Pregnant doll pulled from Wal-Mart after customers complain
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — She is Barbie's oldest friend, happily married and visibly pregnant with her second child — and some parents think she is a little too real for their children.
The pregnant version of Midge, Barbie's oldest friend.
The pregnant version of Midge, which pops out a curled-up baby when her belly is opened — has been pulled from Wal-Mart shelves across the country following complaints from customers, a company spokeswoman said Tuesday.
"It was just that customers had a concern about having a pregnant doll," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Cynthia Illick said.
She said the entire "Happy Family" set, which includes pregnant Midge, husband Alan and 3-year-old son Ryan, had been pulled from shelves of the world's largest retailer, which has about 2,800 stores and 500 warehouse club stores.
Illick said the decision was made the week of Dec. 13.
"What we try to do is listen to what our customers want," she said. "In this case, we decided to remove the product from the shelves. I think it was a unique situation."
Messages left for representatives of the toy's maker, Mattel, were not returned Tuesday.
Midge was introduced in 1963, a freckle-faced redhead and the first of a slew of friends and family members for Barbie, the blue-eyed blonde who appeared four years earlier and has been one of the world's top-selling dolls ever since. In Barbie-land, Midge — who, like Barbie, now comes in other shades — married boy-doll Alan in 1991, and the couple has a 3-year-old son, Ryan.
The pregnant Midge, who wears a tiny white wedding ring, has a detachable magnetic stomach that allows easy "delivery" of the baby, and comes with tiny crib, cradle, changing table, baby toys and even a tiny baby monitor. Alan and Ryan are sold separately. The baby also can get a first checkup from "Dr. Barbie," also sold separately.
An article on Mattel's Barbie.com Web site says the "Happy Family" dolls are designed to satisfy the desire for nurturing play by girls age 5 to 8, and can be "a wonderful prop for parents to use with their children to role-play family situations — especially in families anticipating the arrival of a new sibling."
The article, by University of Southern California psychology professor Jo Ann M. Farver, says the series "provides a way to talk about pregnancy without elaborating on the details a child can't fully comprehend."
Manager Bill Boehmer of the KB Toys store in Northeast Philadelphia's Roosevelt Mall said the doll was selling well there, and he had heard nothing but positive responses from customers.
"They like the idea that Barbie is a doctor rather than all three of the girls being pregnant," said Boehmer. "I've had people laugh, but I haven't had anyone say this was ridiculous or 'What are we trying to tell these kids?' or anything like that."
But at KB Toys in the Gallery mall in downtown Philadelphia, where the line that snaked around the perimeter of the store slowly passed the pregnant dolls displayed on the top shelf, reaction from last-minute Christmas shoppers was uniformly negative.
"It's a bad idea. It promotes teenage pregnancy. What would an 8-year-old or 12-year-old get out of that doll baby?" asked Sabrina Fagan, 29, of Philadelphia, waiting to buy a huge toy car because 7-year-old Khalil had made the honor roll.
"There's enough teenagers getting pregnant as it is. I think they're glamorizing it, and it's horrible," said Jackie Ellis, 43, of Philadelphia. "I work in maternity and I see 10-, 11-, 12-year-olds coming in pregnant — and they're crying because they don't even know what's going on."
"Most girls want to be like Barbie" or her friends, said Kenya Williams, 29, buying a life-sized baby doll and another gift for daughters Alexis, 9, and Kiera, 7. "Maybe if they would have put them all together as a family, it might be a little different, but alone it sends out the wrong message."
2006-07-07 12:14:06
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answer #1
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answered by Therealmsred 3
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I think in the early 90's there was a family Barbie that was pregnant and came with a baby.
2006-07-07 11:58:48
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answer #2
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answered by nswanson1980 2
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I've seen a pregnant Barbie. Now I want to see a fat Barbie because I can't believe she had that baby without gaining any weight. I also want to see one that squirts milk from her breasts - a breastfeeding Barbie would really crank up awareness - dontcha think?
2006-07-07 12:16:05
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answer #3
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answered by AlongthePemi 6
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they have made a few different ones over the years. one had a plastic belly and another one a magnet.
and to the other comments. Yes Barbie has married Ken. There are so many versions of Bride and Groom Barbie and Ken. Now if in your reality barbie ran away down the aisle or ken left barbie at the alter... i don't know. But they got married in my world.
2006-07-07 12:04:57
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answer #4
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answered by Brandie C 4
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Yeah, my daughter has a pregnant Barbie. The stomach attaches via magnets and, when it's time to give birth, you just take the belly off and there's the baby. Too bad it ain't really that easy....
2006-07-07 11:58:19
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answer #5
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answered by WhyAskWhy 5
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A pregnant "Heart Family" doll. I think it's part of the Barbie line. I actually bought the whole outfit for my daughter....but she doesn't get it till she's 16. Collectables.
2006-07-08 10:48:15
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answer #6
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answered by itty 7
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They have pregnant Barbie and a whole family that goes with her. I can't recall what the line is called but they do have it.
2006-07-07 12:15:41
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answer #7
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answered by Amanda 2
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They used to make barbies like that . That was in the 80's though. The belly would slide around and than you could get the baby out .
2006-07-07 11:58:50
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answer #8
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answered by Anonymous
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yes. however, if memory serves me correctly, it's not barbie that is pregnant. it is Teresa. barbie came as the doctor. Teresa is married to Allen(?). i think they were referred to as the "loving family". my daughter got the bunch for her birthday about three or four years ago. i'm not sure what has happened to the dolls. but they do exist. they were purchased at either wal-mart or toy'r'us.
good luck!!!
2006-07-07 12:21:35
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answer #9
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answered by luvbuggies 6
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Barbie hasn't married Ken so she can't get pregnant.
2006-07-07 11:58:32
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answer #10
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answered by myste 4
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There is a pregnant barbie
2006-07-07 11:59:33
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answer #11
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answered by KM 1
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