10 Barbie Controversies That You Won't Be Able to Forget
Here's a glimpse into Barbie's past.
1.Oreo Barbie
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sifts.spartzinc.com/images/872b91523de0fe7be236dea8e1ddb277.jpeg)
In 1997, Mattel released the Oreo Fun Barbie in both caucasian and African American versions. This was majorly controversial since "Oreo" is a term used to insult African American people who others perceive as "acting white."
2. Kissing Barbie
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sifts.spartzinc.com/images/cd76902f833c2d0866dbd122c2b5a1d4.jpeg)
This creepy kissing Barbie was released in 1979.
3.The Bird Barbie
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sifts.spartzinc.com/images/17283c39ce9f70df7820b076b61ed764.jpeg)
Mattel paid tribute to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 movie "The Birds" by recreating the scene in the movie where Tippi Hedren is attacked by a bunch of birds. Totally appropriate for children!
4. Midge & Baby
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sifts.spartzinc.com/images/1a40d572f25aea889df7a3e080579c30.jpeg)
Midge is Barbie's friend who was introduced into the collection in 1963. In 2002, the "Happy Family" version of Midge was released, which featured a pregnant Midge designed to "satisfy the desire for nurturing play by girls ages 5 to 8."
5. Growing up Skipper
Skipper was a doll that would instantly turn from a young girl into a tall, slender teen when you turned her arm around.
6. Barbie Wash & Watch Dishwasher
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sifts.spartzinc.com/images/732f1072a5806b9383fd84050b356f5f.jpeg)
Because girls should grow up wanting to be stuck in the kitchen.
7. Talkin' Barbie
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sifts.spartzinc.com/images/e54ac835bead986f0f73d21b23ebc417.jpeg)
Parents had a lot to say about Talkin' Barbie. The doll came with a few pre-recorded phrases along with the ability to record your own voice. One of the phrases she would say was supposed to be "off the hook," but too a lot of parents and kids it sounded like she was saying "what the fuck," which caused Mattel to launch an investigation.
8. Slumber Party Barbie
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sifts.spartzinc.com/images/ef69ec6d056fee52bafccd3cc96e5742.jpeg)
Slumber party Barbie was released in 1965 and came with a diet book and a scale so that she and her friends could developed a horrible body image really early on.
9. I Can Be A Computer Engineer Barbie
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sifts.spartzinc.com/images/e007df57d16461708a24aae94d84080c.jpeg)
It seems like we're making progress here with "I Can Be A Computer Engineer" Barbie books. Unfortunately, the creators of the doll didn't actually make her into a computer engineer. She actually only works on the design and user experience of a game and two guys named Brian and Steven have to help her turn it into a real game. She also ends up with a computer virus but has to call on Brian and Steven to get rid of it.
10. Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story
Filmmaker Todd Haynes used Barbies to tell the sad story of Karen Carpenter. He used dolls to chronicle her life as a singer but later whittled them down as he told the story of her anorexia and eventual death.