Malibu Barbie, Veterinarian Barbie ... and Pregnant Barbie?
Over the years, the doll who can do it all has had quite a few interesting spinoffs. On March 9, she's celebrating her 55th anniversary, which means five and a half decades of bizarre Barbie iterations
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From controversial creations like Student Teacher Barbie and "Oreo" Barbie, to the ditzy Teen Talk Barbie, here are some of the doll's quirkier moments.
There are things that cannot be unseen, and this Barbie is near the top of the list. In 2002, Mattel introduced the 'Happy Family' doll, starring Midge (Barbie's best friend). The line was quickly pulled because of complaints that she promoted teen pregnancy.
When Barbie teamed up with snack company Nabisco in 1997, they thought it would be a great opportunity to promote milk's favorite cookie. The doll came in white -- and black. It seems no one at Nabisco or Mattel were aware that "oreo" is a derogatory slang term for a black person who "acts white."
Skipper was always Barbie's little sister, but she received a bit of a push in 1975. Mattel introduced the "Growing Up" version, and if you rotated the doll's arms, her waist would elongate and her breasts would grow. Watch the video above for a (creepy) demonstration.
To compete with Bratz (the younger, hipper MGA Entertainment-produced toys for tweens), Mattel released 'My Scene' dolls. However, the 'Growing Up Glam' iteration from 2007 was basically Growing Up Skipper 2.0, in mini-skirts and belly shirts. Twist a knob in the back of the dolls and they get taller, and bustier.
The title 'Slumber Party Barbie' may seem fairly innocuous, but it's more about what Barbie was bringing to her sleepytime sessions. The 1965 doll came with a scale permanently set to 110 pounds and a diet book called How to Lose Weight that only gave these words of advice: "DON'T EAT!"
For the low price of $124.99, you can scoop up Barbie Forever and her dog Tanner. Then you can scoop up Tanner's poop. Yup, this doll came with a dog that "really" goes to the bathroom, because every little kid wants to play with fake excrement.
Here's another showcase of Barbie cleaning up after someone. As part of the "I Can Be" series (which was supposed to be a series of Barbie's amazing jobs), babysitting somehow landed on the list. This doll shows off her excellent babysitting skills, such as cleaning after a baby with a messy diaper.
Video Barbie came with a real working camera, disguised as a necklace on her chest. The video would be projected on her backpack, and it came with a flash drive so videos could be uploaded onto a computer. Barbie: She's always watching.
Barbie's boyfriend Ken also gets in on the fun. The 1995 Shaving Fun doll's appeal was that kids could shave his face over and over again. It's total fun for kids who just really hate stubble, you know?
Barbie has had nearly every job under the sun, but in the '60s, being an actual teacher was a tad overzealous. Thus, the famous doll had to settle for student teacher.
The dangers of tanning are well-documented, but apparently not in 1983. Sun Gold Malibu Barbie was a dangerously tan doll that encouraged heavy sunbathing.
This doll didn't exactly help Barbie's controversial image. Of the many phrases the early '90s "Teen Talk" Barbie utters, here are just a few:
"Math class is tough!"
"Party dresses are fun!"
"Do you have a crush on anyone?"
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