The Actual Reasons Specific Barbie Dolls Were Discontinued
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Vote up the dolls that got discontinued for pretty legitimate reasons.
Playing with Barbies is an iconic rite of passage for kids all across America and the world. Another rite of passage is looking back on your childhood and remembering a toy or product that just wasn't appropriate. For over half a century, Mattel has created a world where children can play and dream and be whoever they want to be using their dolls and accessories. Well, there's been some major misses over the years and they've been recalled.
Maybe you played with the slightly creepy version of Barbie's friend Midge, who could become pregnant by the addition and removal of a plastic magnetic stomach. Or maybe you had Earring Magic Ken who not only sported one earring and a pair for the owner to wear, but a necklace that resembled a sex toy. Whatever the reason for their recall or change, Mattel is now making fun of their past fumbles in Greta Gerwig's Barbie. Vote up your favorite canceled doll by voting for the most outrageous ones below.
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13,344 VOTESComputer Engineer Barbie
It took Mattel four years to realize their book Barbie: I Can Be A Computer Engineer didn't send the message they were hoping for. In 2010, mom Pamela Ribon found the story at a friend's house and began reading. It started out as Barbie designing a game for kids to learn how computers work. As the story goes on she relies on two male friends to do the actual engineering work for her. As she explains to Skipper:
“I'm only creating the design ideas,” Barbie says, laughing. “I'll need Steven's and Brian's help to turn it into a real game.”
She also accidentally spreads a computer virus, which the boys have to help her fix.
Ribon talked about the book on her blog which was then picked up by tech news outlets. Mattel issued an apology saying, "The portrayal of Barbie in this specific story doesn't reflect the Brand's vision for what Barbie stands for."
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23,340 VOTESBarbie Video Girl
Released in 2010, when toys and tech were merged together all the time, Mattel introduced the world to Barbie Video Girl. A normal-looking doll in the front, this Barbie had a special necklace that doubled as a real camera lens. It was connected to a video screen located in her back. Kids could record up to 30 minutes of footage and then download it onto a computer.
While this might have seemed innocent and meant to harvest the next generation of filmmakers, the FBI had other concerns. They issued an alert to law enforcement agencies about the doll, warning that it could be used to store inappropriate footage of children. This was leaked to the press and the doll was discontinued in 2012.
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32,780 VOTESTeen Talk Barbie
Barbie gained an actual voice in 1992 with the release of the This Barbie Can Talk! line. Teen Talk Barbie could say four phrases.
One such phrase she could say was "Math class is tough!" which drew outrage because it was seen as discouraging girls from studying math and science. Within three months of its July 1992 release, Mattel removed the phrase from the doll's settings and offered refunds to parents.
The whole ordeal inspired The Simpsons episode “Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy.”
- 43,080 VOTES
Oreo Fun Barbie
Companies join forces to sell products all the time. In 1997, Mattel and Nabisco teamed up to create a doll based on the chocolate and cream cookie. The first iteration sold well, but when the toy company went to diversify the next release with a Black doll, there was some backlash.
“Oreo” is a derogatory term used to describe a Black person who rejects Black culture in favor of white culture instead. The doll was quickly removed from stores.
- 52,570 VOTES
Sugar Daddy Ken
When Mattel added to its adult line of collector's dolls in 2009 for its 50th anniversary, Palm Springs Sugar Daddy Ken was a surprising addition. With a bright green patterned jacket and grayish coiffed hair, the stylish doll sported a tiny West Highland Terrier on a pink leash, aptly named Sugar.
The pun didn't stop fans and collectors' confusion and a Mattel spokesperson literally had to say, “He’s Sugar’s daddy, as a reference to the dog." Despite the clarification, Mattel eventually discontinued the doll after the anniversary was over.
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62,467 VOTESGrowing Up Skipper
After ten years on store shelves as Barbie's teen sister, Mattel thought Skipper needed to become a woman. In 1975, the toy company created a doll where if you rotated her left arm, she not only grew in height but in chest size.
Despite the intent to explain puberty, newspapers and parents were less than thrilled with the idea. Mattel did give Skipper a friend in 1976 named Growing Up Ginger. The entire doll was pulled from the market in 1977.
- 72,173 VOTES
Barbie And Tanner Playsets
Mattel eventually added pets to its Barbie line and, in 2007, they introduced Barbie and Tanner playsets. It included an athletically dressed Barbie doll and her golden retriever pup, Tanner. With a movable mouth, he could eat treats that he would then poop out for his owner to scoop up with her magnetic scooper.
Mattel and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled many units of the product in August of 2007 after it was reported three times that the small magnet became loose and was, therefore, a swallowing hazard for small children. Not all were recalled and many customers were issued a replacement.
- 82,304 VOTES
Earring Magic Ken
In the early 1990s, Mattel thought Ken needed a makeover. After surveying children, they came to the conclusion that he not only needed to be cooler but modeled after those in the nightlife scene. The result is a Ken with platinum blonde spiked hair, a purple mesh top with a pleather vest over it, and tight pants. It might sound over the top but harmless, until you realize the necklace hanging around his neck could be seen as a male sex toy.
The queer community embraced the doll and it became one of the company's highest sellers. However, because of parental outrage, this version of Ken was recalled and pulled from shelves in 1993, six months after its release.
- 92,202 VOTES
Allan
In 1964, the Allan doll was released as “Ken's buddy” - the “buddy” actually was in parentheses when he was first released. The idea was that it offered Barbie's boyfriend a playmate, and because they were the same size, they could share the same clothes. Later, Mattel marketed Allan as Midge's boyfriend, so Barbie's best friend was dating Ken's best friend. Because of low sales, the doll was pulled in 1966.
He has been brought back a few times, though. Once in the early '90s when he and Midge got married; in the 2000s when they had children - which paired him with the soon-to-be discontinued pregnant Midge doll; and again in 2014 as part of an anniversary celebration.
- 102,106 VOTES
Midge
Midge was first marketed by Mattel in 1963 as Barbie's best friend. Meant to be “the girl-next-door,” more relatable type, she was considerably less glamorous than her predecessor. Four years later, she was pulled due to a lack of sales.
The redhead came back a few times in the ‘80s and ’90s, most notably to get married to Allan in 1991. In 2002, Mattel released their “Happy Family” line, in which the couple introduced the world to their 3-year-old, Ryan. Midge was also pregnant, as users could place a plastic magnetic belly on her flat stomach. The line also came with a newborn baby, that was hidden in some sets so the gender could be a surprise.
The unconventional concept didn't go over well with all customers and Walmart pulled it from its shelves that same year.
