Barbie Races Ahead Of Oppenheimer Globally! 11 Controversies That Reveal Dark Side Of The Doll

While Oppenheimer is shining in India ahead of Barbie, things are pretty different at the global level. The Greta Gerwig movie is ahead of Christopher Nolan's movie at the global box office.

Barbie is ahead of Oppenheimer at the global box office

In India, the Cillian Murphy-starrer has minted around Rs 60 crores whereas Margot Robbie-starrer has garnered Rs 20 crores in four days. At the global box office, Barbie has collected $356 million (2,613.6 crores) whereas Oppenheimer has minted $180 million (1,323 crores), as per trade analyst Ramesh Bala.

Despite the huge popularity of the iconic toy, there are several controversies that Barbie doll had to face ever since it was first launched in 1959 by Mattel, a toy manufacturing company.

Who is the brain behind the Barbie dolls?

Ruth Handler thought of making adult-bodied dolls after she saw her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls. Barbara was giving her adult roles. This is when Handler realised that the doll market was predominantly ruled by dolls that looked like infants. She then gave this idea to he husband Elliot, the co-founder of Mattel. And rest as they say, was history.

A Photo of first Barbie doll ever/AFP

Since then, Barbie has been the subject of numerous controversies and lawsuits. Here are the most controversial Barbie dolls ever.

1. Do you know its design was inspired by a sex doll?

Damn I just found out the original idea for Barbie was a carbon copy to another cartoon doll called bild lilli doll from a German company pic.twitter.com/2nU7fv9Kcw

〞 ??emilee? (@emilee97160483) July 24, 2023

Ruth Handler had got multiple German toy dolls called Bild Lilli whose design was later tweaked to make Barbie dolls. Lilli dolls were available at tobacco shops, bars and adult-themed toy stores. They were bachelor party gifts. Four years after Barbie was launched and became popular, several feminists protested againt it. After all, the doll has a impossibly tiny waist and ample bosom,

2. The Barbie that advised 'Don't Eat'.

in 1965, Slumber Party Barbie doll came with this set: a guide on how to lose weight (don＊t eat!) and a scale permanently set at 110 lbs (which would be a BMI 16 for Barbie). you love to see it pic.twitter.com/rbAPZDJRZm

〞 inga (@ingambement) July 7, 2021

When teenage babysitter Barbie was sold in the market in 1963, it apparently read a book called How to Lose Weight that and advised 'Don＊t eat!'.

3. Too young to be pregnant?

Pregnant Barbie is sheer body horror ? pic.twitter.com/MX97KX3JjF

〞 Rachael Eyre (@Alrightpunk) July 21, 2023

A lot of people complained about Barbie's friend Midge who they thought was too young to get pregnant. People said that this doll would promote teenage pregnancy.

4. The Barbie that grows boobs if you twist her arm

In honor of the upcoming Barbie movie, I present my Growing Up Skipper, who grew boobs and a longer waist when you rotated her arm. I can＊t believe she survived my brother and his friends. pic.twitter.com/PFGpdwOmWx

〞 christy klancher (@StPauliGrrrl) July 17, 2023

This one was called Growing Up Skipper. With this, you would get two Barbies at the cost of one. How? The young Barbie would turn into a teenager when her arm was rotated. However, most of the growing up part happened in her chest area. When anyone would crank her arm, she would grow an inch taller and develop small breasts.

5. Oreo Barbie that was racist

Y es nada m芍s y nada menos que esta bella Barbie Oreo que huele a galleta pic.twitter.com/KmHkAFBjIR

〞 Zandra con Z (@zandraelo) July 21, 2023

The toy company partnered with Oreo cookies and launched Oreo dolls. However, as soon as the Black coloured dolls were launched, people were quick to point out the fact that Oreo is a derogatory term used for black people who are accused of acting like white people.

6. Hijab Barbie

Can＊t forget @IbtihajMuhammad＊s Barbie, the first one to wear a hijab! pic.twitter.com/0A1zr5Oeju

〞 Mads Wales | they/them ? (@maddiecw3) July 25, 2023

This Barbie was inspired by Muslim Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad who sported a Hijab. While most people accepted the doll and in fact celebrated it, some others thought that a Hijab only promoted misogyny under the guise of religion, and thus, the Hijab doll became controversial too.

7. Wheelchair Barbie

Share-a-Smile Becky was our first Barbie to use a wheelchair in 1997, but sadly didn't fit in the Dreamhouse with her chair. This has also been course corrected. pic.twitter.com/KeylIAyYLA

〞 BJ Colangelo (STRIKE FIRST! STRIKE HARD!) (@bjcolangelo) July 23, 2023

Share-a-Smile Becky was Barbie＊s first friend who used a wheelchair. While the makers thought they would be lauded for inclusivity, 17-year-old high school student, Kiersti Johnson, realized Becky＊s chair couldn't enter the door of Barbie's dream house.

8. Misogynistic Barbie can't do Maths

妤把忘志忱忘, 志 把批抗忘抒 批 忱攸忱我 妊快把忸忪我 我忍把批扮抗忘 1994 忍抉忱忘, 忘 志 抗我扶抉 扭抉抗忘戒抑志忘攻找 扼忘技批攻 扭快把志批攻 Teen Talk Barbie. 妞批抗抖忘 扼把快忱我 扭把抉折快忍抉 忍抉志抉把我抖忘: ?妖忘 技忘找快技忘找我抗快 〞 找把批忱扶抉? (Math class is tough). 尿找忘 扳把忘戒忘 志抑戒志忘抖忘 技抉投扶抉快 志抉戒技批投快扶我快 抉忌投快扼找志快扶扶抉扼找我, 批折我找快抖快抄 我 妣我戒抑 妊我技扭扼抉扶. pic.twitter.com/7V2EzOIQDm

〞 Alexander Kulikov (@Cooleach) July 23, 2023

Teen Talk Barbie who could say 270 phrases was pushed back after American Association of University Women objected to certain statements that included "Will we ever have enough clothes?", "I love shopping!" and especially "Math class is tough."

9. The computer engineer Barbie who couldn't fix a computer virus

What surfing habits have caused Computer Engineer Barbie's computer to get a virus? pic.twitter.com/3U4PSytFqA

〞 Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) November 17, 2014

Disney screenwriter Pamela Ribon to colored sticker book, Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer, depicted that doll as incapable of fixing a computer virus without the help of two male friends in the book.

10. Is Barbie used for child pornography?

at 8 yrs old all i wanted was a video girl #barbie and i got one for my 9th birthday after begging my parents about it (they didn't get it but i loved movies and barbie and this combined both) naturally i got bored of it after a few months and seeing her in the movie was SO FUNNY pic.twitter.com/KFZATTayac

〞 al? (@616EYEBOY) July 22, 2023

The FBI noticed that Barbie Video Girl, an actress in a bikini who dances on rap songs, had a built in video camera that could be used for child porn.

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