Barbie gone wild?
Barbie’s new S&M look has whipped up a storm — with protestors dubbing it “filth.” A religious group, the Christian Voice, has been quoted as saying, “this is taking it too far. A children’s doll in sexually suggestive clothing is irresponsible — it’s filth.” The doll is actually meant to resemble the DC Comics superheroine Black Canary — sporting a motorcycle jacket, boots, fishnets and gloves.
As a conservative parent, I agree that children’s toys don’t need to be sexually suggestive. But I have to be honest and disagree with how the media is presenting the story. First of all, you have to understand the market. Doll collecting is big business, and most of the customers are adults. I know, as I probably own more dolls than all the little girls combined in my neighborhood. I don’t necessarily collect dolls, but rather I design and sell clothes for fashion dolls worldwide, including Barbie. More than 80% of my customers are adults.
I can pretty much guarantee you that parents aren’t going to line up and buy “S&M Barbie” for their little girls. The customers are going to be professional doll collectors and these dolls will probably never see the light of day. For eternity these collector dolls will remain untouched in their boxes.
The media has failed to report that many of the Barbies you see on the shelves, like the Bob Mackie, are really collector items. Most parents aren’t going to run out and spend $30 to $200 for a fashion Barbie doll that their little girls are going to mark up with an ink pen or their big brother will tear off its head. This is where Malibu Barbie comes to the rescue. She’s the cheap $5 doll that comes in a one-piece bathing suit and a pair of sunglasses. These are the types of dolls that I buy for my daughter’s friends when she’s invited to a birthday party.
I transform these dolls into fresh-faced pioneer girls. I design miniature pioneer dresses, petticoats, and matching bonnets and give Malibu Barbie a make-over. If I’m short on time for sewing, I’ll buy a princess Barbie with the sparkling pink gown and matching tiara.
Any doll can be presented as wholesome or sleazy, good or bad. It all has to do with the owner and how they choose to dress their dolls.
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Really? FLDS Barbie? Cool.
Mattel’s website includes a disclaimer,
“For the adult collector, age 14 and over.”
Jeez! The doll is based on a comic book character. Doesn’t Mattel have just as much right to profit from the recent superhero craze as any other company? Should Catwoman, Supergirl, and Wonderwoman, action figures be pulled from the shelves for their tight or scanty attire? This is one costume of many that Mattel has used to attract not only collectors, but enthusiasts of most anything imagineable as well.
However, on the flip side, I’m betting Black Canary Barbie will be positioned in Walmart toy departments to be admired by little girls worldwide — right next to a Bratz doll which is not marketed to collectors.
Nearly each and every one of the Bratz incarnations is dressed in skimpy, slutty attire. Not only are the ‘tween’ aged Bratz, marketed to 8-12 yeard olds, dressed provacatively, but some of the Baby Bratz, marketed to even younger girls, come wearing a thong. What the hell is up with that?