Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen -- billionaires

[archerships]

You know, I laughed when I saw "Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen" magazine on the stands a few years ago. "Ha, that'll never work," I thought to myself. "Who would buy that tripe?"

Apparently, lot's and lot's of 11 year old girls.

Now 17, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen move about $1.5 billion in movies, magazines, makeup, and host of other products targeted at the 10 - 13 year old "tween" market. If all goes according to plan, they are expected to be billionaires by age 18.

Billionaires?

[blink]

Man, what have I done with my life?!?

Comments

[kestrelderyn.livejournal.com]

I can attest to their evil money-making powers.

I have a sister who turns 12 in a few weeks.

[slit.livejournal.com]

"Wholesome" is underrated.

[pacotelic.livejournal.com]

"wholesome" does not apply. The Olsen Twins are like better dressed versions of Britney Spears, fulfilling the Elektra complexes of the preteen girls starved for affections from the "self-assured" older boys in high school. Pop culture eats its own.

[kestrelderyn.livejournal.com]

Some time ago, they held a fashion show (I forget where, but somewhere glamorous, of course) to show off their latest lines in their self-named clothing line for tweens (sold at Wal-Mart). They didn't bother to wear clothes from their own fashion line, opting, instead, for designers like Marc Jacobs (I might have the designer wrong, but you get the idea - a big name).

I guess they can't be bothered with polyester or cotton blends.

[lucystag.livejournal.com]

*strange to leeap to their defense...stranger to KNOW this...I read too much*

I heard they thought it would seem tacky to wear their own stuff for things. Of course it wouldn't make a lot of sense in a fashion show...

[slit.livejournal.com]

Thanks for explaining that to me! Gosh!

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Agreed. For example, G-rated make more money than R-rated movies.

[candid.livejournal.com]

You left out the fact that they're HOTT.

[pentomino.livejournal.com]

Those two look exactly like my aunt Bridget.

creeeeeeeeeeeeepy.

[killerweasel.livejournal.com]

I thought their magazine got cancelled.

They have way too many different books out right now, like 7 or 8 different series.

I think they did hit the billion mark last year though.

And to think, they used to look like ugly little treasure troll back on Full House.

[discopete1.livejournal.com]

For some reason, we watched a lot of Full House in college. I think the choice was that, the news, or Rush Limbaugh. Anyway, besides determining that the "moral of the episode" music would start exactly at the 22 minute mark, we learnt that only one of the Olsen twins could act (even at that young age). Since then, I've occaisonally caught an Olsen Twin movie, and still there is only one that can act, the other is a wooden post. I think this could have profound implications on the nature vs nurture debate.

[evelynne.livejournal.com]

First you'd need to prove that they're identical twins. EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE I've read about them that mentions the specifics of their twinhood (I Googled a lot because I can't believe this) claims that they are fraternal twins. That they've been DNA-tested, even. I have yet to see a photo where they look different enough make me even consider the possibility that they're fraternal. Either this is a bad bit of information that's been perpetuated, it's a deliberate lie to make them more interesting, or they are freakishly similar-looking sisters. I think I heard something about the possibility of a split egg and two different sperm, but even that would mean they only share about 75% of their DNA, right? Enough that they should be easier to tell apart?

[sweet-jane.livejournal.com]

They look more alike than my sisters, and my sisters are identical twins. Perhaps there's something going on here that's similar to the phenomenon of people starting to look like their pets. It makes sense, because I definitely think those girls probably spend too much time together. Although that's understandable, considering they are probably the secret to each other's success. I bet if you separated them, they would be rendered powerless, like when Delilah cut off Samson's hair.

[evelynne.livejournal.com]

Perhaps there's something going on here that's similar to the phenomenon of people starting to look like their pets.

HA! I'd buy that, except that I am WORKING to find differences between them and I'm having a hell of a time. I'm beginning to wonder if they've had plastic surgery to look more similar, but they would've had to have it when they were really young. I saw a lot of "Full House" and I never noticed when they switched babies.

[spotboy.livejournal.com]

I think it is more like the wonder twins (presumably fraternal since they are male/female, but it is a cartoon, so can't be sure) than sampson/delilah. I wonder what Jayna and Zan are worth now? Or if they even still have their power rings, or Gleek ran off with them.

[discopete1.livejournal.com]

Damn, fraternal twins! That totally blows my paper to the New England Journal of Medicine out of the water. *rip*rip*rip* They sure do play up the identical angle in their films, but that can be done by dressing the same and combing their hair.

