Shane Barbi

Biography

Shane and Sia Barbi (née Carlson; born April 2, 1963), popularly known as The Barbi Twins, are American identical twins, cover models, co-authors, and frequently nude spokespersons as part of their animal rights advocacy.

== Modeling == Shane and Sia began modeling at the age of seven when they posed for a layout in the Sears mail-order catalog. As adults, their career has included fashion and mainly pin-up modeling. The Los Angeles Times did a cover story about the Barbi Twins when their billboard went up on Sunset Boulevard in 1989 immediately catapulting them to worldwide attention. In 1989, 1990, and early 1991, they modeled for Chanel, Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano and others.

=== Playboy === According to their 2001 E! True Hollywood Story, the billboard, and the press that came from it, caught the eye of Hugh Hefner. The twins were put on the cover of Playboy magazine in the September 1991 issue, which broke records by selling out in less than two weeks. In an unprecedented move, Hefner erected a billboard to promote the Barbi Twins and their second Playboy issue (which also broke sales records).

=== Other print work === USA Today said that the twins career brought them "caviar dreams and champagne life styles of the rich and famous". Playboy called their covers "legendary" and credited their subsequent television appearances with "the highest ratings", remarking that the twins became Hollywood landmarks and global obsessions. The twins have also generated a degree of controversy – a Saturday morning cartoon and an MTV show were criticized for being "too sexy" or "too controversial". Magazines and tabloids called them everything from "the sexiest twins alive" and "the best selling calendar models of the world" (Cosmopolitan UK) to referring to them as both "bizarre and bulimic" and "sexual icons and America's cartoon sweethearts" (Entertainment Weekly) They were a favorite for cover models appearing on the covers and inside not only Playboy but mainstream national and international magazines including Cosmopolitan and Redbook. Newspapers, magazines and tabloids including USA TODAY. Shane Barbi was among the many notable quotables when Newsweek's "Overheard" section (syndicated from the New York Post, Page Six) picked up a quote from her during an interview, "You can ask us about our cup size or favorite positions but please no personal questions." Redbook magazine took excerpts from the book Diana's Boys, which reveals how Prince William had his first crush on the Barbi Twins. After four years of the "best selling calendars", photographs from a photo shoot were stolen from a NY film lab and "held for ransom" but were later returned. In 2011 were featured and voted as one of MAXIM's Hottest Famous Twins, were featured in numerous movie posters on behalf of animal causes (see Animal Activism below) and on covers and featured articles in True Cowboy Magazine.

=== Merchandising === Shane and Sia posed together in several internationally distributed Barbi Twins calendars from 1993 to 2007. After the success of their 1993 calendar the "Barbi Mania" continued with dozens of posters, a comic-art calendar and two comic books. Other merchandise such as promotional trading cards, postcards, gift cards, gift wrap, mugs, lighters and just about any product that could have their images (or more specifically bodies) stamped on it were for sale. The Daily Star UK ran a comic strip called "The Barbi Twins", and featuring the twin models with psychic abilities. Gift shops worldwide contained Barbi Twin products and every Spencer Gifts had dedicated a corner to Barbi Twin merchandise as E! True Hollywood Story reported.

=== Film and television === 48 Hours did a special on the Barbi Twins in 2002 on their eating disorders, and the E! True Hollywood Story did a biography on the twins in 2001. They also had several guest appearances on talk shows for television and radio, such as The Geraldo Rivera Show and The Howard Stern Show. The twins made several appearances along with William Shatner, John Landis, and many others in the American animated series Eek! The Cat playing twin rocket scientists, "Dr. Shane and Dr. Sia". In 2007, they received an associate producer credit on Curt Johnson's animal activist documentary titled Your Mommy Kills Animals, which received highly acclaimed reviews from Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Los Angeles Times. In 2010 the twins again showed their support for the animal community and were featured in the movie Skin Trade. In 2012 the twins announced their first feature documentary called I HAVE A DREAM about breed discrimination. Breed discrimination was at the root of the recent death of Lennox, a dog that was destroyed just for being a breed too similar to a pit bull.

=== Barbi v. Flynt === In November 2003, the Barbi Twins sued Larry Flynt and Hustler magazine for shots taken at Playboy studios that eventually found their way into the January 2004 issue of Hustler without permission. The twins had a vitamin line they were planning to be introduced in 2004 and they claimed that the pictures, allegedly taken by Shane's then-husband Ken Wahl, were never meant to be published. They sued for both the pictures and a fictional story that appeared in Hustler as the Barbi Twins claimed it ruined their health image. However, the twins' lawsuit was not successful, as Flynt possessed a valid photo release signed by the twins.

== Personal lives and history ==