When from the next room I heard a television reporter talking about the invasion of Midges in the Sanford, Florida, waterfront area, my first thought was – what took them so long.
Poor Midge, Barbie’s not-so-glamorous best friend, has been in Barbie’s shadow forever. To make things worse for her, she has mostly been out of production since the late 1960s. They just pull her out for anniversary editions or whenever Barbie needs a side-kick. It was just a matter of time before all those jilted Midges joined forces and attacked. I’m sure they hold a lot of angst. In my mind I pictured droves of the dolls, some headless, some naked, coming out of the water and attaching themselves to whatever they could find. I’m sure they were driven to it.
Midge’s hair never achieved symmetry and her bangs were always too short. (Photo Credit: Pinterest)
I believe this looks like a mug shot. Notice once again how Midge’s hair just wouldn’t do what Barbie’s does, i.e. achieve perfection. (Photo Credit: RubyLane)
Barbie from around the same era. Even though her hair is pulled back and she’s clearly going swimming, she looks perfectly coiffed. (Photo Credit: Mattel)
As I moved to view the television, I learned that these Midges are not the Midges besieging Sanford. The Sanford Midges are often known as Blind Mosquitoes and are not manufactured by Mattel. They are also not as easy to get rid of as Mattel’s Midge. You just can’t discontinue the manufacture of these pests (again, I’m talking about the insect).
Photo Credit: Fox35 News
Photo Credit: Fox35 News
I want to encourage people in Sanford and everywhere else where Midges are a nuisance to hang in there. At least these guys don’t bite or carry disease. I guess they have that in common with Mattel’s version.
Life on the Lighter Side 
swanstuff
/ May 8, 2019Wasn’t Midge also a secondary Archie character? I guess Midge is a name for mediocrity…
Bonnie Anderson
/ May 8, 2019I only remember Betty and Veronica and I read Archie faithfully for years, not to say Midge didn’t show up later. Or that I should trust my memory.
thecommutary
/ May 8, 2019Haha I loved my Midge. Underdog!
Bonnie Anderson
/ May 8, 2019Good point. Always root for the underdog. Thanks for commenting.
Vanessa Marks
/ May 8, 2019I don’t remember Midge. But I didn’t keep up with the Barbara trim.
Bonnie Anderson
/ May 8, 2019Congratulations on avoiding that. I think you’re younger than me so she was likely shelved by the time you may have noticed her.
Vanessa
/ May 8, 2019I’m 62 and glad to tell my age 😀
Bonnie Anderson
/ May 8, 2019What do you know? I’m 62, too!
RAAckerman@Cerebrations.biz
/ May 8, 2019I dunno, Bonnie…
Some of us considered the entire Barbie invasion a nuisance.
Bonnie Anderson
/ May 8, 2019There’s certainly an argument for that, Roy.
Martha DeMeo
/ May 8, 2019I was never a Barbie, Ken or Midge person. I was too busy helping my dad in the garden, mow the lawn or change the oil in his car! LOL But I do know about the pesky midges!!
Bonnie Anderson
/ May 8, 2019That sounds infinitely more valuable, Martha.
Jeanine Byers
/ May 9, 2019I miss Skipper! You don’t hear much about her anymore, either.
Bonnie Anderson
/ May 9, 2019You’re right, Jeanine. Barbie is the attention hog, if you will.
Arthur L Manning
/ May 10, 2019Midges are amazing. They flap their wings up and down at a rate of 1,000 times per second! Even mosquitoes only flap 600 times per second. Midges flap faster than nervous transmissions can travel so they are designed to have just one nervous impulse trigger the whole flapping. They flap so fast that they are not so much flying aerodynamically, but instead are”rowing” through the air. What a master Engineer who designed them, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Bonnie Anderson
/ May 10, 2019That’s amazing. Thanks for sharing. They’re still yucky but now amazing too.