What has happened to Barbie?

Mattel recently introduced the rockin’ version of Barbie and many parents aren’t too jazzed about it, in spite of the fact that they’re flying off the shelves left and right.

Barbie has undergone some changes over the years, some of them for the better. For example, a few years ago her shape was altered to make her scale more body-image friendly. Let’s face it: The original 1950s version, if she was a real person, would have been so top heavy she would have fallen over. Mattel eventually shrunk Barbie’s chest a bit and widened her waste to make her more visually accurate. Kudoes to them.

Mattel is no stranger to risk-taking. In 2002 it released pregnant Midge, Barbie’s happily married friend. Midge popped out a curled-up baby when her belly was opened and Wal-Mart stopped carrying the doll amid public outcry. Let’s all say it together: Ewww!

Do you remember back in the day when you could get the basic Barbie doll, Barbie outfits, the dream house, the convertible, etc.? Is Mattel truly running this short of ideas? If there is any area in which the envelope does not need to be pushed it’s children’s toys.

I’ve made my peace with the fact that the stores conspicuously place the most expensive and “coolest” toys (and candy) at eye level to children who beg and plead for them. I still don’t like it but I can understand the point of it as a marketing tool. Depending on the parent, the child’s pleading and guilt-tripping works and they cart home an incredibly expensive, useless toy and the child ends up making a fort out of the box instead.

But can we please be reasonable? Why does a child need a Barbie she can tattoo? I don’t understand the point of it. Toys are for playing. What kind of role-playing does a child do with a tattooed doll?

I understand that many people view tattoos as a form of self-expression. That is obviously their choice, as an adult. But why does a small child need that particular form of self-expression? Their self-expression should be done in other mediums, like Playdough and Crayola.

There are only a handful of directions left for Mattel to go with Barbie — Marlboro Barbie, Pimpin’ Barbie, Goth Barbie. It frightens me. Let’s hope that Mattel quits while it’s ahead.

— Melissa Smith

Assistant Managing Editor