachers have been shown to react more positively to children engaging in sex-typical behavior and playing with sex-typical toys. This is often done through encouragement or discouragement, as well as suggestions and imitation. Additionally, sons are more likely to be reinforced for sex-typical play and discouraged from atypical play. However, it
17731-519: The same for their costumes. The Disney store is an especially prevalent example of gender in play because they are a global identity in the toy world. A study done regarding their website found that though they have removed gender labels from their costumes, the toys online reflect more stereotypical gender identities. For example, toys depicting males were associated with physicality and females were associated with beauty, housing, and caring. Though Disney promotes their toys as being for both genders, there
17880-484: The second artist after Dolly Parton to have both the original and re-recorded versions of a song reach number one on Hot Country Songs. Red (Taylor's Version) was supported by " All Too Well (10 Minute Version) ", which became the longest song in history to top the Hot 100. Swift's tenth studio album, Midnights , was released in October 2022. The album incorporates a restrained electropop and synth-pop sound with elements of hip hop, R&B, and electronica . In
18029-410: The segregation by gender in toys because it enables them to customize the same toy for each gender, which ultimately doubles their revenue. For example, Legos added more colors to certain sets of toys in the 1990s, including colors commonly attributed to girls such as lavender. It has been noted by researchers that, "Children as young as 18 months display sex-stereotyped toy choices". When eye movement
18178-631: The song amicably over the phone. The controversy made Swift a subject of an online " cancel " movement. In late 2016, after briefly dating Tom Hiddleston , Swift began a six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn and retreated herself from the public spotlight. In August 2017, Swift successfully countersued David Mueller, a former radio jockey for KYGO-FM , who sued her for damages from loss of employment. Four years earlier, she informed Mueller's bosses that he had sexually assaulted her by groping her at an event. The public controversies influenced Swift's sixth studio album, Reputation , which explored
18327-519: The soundtrack to Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and won a Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year with " Better Man ", which she wrote for the band Little Big Town . In April 2016, Kanye West released the single " Famous ", in which he references Swift in the line, "I made that bitch famous." Swift criticized West and said she never consented to the lyric, but West claimed that he had received her approval and his then-wife Kim Kardashian released video clips of Swift and West discussing
18476-425: The study encourages a focus on toys which are beneficial to both genders in order to create a better balance. While some parents promote gender neutral play, many parents encourage their children to participate in sex-typed activities, including doll-playing and engaging in housekeeping activities for girls and playing with trucks and engaging in sports activities for boys. Researcher Susan Witt said that parents are
18625-710: The successes of the re-recordings, the Eras Tour, its concert film, Midnights, and The Tortured Poets Department , significantly increasing her net worth; Music Business Worldwide remarked this as a "new stratosphere of global career success" for Swift. In 2023, she began dating the American football player Travis Kelce , and in 2024, won Artist of the Year at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards . The same year, AI-generated fake pornographic images portraying Swift were posted to Twitter and spread to other social media platforms, spurring criticism and demands for legal reform. In July, Swift and Kelce received death threats from
18774-401: The supply to meet this rising demand. Intellectual emphasis was also increasingly being placed on the importance of a wholesome and happy childhood for the future development of children. Franz Kolb , a German pharmacist, invented plasticine in 1880, and in 1900 commercial production of the material as a children's toy began. Frank Hornby was a visionary in toy development and manufacture and
18923-400: The tomb of a four-year-old girl at Xi'an Banpo Neolithic site. The earliest toys were made from natural materials, such as rocks, sticks, and clay . Thousands of years ago, Egyptian children played with dolls that had wigs and movable limbs, which were made from stone, pottery, and wood. However, evidence of toys in ancient Egypt is exceptionally difficult to identify with certainty in
19072-493: The top five on charts worldwide. Other singles from Red were " Begin Again ", " 22 ", " Everything Has Changed ", " The Last Time ", and " Red ". Red and its single "Begin Again" received three nominations at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards (2014). Swift received American Music Awards for Best Female Country Artist in 2012 , Artist of the Year in 2013 , and the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter/Artist Award for
