Is Barbie Pregnant?
After years of smooth sailing as America's sweetheart, Barbie suddenly finds herself in the middle of a controversy. The latest version of the revered Barbie doll is pregnant and some purists don't like it. It turns out the doll is actually not Barbie, but rather one of Barbie's friends so don't despair because Barbie is not pregnant after all. This friend of Barbie is named Midge who portrayed as a married mother of one expecting her second child.
Many are protesting the latest doll produced by Mattel but there are also many people who see the new pregnant Barbie doll as reflective of society and perfectly acceptable. What may be the most interesting thing about this new Barbie doll is that its stomach is detachable giving users the option of have a pregnant of non-pregnant Barbie doll. It's quite possible many toy stores will not stock this controversial new Barbie doll to avoid protests and boycotts from parents who don't approve of the new doll and therefore will not buy any toys from stores stocking the new Barbie.
It's too early to tell for sure but the pregnant Barbie doesn't seem to have struck a chord with young girls who are typically the biggest consumers of Barbie dolls. The pregnant Barbie doll may soon be discontinued and become a collector's item similar the fate of the Nabisco Oreo Fun Time Barbie doll of a few years ago. Some parents aren't appreciative of the questions the new Barbie doll draws from young children who want an explanation for Barbie's big stomach.
The Mattel Company doesn't have much to say about production of Barbie's pregnant friend but Midge has become a popular topic on Internet discussion forums where parents voice their concerns about the new pregnant Barbie and it affect on their daughters. Many parents are concerned that since Barbie doll's are seen as role models for young children, they might feel like its OK for them to get pregnant since Barbie's friend Midge is pregnant and about to have a baby. This may be a valid concern to parents who feel their daughter's attitudes about getting pregnant young will be affected by the pregnant Barbie doll but on the other hand there are parents who feel the pregnant Barbie is acceptable and teaches young girls about pregnancy without encouraging pregnancy. After all they say if parents are going to blame their daughters' teen pregnancy on a doll then their not doing a very good job of parenting considering they should be spending more time with their children and talking to them. Barbie is an inanimate object after all so to blame teen pregnancy on a piece of manufactured plastic is bit ridiculous don't you think?
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