At least this shows that I'm not overly obsessed by the twins, since I haven't bothered to run a gel with a toenail clipping I pulled out of their dumpster.

Hey, I noticed you're in Philly too. What's with this freakish weather? Just rain or don't rain, make up your mind God!

[evelynne.livejournal.com]

Never mind the hair -- I keep looking at their faces and cannot consistently tell one from the other. Maybe I should start watching the show and see if I can tell the difference. Not that that means anything, because identical twins can be told apart.

Give me the toenail clipping, and I'll run a gel. ;)

I don't know what the deal is with the weather, but I'm cold, dammit. I want Sunday back.

[discopete1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, on Sunday I got all garden happy and bought a Rhodadendron bush for my front garden. My wife kept bugging me about being obsessed with it, and is now telling me I shouldn't have watered it because with the cold spell the roots might rot. I really hope not, my cold northern upbringing makes me fascinated with flowering trees and bushes, and this is my first chance to have one to call my own.

And the toenail clipping has been incorporated into a collage of Olsen memorabilia. If you want it, you'll have to bid for it on Ebay with everyone else.

not really that weird

[herbaliser.livejournal.com]

eh, i've seen fraternal twins - male/female - that looked that much alike. And my brothers and I (normal siblings) are completely indistinguishable in our baby and toddler pictures. (My older brother's wife was so taken aback when she first met the family, that she exclaimed "OMG it's like some kind of german science experiment!"

Re: not really that weird

[evelynne.livejournal.com]

HAHAHA! I actually can't think of anyone I've known who looked THAT similar to their siblings by the time they were in their teens. Got any pictures? :)

[herbaliser.livejournal.com]

alas the old photos are all at home :) My brothers now are all kinda overweight, but when we were younger we were pretty thin, had round faces, brown hair, chipmunk cheeks, same dimple in the chin, etc. etc.

this is a fairly recent pic of my brother, probably not highlighting the resemblence. heh. more of the family.

[sweet-jane.livejournal.com]

I've watched way too much Full House, too. Sometimes, when I'm feeling nostalgic for that unique blend of saccharine earnestness, atrocious writing and low production values, I'll tune in to 7th Heaven. But it's just not the same, sans Olsen(s).

[discopete1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there's nothing better than low production values. We were discussing Dr Who yesterday and were having a good laugh thinking about how similar it was to those home movies we made as kids with our handicams. You know, where you would be 'attacked' by some green jello while your friend tried to set of a firecracker for cool sound effects.

Still, nothing beat my dad's reverse striptease. Our handicam could be played backwards in real time. He filmed himself undressing with flamboyance and then we all watched it played back in reverse. It was hilarious, watching as the belt went whipping into his pants, the shirt jumping off the floor and onto his arms, and the socks sliming over his feet. My poor brother-in-law had only recently started dating my sister, and this is what he got to see the first time he came to our cottage.

Damn, I've gotta crosspost this.

[evelynne.livejournal.com]

All I needed was Uncle Jesse, baby. Woo!

[sweet-jane.livejournal.com]

It was the long hair, wasn't it? ;) I suppose the Samson/Delilah analogy is more appropriate for John Stamos, who cut his hair following the heady success of General Hospital and Full House and has now sunk to the level of long-distance commercials. Actually, maybe that is an improvement, now that I think about it...

[evelynne.livejournal.com]

Hee! Actually, his long hair was too mullet-like and I liked it when he cut the back and left it floppy in front. I have a thing for dark-haired brown-eyed guys (Scott Baio, Ralph Macchio, and my boyfriend in 2nd grade).

You've got a point, though. He hasn't been around much. It's a shame. I like him for taking that little cameo in "Private Parts". He seems to have a sense of humor, and so does his wife.

[gentlemaitresse.livejournal.com]

In order to accomplish what they have in their lives you would have had to be born a cute little girl with a cute little twin, had a mother who was very persistent in getting you into show biz and knew the right people, and then had a very lucky break as an infant on a television show that lasted several years.

The rest of us have to make our own way. :-P

[shadowbody.livejournal.com]

I want to see a death cage match. Nikki and Paris vs. Olsen Twins!

they sell well

[(Anonymous)]

their sexy bodies for whatever they can get. modern prositution, the "disney way". gee, wonder when the first "porno movie" gets leaked out, how much as silient partners they will make off of it? or if they were plain ugly, how much you think they make then? shades of "twiggy", the beat goes on. Wildflower