19221-430: The tour's cultural and economic impact , and its US leg broke the record for the most tickets sold in a day . Ticketmaster received public and political criticisms for mishandling the tour's ticket sales. The Eras Tour became the highest-grossing tour in history . Its concert film , released to theaters worldwide on October 13, 2023, grossed over $ 250 million to become the highest-grossing concert film and
19370-536: The toys that are intended for girls and boys within various cultures, which is reflective of the differing roles of men and women within a specific cultural community. Research on the repercussions of gender in toys suggests that desegregation of the genders can be achieved by encouraging more gender-neutral play. Researchers Carol Auster and Claire Mansbach have argued that allowing children to play with toys which more closely fit their talents would help them to better develop their skills. In terms of parental influence,
19519-575: The traditional toy industry holds onto their boy customers for 50% longer than their girl customers. Girls gravitate towards "music, clothes, make-up, television talent shows and celebrities". As young children are more exposed to and drawn to music intended for older children and teens, companies are having to rethink how they develop and market their products. Girls also demonstrate a longer loyalty to characters in toys and games marketed towards them. A variety of global toy companies have marketed themselves to this aspect of girls' development, for example,
19668-418: The values set forth by the adults of their specific community, but through the lens of the child's perspective. Within cultural societies, toys are a medium to enhance a child's cognitive, social, and linguistic learning. In some cultures, toys are used as a way to enhance a child's skillset within the traditional boundaries of their future roles in the community. In Saharan and North African cultures, play
19817-637: The world. The modern zoetrope was invented in 1833 by British mathematician William George Horner and was popularized in the 1860s. Wood and porcelain dolls in miniature doll houses were popular with middle-class girls, while boys played with marbles and toy trains. The golden age of toy development occurred during the Industrial Era . Real wages were rising steadily in the Western world, allowing even working-class families to afford toys for their children, and industrial techniques of precision engineering and mass production were able to provide
19966-564: The youngest person to single-handedly write and sing a Hot Country Songs number-one single, and "Teardrops on My Guitar" was Swift's breakthrough single on mainstream radio and charts. Swift released two EPs, The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection in October 2007 and Beautiful Eyes in July 2008. She promoted her debut album extensively as the opening act for other country musicians' tours in 2006 and 2007, including those by George Strait , Brad Paisley , and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Swift won multiple accolades for Taylor Swift . She
20115-520: Was a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch , and her mother, Andrea Gardner Swift ( née Finlay ), worked as a mutual fund marketing executive. Swift's younger brother, Austin , is an actor. Their maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay ( née Moehlenkamp ), was an opera singer, whose singing in church became one of Swift's earliest memories of music that shaped her career. Swift is of Scottish, English, and German descent, with distant Italian and Irish ancestry. Swift spent her early years on
20264-826: Was a seven-year deal with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to mainly produce figurines and playsets, similar to how Hasbro grew to success with the G.I. Joe toy line. In July 1998, the seven-year-deal that would have expired in 2002, was extended to December 2009. In 1997, Jakks Pacific purchased the defunct Remco brand from Azrak-Hamway International (AHI). Child Guidance, and Road Champions in 1997; Berk and Flying Colors in 1999; Pentech in 2000; Toymax, Go Fly A Kite, and Funnoodle in 2002; Color Workshop and Trendmasters in 2003; Play Along Toys in 2004; Pet Pal Corp. in 2005; Creative Designs International in 2006; and Kids Only Toys, Tollytots, and Disguise in 2008. In June 1998, Jakks Pacific entered into
20413-762: Was a voice actress in The Lorax (2012), made a cameo in the sitcom New Girl (2013), and had a supporting role in the dystopian film The Giver (2014). From 2010 to 2013, Swift was romantically involved with the actor Jake Gyllenhaal , the political heir Conor Kennedy , and the singer Harry Styles . In March 2014, Swift began living in New York City, which she credited as a creative influence on her fifth studio album, 1989 . She described 1989 as her first "official pop album" and produced it with Jack Antonoff, Max Martin, Shellback, Imogen Heap , Ryan Tedder , and Ali Payami . Released in October 2014,
20562-462: Was also an entrepreneur and a pioneer in licensing and merchandising literary characters. Potter built a retail empire out of her "bunny book" that is worth $ 500 million today. In the process, she created a system that continues to benefit all licensed characters, from Mickey Mouse to Harry Potter ." In tandem with the development of mass-produced toys, Enlightenment ideals about children's rights to education and leisure time came to fruition. During
