What do you think about this toy?

Question

I just watched the news and it featured a new Barbie doll.

http://www.barbiecollector.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=K7903

This is the Barbie, representing Cher from her "Turn Back Time" video, when she was singing for military men in a thong bodysuit, boots, garters, etc. as you can see from the picture.

I find this Barbie to be inappropriate, as most young girls do not know Cher, and this just looks like Dominatrix Barbie to me. You think?

I'm a very young mom and I like to think I'm somewhat cool, but something about this, the overly sexy "Bratz" dolls, and all of these toys marketed to young girls are just horrifying. I remember having Barbie and the raciest thing she ever wore was a swimsuit! Obviously, parenting is more important than the influence of any toy, but do you think this is right? Why are things like this even being marketed? More importantly, why are parents buying these things?

Melanie H: What on earth are you talking about? The link came from the barbie.com homepage, the doll is on sale now for 25 dollars. It's not 100 or 500, so I have no clue where your information is coming from.

OK, guys, I totally understand where you are coming from about the collector's thing. BUT ON BARBIE.COM, the website marketed towards little girls, there is a link to this website. This Barbie is on the opening page! If a child is on Barbie.com, and clicks that link and sees this doll, you don't think she would say "Oh I've never seen this! Can I get it?" If it's for collectors, it SHOULD not be linked through a children's website.

Again, I will restate this. If the site is only for collectors, then WHY is there a link through the children's Barbie website?

Answer 1

There was a Dr. Phil special on this a week or so ago. I think it all falls into American society idolizing celebrities over people who have truly impacted the country/world. I'm scared to see what society will be like in 50 years.

Answer 2

I'm 14 but I completely agree with you. Children's toys have taken a turn for the worst. I looked at some other Barbie's on the sight and they have a Caberet Dancer! It's crazy.

However, this Barbie isn't for children I don't think. It's a collector's Barbie.

I still back you up 100% though. I don't like the Bratz dolls. My little sister who's 6, doesn't have any. She has a ton of Barbie, but they're the wedding Barbies, Kelly dolls, the Barbie kits (such as Veterenarian Barbie, Doctor Barbie, Kelly has the Chicken Pox, etc.). My mom won't let her get the Bratz because she hates them.

You know, now that I think of it, why do people make these kinds of dolls? I mean most of the people either have kids or are going to have kids in the future. Don't they think about what they want their children to be influenced by? I mean really....

Answer 3

1. A long squeaker toy. 2. Buy a bunch and give a couple out, not all. 3. If you include toilet paper... >.> 4. They HATE rubber and non-squeaker toys. The only one they'll play with that's not a squeaker will be a tennis ball. 5. Well.... I got an ABPT and some other small dogs who can rip that thing to pieces.... Some last 30 Minutes, others 10 Minutes, and we still have that long squeaker toy goin on Day 3 heheh. 6. I think $10 but that was for a whole lot of them they were like $1 each. 7. I did once when I was younger... I played with that thing all the time.. It was like a remote controlled singing dog, hahah. 8. Toilet paper, socks, things like that.

Answer 4

I agree that barbie is very inappropriate. I think that a child shouldn't have this doll for 2 reasons. one is because of how sexy looking it is and its a bad influence on young girls. also because how its a collectors barbie and a child would probably break it.

i think that barbie was made for collectors only though, not for children. yes, and those bratz dolls are very revealing and dont wear nice clothes at all. i used to have one and you should of seen the things that it wore. i dont know why they even make barbies like this. its a bad influence on girls and on boys if they saw his barbie in the sotre as they were walking by it.

i dont know why parents are buying them. i think its because they dont think that children will be influenced by them at all. They think that it doesnt matter what they wear. the child wont notice or really care what she wears. I think they are only being marketed because the company is making a prophet out of these dolls and they dont want to stop and loose money.

happy holidays anyway!
god bless!

Answer 5

barbiecollector.com is not a "children's website"... it is a site for collectors, who are typically adults. I understand where you are coming from, I hated the Cher video when it came out and I am not even a prude! You have to understand... that site is for collectors, so they are going to have collectible barbies... it isn't a site meant for children.


Not to be rude, but if it bothers you that badly, send them an e-mail and complain. The internet is plastered with many things that are not appropriate for children and it is the parent's responsibilty to moniter what the child views. I understand that with something like a Barbie website, you wouldn't expect to see Cher in a thong, but that is the way of the world. E-mail and complain.

Answer 6

I think if a parent doesn't find it to be appropraite than they don't buy it for their child. This comes from the barbie collector website which means it is a collectors item. Those who are older usually will buy it. You can find something wrong with a lot of toys out there in the world. Obviously a child won't see it online if you monitor their online activity or do not allow them at all. It's not a matter of the dolls. It's a matter of how the parent buys for their child.

Answer 7

wow, that is a bit much for a little girl. then again, media,clothing stores, and peers are all trying to tell these girls to be "cool" and dress in certain clothes,etc. especially with the Bratz dolls, they are just a group of friends who party and wear "fashionable" clothes. the rest is up to the little girl to make up. this Cher doll is wild(she doesn't look like dominatrix,she looks like pole hugging barbie to me) but dresses,skirts,and tops that girls really do wear on dolls shouldn't be seen as too bad. dolls just allow the girls,as i said, to make up their own stories. currently, partying and being "glam" is in. i don't think you can give the average 9yr. old a barbie in a poodle skirt and expect her to understand that, it's just what's in the world around her and,though i'm not saying the girl should be doing that stuff, playing with a doll can't be too harmless, it all depends on what parents let in the house.

Answer 8

lol Dominatrix Barbie...on a serious note, yep, i think it's wrong. When i was a kid, we had Princess Barbie and Mermaid Barbie - what was wrong with those? I feel dirty just looking at that image! And is it just me, or does she look even thinner than normal?

Looks like they all want to grow up way too fast these days. You can even buy padded bras and thongs for kids now. I don't know how the h*ll stuff like that happens. Seriously, it wasn't all that long ago that I was a kid myself. Like Dylan says, the times they are a changin'. Or something like that...

Answer 9

I hope that it would be more of an item for a collector than a child. As for the bratz, yes I agree, they are horrible role models for little girls and should be banned.
Parents must being buying these horrible toys for their children, or else they wouldn't be on the shelves. It's not up to manufacturer to make moral decisions regarding our children. It is up to the parents. The manufacturer's are responsible for their bottom line.

Answer 10

I love your questions and opinions Nikki, but unfortunately this time I have to disagree with you on one point. Yes, this doll would be highly inappropriate for children to play with, but that's not even what is what made for. The doll was made to be a collector's item. Presumably for adults, who would know who Cher is. This is in the fine print at the bottom of that page...
"For the adult collector, age 14 and over."

Answer 11

I hope young girls don't think they should dress like that. The outfit does show quite a bit of skin...

Some of the dolls nowadays are a little over the top. They're all about dressing up in short skirts and finding boyfriends. That's not what girls should be doing...they should be playing Hopscotch and Tag and Hide and Go Seek!