Sylvia Plath's The Applicant referred to a pop song in 1959 by Cliff Richard.  In the 7th stanza, the lines "A living doll, everywhere you look. /It can sew, it can cook, /It can talk, talk, talk." expressed Sylvia's anger at the oppressed femal role in the society.  I guess to most people, that pop song was cheerful, delightful...whatever... just a normal thing like that.  However, to the sensitive feminist Sylvia, it probably sounded harsh.

Here is MV link of the song  Living Doll on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09swfUIk5pw

Lyric:

Got myself a cryin', talkin', sleepin', walkin', livin' doll.
Gotta do my best to please her, just cos she's a livin' doll.
Got a rovin' eye and that is why she satisfies my soul.
Got the one and only walkin', talkin', livin' doll.
Take a look at her hair, it's real,
And if you don't believe what I say, just feel.
I'm gonna lock her up in a trunk, so no big hunk,
Can steal her away from me.

Got myself a cryin', talkin', sleepin', walkin', livin' doll.
Gotta do my best to please her, just cos she's a livin' doll.
Got a rovin' eye and that is why she satisfies my soul.
Got the one and only walkin', talkin', livin' doll.


(instrumental)

Take a look at her hair, it's real,
And if you don't believe what I say, just feel.
I'm gonna lock her up in a trunk, so no big hunk,
Can steal her away from me.

Got myself a cryin', talkin', sleepin', walkin', livin' doll.
Gotta do my best to please her, just cos she's a livin' doll.
Got a rovin' eye and that is why she satisfies my soul.
Got the one and only walkin', talkin', livin' doll.

Sylvia Plath's reading of The Applicant:

http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=7084