20711-421: Was customary for them to sacrifice the toys of their childhood to the gods . On the eve of their wedding, young girls around fourteen would offer their dolls in a temple as a rite of passage into adulthood. The oldest known mechanical puzzle also comes from ancient Greece and appeared in the 3rd century BCE. The game consisted of a square divided into 14 parts, and the aim was to create different shapes from
20860-455: Was dismissed in December 2007, the state court litigation was dismissed in August 2008 and an appeal was dismissed by the court of appeals in May 2009. In December 2009, WWE announced settlement of the litigation, without any party admitting any wrongdoing. By this point, the WWF's Bell and Shenker had both plead guilty to fraud involving illegitimate kick-back schemes. The end of 2009 saw the end of
21009-696: Was going through." At an industry showcase at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe in 2005, Swift caught the attention of Scott Borchetta , a DreamWorks Records executive who was preparing to form an independent record label, Big Machine Records . She had first met Borchetta in 2004. She was one of Big Machine's first signings, and her father purchased a three-percent stake in the company for an estimated $ 120,000. She began working on her eponymous debut album with Nathan Chapman . Swift wrote or co-wrote all album tracks, and co-writers included Rose, Robert Ellis Orrall , Brian Maher, and Angelo Petraglia . Released in October 2006, Taylor Swift peaked at number five on
21158-546: Was her sixth album to sell one million copies in a single week in the US, claiming her career's largest album sales week. 1989 (Taylor's Version) 's single " Is It Over Now? " peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Swift featured on Big Red Machine 's " Renegade " and "Birch" (2021), Haim 's " Gasoline " (2021), Ed Sheeran 's " The Joker and the Queen " (2022), and the National 's " The Alcott " (2023). For
21307-489: Was intrigued by the way it flopped around on the floor. He spent two years fine-tuning the design to find the best gauge of steel and coil; the result was the Slinky , which went on to sell in stores throughout the United States. After the Second World War , as society became ever more affluent and new technology and materials (plastics) for toy manufacture became available, toys became cheap and ubiquitous in households across
21456-471: Was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. Swift's eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department , was released on April 19, 2024. Topping charts globally, the album broke a string of records: it marked the first album ever to amass 1 billion Spotify streams in a week; sold 2.6 million units in its first week in the US; made Swift
21605-590: Was one of the recipients of the Nashville Songwriters Association 's Songwriter/Artist of the Year in 2007, becoming the youngest person given the title. She also won the Country Music Association 's Horizon Award for Best New Artist, the Academy of Country Music Awards ' Top New Female Vocalist, and the American Music Awards ' Favorite Country Female Artist honor. She was also nominated for Best New Artist at
21754-402: Was responsible for the invention and production of three of the most popular lines of toys based on engineering principles in the twentieth century: Meccano , Hornby Model Railways and Dinky Toys . Meccano was a model construction system that consisted of re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders , wheels, axles and gears , with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces and enabled
21903-586: Was the highest-grossing tour of the year with $ 250 million in total revenue. After publishing an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal stressing the importance of albums as a creative medium for artists, in November 2014, Swift removed her catalog from ad-supported, free music streaming platforms such as Spotify . In a June 2015 open letter, Swift criticized Apple Music for not offering royalties to artists during its free three-month trial period and threatened to withdraw her music from
22052-526: Was the bestselling album of 2009 in the US. Its lead single, " Love Story ", was her first number one in Australia and the first country song to top Billboard 's Pop Songs chart, and its third single, " You Belong with Me ", was the first country song to top Billboard 's all-genre Radio Songs chart. Three other singles were released in 2008–2010: " White Horse ", " Fifteen ", and " Fearless ". All five singles were Hot Country Songs top 10 entries, with "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me" topping
22201-518: Was thwarted by Austrian police forces. Swift's early musical influences were 1990s female country musicians such as Shania Twain, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, and the Dixie Chicks, and Keith Urban's country crossover sounds incorporating rock, pop, and blues. She self-identified as a country musician and achieved prominence as a country pop singer with her first four studio albums, from Taylor Swift to Red . The albums feature country signifiers such as banjo, six-string banjo, mandolin , fiddle , and
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